Barbara Tfank (Q3835)
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Barbara Tfank is a fashion house from FMD.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Barbara Tfank |
Barbara Tfank is a fashion house from FMD. |
Statements
Social media is a good thing sometimes. “I get Instagram direct messages from clients saying ‘I got this dress from you 10 years ago, but I still love it so much and I’m still wearing it’,” Barbara Tfank explained during a recent appointment. It made the designer realize that if she continues to make beautiful well-made dresses, then her customers will continue wearing them for years to come.This season, she focused on bright gelato-like colors of yellows, pinks, and chartreuse to create a 12-piece collection of summer-ready looks suitable for everywhere from the Hamptons to Palm Beach. Highlights included a cap-sleeved metallic pink gown that could just as easily work in the daytime as in the nighttime and was made to just throw in your suitcase and go. Tfank also experimented with raffia, but instead of the usual matte and straw-like look and feel, it was dipped in gold by fabric artisans in Italy for a sparkly touch.
18 October 2024
It’s a great time to be Barbara Tfank. Having stayed true to herself and her vision of elegance and femininity, she’s finding that there has been a return to glamour in fashion—especially with the revival of so-called Swan culture. “There’s a kind of joy in dressing again. It’s great to see people looking back at the greats of the past and letting that inspire them,” said Tfank.For her fall 2024 collection, she included many shorter options for the modern-day swans who likely have fewer balls to attend than Babe Paley. A standout included a short, sheer organza gown with three-dimensional floral appliqué that had a casual appeal because of its length, but still read as “evening.” The designer is also still obsessed with kid gloves, which she introduced in her fall 2023 collection, pairing them with strapless satin gowns or one-shouldered looks. She recalled being a little girl in New York and how people would always wear leather gloves on public transportation. While Tfank has been a longtime fan of shawls, this season she looked to little embroidered capelets to pair with her pieces as outerwear. “I’m not dictating to my clients when to wear the pieces,” Tfank added. “Do whatever you want, wear it, and enjoy it.”
14 March 2024
What’s the secret to tying the perfect bow? Barbara Tfank knows. Her spring collection features more than one perfectly gift-wrapped bow at the waistline of her gowns, using a French technique she mentions was mastered by the early couturiers Christian Dior and Pierre Balmain. According to the designer, it takes years of practice and is tough to do unless someone has taught you in person. “It’s nerve-wracking to do, especially on set. And even though I know the technique, sometimes you have to do it twice to get it picture perfect like we did here,” she said.Beyond the bows, Tfank explored new fabrications for her gowns, traveling to Italian mills to source the rarest of fabrics, like florals lined with silver and metallic details that add extra shine under the moonlight, or crinkled fabric gowns in luminous shades like coral and blue, which the designer reveals will be hard to find elsewhere. Tfank’s emphasis remains not only in making the one-of-a-kind gowns that she is known for, but also bringing more versatile pieces that can be worn during the daytime, and offer her customers more than one approach to getting dressed.
24 October 2023
Like the rest of the world, Barbara Tfank has had Balenciaga on her mind. But not the controversy, Tfank has been thinking about Cristóbal Balenciaga, the man. “I did a lot of historical research before starting my collection, and there were inspirations from Balenciaga,” she explained. “That was a starting point for me. As designers, we always need inspiration.” In particular, Tfank was taken by the statement bows that often decorated his couture gowns. On the back of a white strapless peau de soie dress, a bow cinched the waist like a bouquet of flowers; and on a black velvet column, also strapless, an oversized bow at the shoulder added drama.When not looking back at Balenciaga’s history, Tfank was zeroing-in on her own. Recalling the time in the ’90s when she was at Prada and designed the lavender dress Uma Thurman wore to the 1995 Academy Awards ceremony, she brought up the difficulty of finding outerwear for evening in the colder weather. “Shawls are fine, but we’ve seen that done too much,” said Tfank. “It was nice for me to come up with new fresh ideas for cover-ups that don’t clash with your dress or make it look like an afterthought of the clothes.” She added two outerwear pieces to her eveningwear rotation—an opera coat and a cropped capelet that can be matched to any gown in the collection. “I always love looking back at the past to see all the brilliant things people did. Of course, you must re-adapt them, but it’s nice to appreciate them in the present day.”
22 March 2023
Barbara Tfank has returned with her first collection since the pandemic. The world may be constantly changing, but the designer remains true to her roots and traditions. As a former costume designer in the film industry, Tfank has mastered the art of dressing women who want to be photographed. Her couture dresses can take up to a month to produce and are made with the same luxe fabrics used by the major couture houses; they glisten under daylight and candlelight, making them suitable for red carpets, weddings, and galas alike.For resort, Tfank sought inspiration from the garden outside her historic West Hollywood home. Noticing the wind breezing through the flowers, and the dragonflies buzzing around, she made translucent, organza-lined gowns embroidered with florals in pinks, corals, greens, and metallics. And she once again turned to her signature high-low styles and paneled trains — and with good reason. “All of my clients buy Manolos for a thousand dollars. So they definitely want their shoes to show. They don’t want their shoes hidden under the table all night,” explains Tfank.In the world of this designer, discretion is key; the hemlines are First Lady-appropriate, and the opera gloves always stay on. Her loyal customers knows that they will be the only ones making a splash in their exclusive gowns, they will not be upstaged by a celebrity or Instagram virality — at least not until they wear it themselves.
1 August 2022
Barbara Tfank staged her fall 2020 collection in Elizabeth Taylor’s former Upper East Side town house. The space, which is now an antique furniture gallery, served as a fitting backdrop for Tfank’s eveningwear. “I really feel like a complete outlier in the best way,” she said. “I don’t subscribe to anything except beautiful clothes that are beautifully made and will last over time.”Tfank embraced jewel tones this season, pairing complementary colors like royal blue and citrus green or berry and black across her simple, elegant silhouettes. Her starting point was actually black and white, though: ’50s photographs by Richard Avedon and Lillian Bassman were pinned into a collage on her mood board. The clean lines and sense of drama in the clothes the photographers captured greatly influenced Tfank’s bow-adorned gowns and sculptural, high-low dresses.As her clients move away from department store shopping, Tfank is tapping into her direct business. She invited many of her top customers to her salon-style presentation, which included a soprano performance by Sydney Anderson and flutes of Champagne; it all made for a distinctly old-school experience. The biggest news for her fans was the introduction of Taroni silk, which was sustainably made in Italy and featured in half of the collection, and the continuation of bridal. Fall’s wedding capsule introduced simple, long-sleeved satin dresses for the bride who wants less frills and fuss.
15 February 2020
Clothes are only as powerful as the emotions attached to them, and Barbara Tfank specializes in evocative design. An advocate of “slow fashion,” Tfank makes clothes intended to be keepsakes and shows them in spaces that reflect her refined sensibility. For the second season in a row, she took her work uptown to Maison Gerard at The Elizabeth Collective, the former home of Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor turned into an antique furniture gallery. There on the grand, curved staircase, models posed in cocktail dresses with cloque panels and gowns crafted from the lightest taffeta. There was a grandness to the presentation—soprano Sydney Anderson performed an aria that brought the room to a standstill—but also intimacy. In a week marked by spectacle on a massive scale, Tfank offered the exact opposite.Spring saw the designer looking to the work of Max Ophüls, the German director known for his meticulous visual style.The Earrings of Madame Deserved as the season’s starting point; a Belle Époque drama featuring the ultimate tale of re-gifting, it charts the movements of spectacular jewels as they change aristocratic hands. “It’s one of my favorite films and just one of the most beautifully made of all time,” shared Tfank. Midway through the story, Danielle Darrieux’s titular Madame realizes that the earrings she’d sold scenes earlier are the thing she desires most. Once an insignificant gift from her husband, they become a symbol of renewed passion when they’re given back to her by a lover.Though she could have gone full period drama, Tfank focused instead on the importance of sentiment and its impact on how we choose to dress. It fits, then, that the collection’s final moments segued into bridal. Models in Monvieve headpieces made their way down the steps in romantic looks that went far beyond the standard. You could get married in the hot pink column gown with the sweeping train, or you could hit the town. “White isn’t the only option these days; I think of it as alternative bridal,” said Tfank. “I wore orange on my wedding day—anything goes.”
12 September 2019
Barbara Tfank’s journey into the world of Elizabeth Taylor feels like destiny. Though she already created a tribute collection back in 2011, after the Hollywood legend’s passing, and subsequently collaborated with Taylor’s trust to preserve her fabled wardrobe, Tfank found herself back in theCat on a Hot Tin Roofstar’s orbit this fall. After sending out fashion week invites with her usual location listed, she was approached by Maison Gerard owner Benoist Drut with a unique venue: The Elizabeth Collective, Taylor’s six-story townhouse on West 56th Street. The tony address proved too good to resist, and it gave the former costume designer an opportunity to match the mise-en-scène with the mood of her collection.As soprano Sydney Anderson belted out an aria on the spiral staircase, models walked through the space in Stephen Russell’s estate jewelry and opera coats covered in celestial swirls. The Paris-salon vibe was a throwback to the days when fashion shows were a refined experience, but Tfank did more than trade on nostalgia: Her juxtapositions of texture and technique were distinctly modern, with clashing patterns and bold metallics replacing spring’s hothouse flowers. Don’t expect a foray into casualwear anytime soon, but Tfank’s puff-sleeve bronze dress for day provided a sultry new verve, as did an olive number with a portrait collar and hourglass proportions.Fall also saw the introduction of a new category. After years of having clients request her wares for their nuptials, Tfank decided the time was right for a bridal capsule. For inspiration, she looked to Taylor and the ever-evolving style of gowns she chose for her eight ceremonies. Delivered in shades of cream and gold with long trains, Monvieve veils, and Watteau backs, Tfank’s take was decidedly dramatic. The best of the bunch veered far from tradition. Who wants the standard when you can have gold tulle and a bordeaux sash? Of course, the irony of debuting in the home of a much-married superstar wasn’t lost on Tfank. “I like that we didn’t just do white,” she shared post-show. “You can almost think of these as dresses for the second wedding.”
15 February 2019
The panoramic wall hanging in the background of Maison Gerard during Barbara Tfank’s Spring 2019 presentation was one of the oldest examples of wallpaper in existence. Depicting a day of hunting in the French countryside, its pastoral beauty spoke to a time when the world was simpler and the pleasures different. “It’s the first flat-screen TV,” quipped Benoist Drut, the gallery’s owner.As always, the art served to complement Tfank’s perspective, which is rooted in old-school glamour and luxury beyond the notion of labels. After an exhibition-filled summer—she nodded to both the Getty’s “Icons of Style” photography show and LACMA’s retrospective, “3D:Double Vision”—Tfank felt ready to address the impact the works of image-makers like Richard Avedon and Bert Stern have had on her. “I love photography, especially coming from film,” she said postshow. “After seeing those beautiful pictures, I thought, this is what resonates with me; I’m going to do it, and hopefully it will sell.”The classicism of those images made for a collection with a timeless feel. There will always be a need for great dresses like the white and gold gingham number with puffed sleeves Tfank opened with, or the black grosgrain frock with dainty bows along the straps. With a fit-and-flare silhouette, both pieces are likely to flatter a variety of body types, but their appeal went beyond wearability. Tfank has an elegant touch, and looks like her golden girasole brocade gown and pale pink dress adorned with “eyelash organza” are essentially seasonless and won’t fall out of fashion at the speed of light. A slow-burn alternative to the overt trendiness that currently plagues eveningwear, Tfank’s collection was something to remember.
9 September 2018
In the background of Barbara Tfank’s Fall presentation, a piece of fashion history peeked out. The desk of couturier Jean Patou—complete with an oversize bottle of his famous fragrance, 1000—served as a backdrop for models who posed amid the finery of Maison Gerard, the luxurious Greenwich Village gallery. Patou’s presence felt apt, as the days of the French salon appeared to inform Tfank’s seasonal offerings. Ever glamorous, she delivered a succinct lineup of looks for women with galas to go to and dramatic entrances to make.Inspired by contrasting movements within Mexican art, Tfank referenced both the sumptuouscastapaintings of Miguel Cabrera and contemporary artist Gronk’s expressive prints. That mix of tradition and modernity played out on the garments as Tfank utilized a series of classic shapes, rendering them in intricately detailed fabrics. Delivering florals in colorful abstracted brocades, Tfank created embroidered opera coats with full sleeves and a series off-the-shoulder evening gowns with a refined appeal, staying true to her aesthetic while adding touches of whimsy. With velvet-embossed tulle layered over a hot pink double-faced satin to create a three-dimensional look, and crystals covering the sleeves of cocktail dresses, the mood was light.As models decked out in Monvieve lace headpieces and Manolo Blahniks sat dressed in Tfank’s creations, one couldn’t help but think back to Irving Penn’s shots of socialites preening in Mainbocher or Patou. Those days may be long gone, but Tfank continues to serve as a torchbearer for that breed of luxury.
10 February 2018
Other designers may have abandoned formality, but Barbara Tfank intends to keep the glamour going. Staging her latest collection at tony East Side furniture gallery Maison Gerard alongside André Arbus armoires and Jacques Adnet cabinets, Tfank positioned her Spring offerings as objets d’art, a wise choice given their intricacy.Tfank’s love of textiles saw her utilizing one embellished fabric after another, with shimmering brocade adorning split bodice dresses and full skirts, and textured lamé making its way onto decadent gowns. Jacquard, long a Tfank signature, proved ideal for ’60s-style collarless coats and crop tops worn with prim skirts.The pieces intentionally harked back to a bygone era: Tfank’s mood board was filled with portraits of Duchess Violante Beatrice of Bavaria and Il Babuino. While a recent trip to Italy informed several details, the look was quintessentially American, the kind of style that used to be synonymous with First Ladies and anyone whose wardrobe included an opera coat. With fashion currently dominated by athleisure and celebrity collections, the formal dressing options Tfank presented felt refreshing. Granted, embellished caftans and cap sleeve gowns resonate most with a specific type of woman, but odds are those items remain wearable long after the latest It sweatshirt has been put out to pasture.
8 September 2017
“This season there’s no particular theme except for my love of fashion,” explained Barbara Tfank at her Fall 2017 presentation. As it turned out this Valentine’s Day, sometimes love is enough: The collection, tightly edited and grounded in Tfank’s signature jacquard, made a strong showing. Particularly on point were the blouson-sleeve dresses. “I’ve been asked for sleeves a lot recently,” said Tfank. “So I’ve done a whole study in sleeves.” A highlight was the structured velvet dress with tulle sleeves. A happy surprise when you leaned in to inspect the sleeves: The square pattern was also cut from velvet.But Tfank’s love affair with fashion is predominantly governed by her admiration for fine textiles; that came through in the gorgeous French jacquards, as well as tweed from Lesage embroidery (which was left purposefully and pleasingly undone on a skirt) and layers of contrasting tulle embroidered with glittery velvet squares and polka dots, respectively. “This one really needs a chandelier or candles,” said Tfank, picking up the hem of an off-the-shoulder gown with contrasting tulle. “But you can imagine it really sparkles at night.” Spoken like a true romantic.
15 February 2017
This summer, designerBarbara Tfankand her husband were invited to stay at the American Embassy in Madrid, Spain, where her friend James Costos is the ambassador. Taking advantage of the trip, Tfank planned a short sojourn to Seville, a 2,200-year-old town which first captured her imagination when she was traveling Europe as a young girl with her mother.“Ambassador Costos said, ‘I hope there will be an homage to Spain [in your next collection]‘ and I said, ‘There will be,’ ” said Tfank at today’s presentation. The designer delivered on her promise in a suitably subtle way—“Because I don’t do costume-y clothes,” she said.This season Tfank’s signature brocade and evening gowns came with blouson sleeves and flurries of black lace, which conjured up the romance of Seville. Tfank also sourced several fabrics from Spain, including a gorgeous pink finely netted fabric embroidered with miniscule sequins, which appeared on a floor-length gown, and a white laser-cut bouclé which shone on a midi-dress adorned with black bows at the shoulders and waist. That design was originally intended as an option for Michelle Obama to wear on her visit to Spain; Mrs. Obama instead wore it to the annual Healthy Lunchtime Challenge and Kids’ "State Dinner" at the White House a week after returning from her trip. Even without the exotic Spanish backdrop, the dress made an elegant impression—and will no doubt encourage Mrs. Obama to continue looking to Tfank for occasionwear.
12 September 2016
Barbara Tfankis best known for her ornate brocades. So when she got to brainstorming about how to do fur in a unique way for her Fall collection (the designer has a partnership with Saga Furs), it didn’t take long for the lightbulb to go off. “I thought, Of course, brocade!” said Tfank, who used the fabric to line black fur capelets and evening jackets, making them reversible. That wasn’t the only novel thing about her furs: Each had been specially treated with “diamond dust”—a silver powder dye—so that when it caught the light just so, there was a subtle glittering.The furs were definitely a highlight, but Tfank also paid special attention to how other evening garments would look, with plenty of reflective gold, brocade, and black beading that she said “really comes alive” at night. This is clearly where she excels; her more day-appropriate offerings—a cropped pink jacket or a floral dress with velvet inserts—felt unremarkable by comparison. That probably won’t be a problem, however, for the designer’s loyal customer base, made up of ladies who—much like Tfank herself—are more likely to show up to lunch in a beaded cocktail dress than in jeans.
16 February 2016
An eight-day trip to England proved fertile ground forBarbara Tfank, who based her Spring 2016 collection, called My Journey, on the various sites she visited on her travels.Tfank and her husband were invited to lunch by a deputy speaker of the House of Lords, and the designer had a chance to visit the storied hall at the Palace of Westminster. “I was so taken by the decor and these perfectly maintained 19th-century rooms—the ornateness of the wall treatments, the moldings and the fabrics,” said Tfank. That lent itself organically to Tfank’s textile-centric design sensibility: There were plenty of brocades tinged with metallic embroidery that would have looked just spiffy in an 1800s-era sitting room. Of course, that’s not always an ideal thing: There’s a reason the palace is considered a historical site, and some of Tfank’s creations came off a tad antiquated, an impression not helped by the upswept retro hairstyle.Her inspiration translated best on a pink-and-green brocade column gown with a back panel, a dress that reminded one of the kind of chintz curtains of the era and yet still somehow managed to feel fresh. Also fresh: a handful of evening separates, including a full brocade skirt with contrasting leather waistband, styled with a crop top that might entice some younger customers.
15 September 2015
This season Barbara Tfank was thinking about luminescence, about the moonlight spilling into the window of her home. The designer is not one for a literal reference, so the inspiration took shape in Tfank's signature uptown-girl fabrications, shimmering cloques, and brocades.Those hoping for the daywear and separates Tfank periodically offers will have to look elsewhere. Here was an evening-heavy offering, brimming over with A-line dresses bearing cinched waists and sweetheart necklines (many of which conjured up Betty Draper), as well as floor-grazing gowns. Often it felt like Tfank's evident passion for her materials trumped things like silhouette, though there were plenty of well-cut styles. The result was a collection that felt a bit anachronistically precious and a bit starched in places; Tfank wouldn't be remiss in giving her next outing a little more flesh and blood to back up all those fine fabrics.
19 February 2015
While Barbara Tfank's Fall collection felt a bit moody, Spring was all about lightness. "I was inspired by women's connection to nature and their feminine energy," she said. Her starting point was a painting by Anne Siems that depicted a woman wrapped in pastel blooms and branches. Tfank's interpretation of that washed-out color palette was decidedly more vibrant: Shimmering cloque lamé in "Mediterranean blue" looked like sunlight glittering on the ocean surface, and an aloe green A-line cocktail dress had a smooth, radiant sheen. "I wanted the girls to glow a bit," Tfank explained. "There's always a little bit of sparkle in nature." Custom antique diamond hair clips—a collaboration with Circa—lent a little retro flash.Alongside those fancy frocks were more daytime-appropriate cotton sateen dresses in stark black and white. Tiny bows tied below each shoulder were cute and playful, yet not overly saccharine. "Bows are something women have worn for centuries," Tfank said. "I love exploring that classic femininity."Tfank hosts trunk shows throughout the year, so she's acutely aware of what her customers want—lately, it's been more eveningwear. Ask and you shall receive: There wasn't a single pair of pants in the entire Spring lineup. Despite the gussied-up vibe, the tightly edited collection (there were just 14 looks) made it easy to digest all those pastels and shimmer. Ruched off-the-shoulder necklines felt a bit dated, but a hand-crocheted Lurex crop top paired with a full brocade skirt was charming and youthful.
8 September 2014
Who doesn't love a good 1960s reference? Barbara Tfank was thinking of David Bailey's photos of Jean Shrimpton when designing Resort's set of neat little numbers. "It could be one person's wardrobe," Tfank said of the collection, which took inspiration from mod styling.Indeed, it wasn't hard to imagine one of Tfank's private clients snapping up a good chunk of the lineup. For lunch out, there was a shift in a coral-and-green floral print that looked like it was painted on. Beachside cocktails were taken care of with a cotton matelassé pencil skirt, white bandeau top, and shimmering swing jacket made of a silk polyester that almost glowed. More casual afternoons might require the navy peplum sweater, hand-crocheted in New York. And when it comes to evening, it would be hard to go wrong with a waist-whittling, scoop-neck dress in metallic mint matelassé.It's a fantasy life, to be sure. But just the sort of fantasy Tfank should be shilling.
9 June 2014
It's a shame today's red-carpet regulars and the stylists who dress them are so print-averse (and risk-averse), because it would be a treat to see someone like Penélope Cruz wear the rose-printed off-the-shoulder aqua jacquard gown that was the centerpiece of Barbara Tfank's Fall 2014 presentation. Frankly, it's also difficult to imagine who besides Cruz, with her supermodel stature and Sophia Loren-style smolder, could pull off such a dress. But it was by no means the only formal option from Tfank, who shifted her focus to eveningwear this season because her clients had demanded more black-tie attire. For a designer who consistently works with couture-level fabrics—that French jacquard, by the way, was far richer in person than it appears in photographs—gowns are a logical medium. Another floral option, this one less structured, with giant pink peonies on champagne-colored lamé, looked nearly vintage in its sixties silhouette, with a shoulder-skimming décolleté neckline and full, box-pleated skirt. That said, when the model wearing it stood with her hands in the dress' pockets, she looked far cooler—and more comfortable—than the one in a platinum lamé camisole with a matching curve-skimming fishtail skirt. Tfank said those separates were her way of doing "something truly modern for evening," but the brocade and jacquard dresses that looked a little like throwbacks were far more beautiful.The show was held at the Leila Heller Gallery, where Turkish artist Murat Pulat's paintings of such midcentury starlets as Marilyn Monroe and Janet Leigh formed the backdrop, and while it's true that a gold matelassé pencil dress with a wide, rolled neckline would have been beautiful on Leigh, with matching metallic Manolos it looked lovely for today as well. Tfank said the models' updos were tousled to approximate the actress Monica Vitti's in the campy 1966 movieModesty Blaise."It's such a wacky film," she said. "I love it." Tfank knows what she wants to see—and what her customers want to wear—and she executed it with excellence.
10 February 2014
Black, white, and colorful all over: That was Barbara Tfank's idea for Spring. The maker of modern-with-a-retro-tinge cocktail dresses created a collection of short frocks and long gowns meant to not only please her loyal customer, but also add some newness to her Michelle Obama-approved, Los Angeles-based line. "I wanted to give my clients something just a bit different," she said at her presentation in an intimate Chelsea art gallery.The first look, a brushed-cotton almost-minidress in black with a cage neckline, delivered on that. The look was sexy, but delicate bows at the top of the shoulders gave just a little Audrey Hepburn appeal. Another winner was an off-the-shoulder, close-fitting gown in what Tfank is calling "Byzantine bouclé." From afar, the multicolored material looked as if it were made of millions of tiny beads; the texture was unexpected, and the silhouette elegant. Both of those numbers had interesting necklines, and this season Tfank did best when she focused on that area of a woman's body. Unexpected slits at the collar of a floral shift dress offered it just the right oomph such a classic style needs. Two dresses done in bias-cut charmeuse printed with purple poppies were elegant, but maybe not as memorable. Tfank is an interesting talent, though, and this collection proved that she's more than just a pretty dress.
8 September 2013
It's true—Barbara Tfank is not trying to reinvent the wheel. Season in and season out, she turns out pretty day and evening dresses. Her silhouettes, mostly inspired by the midcentury, are only updated slightly as the years pass. Yet Tfank's work doesn't feel dated. And that's thanks to her attention to fabric, the thing that really makes or breaks a collection of classics.For Resort, Tfank looked to Monet's paintings for ideas on color and print. "Resort is a fun time to dream, experiment, and play," she said. Pastels were a dominant force and particularly successful in a pale green and white striped cotton day dress, which was accented with the faintest pink. Another print, an embossed rose gold over a shimmering linenlike fabric, was special enough to stand on its own but simple enough to take on a few statement jewels. "Clients will come to me and say, 'My husband bought me this gorgeous diamond necklace—now I need a dress to match it,' " Tfank explained. But the winner was an eggshell blue gazar skirt, mid-length, printed with tiny white flowers resembling digitized needlepoint. "This would look just as good with a white T-shirt as it does with this bra top," Tfank said. Maybe even better.
15 June 2013
"What I love about the Ottoman Empire was that there was such a juxtaposition of texture and color and pattern, all put together," Barbara Tfank said during her presentation at Chelsea's Leila Heller Gallery. "It's a great way to dress." Taking cues from the textiles and general languor of Matisse'sOdalisque in Red Pants, Tfank showed a collection of ladylike, figure-flattering dresses in custom-milled European brocades. The smudgy blooms visible in Matisse's painting became lamé roses on a full-skirted, portrait-collared dress; the gold tapestry elements appeared as gold medallions in a slim V-neck dress and reversed overcoat. Amid the shimmery florals, some of the most appealing looks were the quietest—particularly an A-line dress in double-faced satin with a scalloped neckline inspired by the shape of an Ottoman window.But wait—doesn't the odalisque wear trousers? Tfank threw in one pair of flared black satin evening pants to cover all bases, showing it with a sash-belted smoking jacket in pink floral brocade with pink fox-fur cuffs.It was all quite timeless—classically beautiful, even, to the point that the dresses could have come from any season over the past several years. That and the separates shortage might be a commercial misstep for another designer, but Tfank has attracted a clientele—most notably the First Lady—that keeps coming back for more dresses. Though she wouldn't own up to a muse, there wasn't a dress in the room that wouldn't look terrific on Mrs. Obama. "She likes feminine, she likes texture, she likes color—those are all things that I love," said Tfank. And the retailers love her for it, too.
10 February 2013
"You never really get to see the clothes in the environment that they end up in," Barbara Tfank said a few days before her presentation. Which is why the designer staged her Spring collection the way she did today—in different rooms of an impeccably furnished Upper East Side townhouse. The whole setup was meant to bring the subjects of renowned celebrity photographer Slim Aarons' work to life. It was ultimately Aarons' famous quote about his pictures' content, "attractive people doing attractive things in attractive places," that Tfank was trying to emulate. Most of the looks were feminine, full-skirted dresses in colorful brocades and cotton matelassé. Some of the better ones had scalloped necklines and patch pocket details. Tfank cleverly matched the models to the decor, which looked best in the master bedroom. Hydrangea blue and lavender rose gowns were displayed there to blend with the floral-patterned carpet. For the younger Tfank girl, there was a medallion-printed cropped trouser with a matching capelet and a neon geranium and white grid-patterned skirtsuit paired with a white T-shirt. Overall, today's showing didn't exactly capture the relaxed feel of Aarons' iconic photos—like the one of Joan Collins lounging on her bed with a pink poodle—but hats off to Tfank for trying something different.
9 September 2012
Barbara Tfank looked to a different kind of star this season. Following last Spring's tribute to Elizabeth Taylor, the designer found inspiration in the aurora borealis. Images of the northern lights provided the perfect palette for the former costume designer, who says she loves to use "color that exists in nature." Cases in point: an emerald green silk taffeta dress with classic shirtsleeves and corseting detail and a full-skirted number in an abstract floral print done in acid yellow and raspberry pink."I look at all of the brilliant things that have been done in the past and I bring them to the present," said Tfank, describing her design ethos. "It's not retro, it's intelligent." As a strategy, it's proven quite effective. First Lady Michelle Obama chose a cobalt blue Tfank creation for the State of the Union ceremony in January and the designer has worked with Adele since she was 18 years old, years before she picked up her pile of Grammys. This season's nod to the younger ladies came in the form of playful dresses decorated in Schiaparelli butterflies and silver daisies. We bet the Fanning sisters would be down to wear either one.
17 June 2012
A former costume designer, Barbara Tfank often sources inspiration from the cinema. Last season she paid tribute to Elizabeth Taylor, and for Fall she celebrated "the magic hour," that fleeting period before the sun sets when its golden light makes everyone glow: "A daily reminder of enchantment and beauty," Tfank said during her presentation.The designer's goal this season was to capture the magic hour's ephemeral allure with timeless, have-forever pieces. Timelessness is an interesting concept chez Tfank, where clothes always seem to evoke another era. Pin it on the rich fabrics, like the silk jacquard of a blush colored funnel-neck dress embroidered with orange irises. The box-pleated skirt kept its shape so perfectly8212;up and away from the model's hips—that it looked like there was a crinoline underneath. "It's just the fabric," Tfank promised. "It has a life of its own."Another box-pleated dress came in embossed gray cloque with a black tulle overlay. You needed to see the dress up close to catch the fine net, but from afar it had a hazy aura that made it shimmer. Dull-gold palazzo pants would look just as great with a simple white tee as they did with a structured black satin tunic, although it's unlikely the type of girl who would go for the first option is eyeing these clothes. Tfank caters to a mature crowd, and this collection, with its classic silhouettes and luxurious fabrics, was definitely pitched to her sophisticated faithful. The magic will happen when these clothes are passed down, which they should be. Beautifully made and superbly fitted, they have a life of their own.
12 February 2012
Barbara Tfank started out as a costume designer, so it's no big surprise she fell for Elizabeth Taylor, whose on-screen looks were always so perfectly executed. "It's like geometry," Tfank said during her presentation, explaining the importance of the emphasized shoulder and the nipped-in waist. So, in a winking tribute to Taylor and her magnificent décolletage, Tfank coiffed her models in Liz wigs and padded their bras ("it's hard to find models with a lot going on up top," she confided).Beside the wigs, the Taylor references were sly. A long black V-neck dress covered in Pop Art blooms hinted at Warhol's iconic silk screen of the megastar. A column dress in gold worn with a corded belt had a whiff of Cleopatra, but only if you knew to look for it. Either way, it was stunning. The embroidery on a barely-flared blue and white pantsuit veered a little too close to couch territory, but another print of standalone flowers and petals on black palazzo pants looked fresh and flirty. Paired with a black cotton piqué bra top, it was the Tfank way of showing some skin: a little at a time, and nicely.As Tfank courts a younger audience, she does so without alienating her existing fans. The opera coat that put her on the map a few seasons ago was back today with a slimmer cut, in muted taupe and gold brocade—perfect for cross-generational sharing.
11 September 2011
Barbara Tfank doesn't do trends. The Los Angeles-based designer aims to create "timeless" dresses that a mother will pass down to her daughter one day or, even better, dresses that both a mother and daughter could wear in the same week to different events. Tfank's "jewel box" collection for Resort featured classic silhouettes cut from expensive French taffeta, which the designer favors because "it's beautiful fabric that changes with the lighting." A full, tea-length skirt with a shot of sparkle paired with a simple knit T-shirt looked tailor-made forMad Men's Betty Draper, but like it or not, Tfank may end up trendy. Michelle Obama recently wore one of her designs to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen.
15 June 2011
It's hard to find fault with a Barbara Tfank collection. The Angeleno has found her groove designing sophisticated day-to-opera wear, a niche that's wide open with so many designers skewing young and thinking sexy. Not that Tfank's clothes are old and fuddy-duddy; there are plenty of young starlets who would look refreshingly put-together in one of her fuller skirts and modest necklines.So the addition of denim and leather this season, two firsts, isn't necessarily a play for a teen Tfank girl. The denim hails from Italy and Japan; in platinum and gunmetal washes, it's not your typical boyfriend jean variety. Tfank played the leather against type, too: A Grace Kelly dress silhouette, demure and feminine, comes in the stuff. "Everyone does tight and sexy in leather," Tfank said at her presentation. "I thought, why not do a full skirt?" Why not, indeed.
13 February 2011
It's been a banner year. Michelle Obama wore one of Barbara Tfank's box-pleat dresses in May—"She loves my florals," the designer confided—and celebrities from Adele to Vanessa Redgrave are being snapped in the brand. Feeling justifiably upbeat, Tfank worked an exuberant pastel palette for Spring. A few darker hues showed up, too, but even a black dress chez Tfank can never look moody: The tailoring is too crisp and the styling too fresh, and everything is always coming up roses. The lovely sunburst print on a tight-bodiced A-line number (with a full skirt and wide, collarbone-revealing neckline) was shot through with gold. An adorable high-waisted black cotton skirt with oversize pockets and buttons running down the front was shown with a little white tricot bandeau, but the midriff revealed was extremely minimal, so it maintained an air of innocence. The real head-turner, though, was a gathered floor-length V-neck dress in a graphic black-and-white print. Upon closer examination, it was revealed that what looked like geometric abstractions were actually a bird's-eye view of topiary along a garden path.
12 September 2010
Fun fact: Carl Jung, when he wasn't busy plumbing the psyche's depths, was painting an illuminated manuscript he called his Red Book, based on his "inner images." According to Barbara Tfank, her designs come from that same interior space. So Tfank took the Red Book as the jumping-off point for her collection, even basing one of her custom, English-made fabrics on one of the good doctor's illustrations. For clothes inspired by the roving unconscious, the collection was pretty uncontroversial, but that's likely what Tfank's elegant fans (like Vanessa Redgrave and, recently, Michelle Obama) prefer. Opera and cocktail coats played with proportion, and the silk dresses for which the designer is known came again in figure-flattering cuts, none rising far above the knee. A full-skirted, belted option in celadon green stamped with gold leaves had an appealing retro vibe, echoed again in a few floral prints. And what did it allmean, doctor? Unfortunately, our hour is up.
15 June 2010
Last season, Barbara Tfank created a few of her own prints for the first time; Fall saw her plunging headlong into graphic-design mode. The Fauvist painter Raoul Dufy, who designed stationery for Paul Poiret and textiles for Bianchini-Férier, was Tfank's guiding light. She produced a series of bright floral frocks with him in mind, including an off-the-shoulder dress with a pleated skirt that looked great in a morning-glory print of bright green and aquamarine; a nipped-waist long-sleeve dress in emerald, navy, and claret was also sweet. Tfank's conservative silhouettes may not appeal to most twentysomethings, but a subdued black silk crepe sheath looked supremely sexy on the model Damaris Lewis. (Sure, she models forSports Illustrated, but the point is that Tfank's creations go great with curves.)Another happy by-product of Tfank's print compulsion was her increased awareness of texture. "If I do something with black now, it has to be really special," she said. A midnight plissé taffeta dress with bodice-enhancing ribbon detailing fit that description perfectly.
14 February 2010
Flipping through the pages of the newly publishedAvedon Fashion 1944-2000, Barbara Tfank had her aha! moment for Spring. "I didn't realize how much his images influenced my designs until I started looking through the book," she said backstage at her presentation Monday. Tfank actually once worked as a stylist for Avedon (much later in his career, obviously), so it only stands to reason that she soaked up some atmosphere along the way. Avedon's influence was clear in the soigné refinement of the collection's 18 faultlessly constructed looks—including dahlia- and poppy-printed cocktail dresses in eye-popping shades of lime and pink—but her fitted daytime dresses and capri pants were a bit sixties, too: Navy silk and cotton frocks with gathered sleeves or subtle pleats were exactly the sort of thing Betty Draper might wear to make dinner for Don and the kids. They are also exactly the thing Brit pop star Adele loves to wear. Tfank has dressed the singer on several red carpets now, and the Grammy winner was on hand to give her a round of applause.
13 September 2009
For Resort, Barbara Tfank drew inspiration from a recent Palm Springs sojourn. Lemon yellow, apple green, and hot pink fabrics echoed the town's groovy sensibility, while the California-modern Kaufmann Desert House influenced the clean lines of Tfank's timeless shifts. The designer focused her attention on meticulous tailoring—pleated dresses fit glovelike on the model and a swing-back coat flowed gracefully off the body. "Even during a recession I had to focus on quality textiles," she explained of her use of sumptuous double-faced satin and silk twill. Still, Tfank smartly offered versatile pieces suitable for day-to-night dressing and year-round wear. Speaking of nighttime: The designer will be pairing up with Adele again, outfitting the singer for an upcoming Hollywood Bowl concert with Etta James.
15 June 2009
What else other than Adele's19would be playing at Barbara Tfank's presentation in the sunny penthouse at the Carlyle? Tfank, of course, dressed the soulful Grammy-winning Brit singer last Sunday for her big night in a custom dress and jewel-toned evening coat. "It's been so busy," said the designer, who also recently outfitted actresses Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan for the Berlin Film Festival. This recent swirl of twentysomething talent in Tfank's rarefied world seemed to have an influence on her fall lineup—seen in the pairing of plain wool coats with eveningwear; quirky motifs, like a hummingbird-print silk and a snowflake jacquard chiffon; and even in the addition of a slight platform to her collaborative Olivia Morris shoes. Whatever the reason, there was a refreshing lightness here amid the usual meticulous polish. Though Tfank's timelessness is a strength, it's a treat to see it evolve. We wish more smart young things her way.
12 February 2009
A film buff, Barbara Tfank often cites celluloid. This season, she had her eye on the madcap glamour of Carole Lombard and Irene Dunn in the screwball comedies of the thirties. "It was about wearing your best all the time," Tfank said of movies likeTwentieth CenturyandThe Awful Truth. "You know, wearing your gown to breakfast."Tfank went for a soft-focus lens, with a fresh white floral bloused-back column taking the spotlight. The designer's forte, however, is still the impeccable construction of her dresses and coats. For day, she cut crisp white and navy piqué into slim pants and a jacket. Champagne hour, it was all about shine, with slim sparkle tweed and metallic cloque shifts, and an almost glowing fuchsia lamé party dress. Co-starring were Tfank's collaborations with the shoe designer Olivia Morris: silver and gold leather sandals and pumps covered in vintage Bianchini-Ferier fabrics from Tfank's collection. One pair, in a china-print pink brocade, was worn with matching high-waisted pants and a fitted jacket. In today's jeans-and-T-shirt world, being so well turned-out and matchy-matchy is about as offbeat as you can get.
9 September 2008
"Early sixties Liz Taylor, right afterCleopatra," said Barbara Tfank of the starting point for her Resort collection, which was newly skewed more toward going on holiday than heading to a soirée. Though Tfank's work is a slow evolution, there were new elements here that felt right for the season—an ease in pieces like an unconstructed floral gown with an elegant panel back, and a sportiness in looks like a smart houndstooth jacket and crisp trousers. There were also Tfank staples (all of which would suit her muse well) in jacquard party dresses with sweetheart necklines, a plum double-faced satin suit, and a violet evening coat, made to match La Liz's eyes.
17 June 2008
A rush-hour show on the Upper East Side? Not a problem, when your clientele lives in the neighborhood. And they were right on time: Blaine Trump, Sheryl Schwartz, Milly de Cabrol, Marina Rust Connor, and Amy Fine Collins.Barbara Tfank cited as inspiration the striking color and strong black line ofThree Women, a painting by the Cubist Fernand Léger. But no matter her spark, Tfank always hews close to her elegant ethos, gently limning each season's ideas in feathery strokes. For Fall, her ladylike fare, cut in typically rich textiles, was joined by newly casual wares: soft coats and pants in plain heathered wool. These were as soigné as one would expect but much more "day" than Tfank has ever done before. And smack in the middle of a series of proper gold, black, and silver evening looks came the shock of an almost bohemian pleated ombré silk column in fuchsia and lipstick red. It was just one gesture, a brief moment, but an intriguing insight into what this designer can do when she steps outside her accustomed genre.
4 February 2008
Empty seats suggested that some invitees had found the early hour of this off-off-Bryant Park show, first thing Saturday morning at the Carlyle hotel, a tad uncivilized. But the scene in the Versailles Suite was, in fact, one of faultless propriety, with croissants and strong coffee served to longtime supporters.A former costume designer with a husband who is a film professor, Tfank likes to mine cinema history, and this season she found her spark in the dark-eyed elegance of Anouk Aimée, darling of the 1960's art house, star ofUn Homme et Une Femme. The designer's stock-in-trade is opulent French and Italian fabrics, often rich brocades, beautifully cut into soigné silhouettes that recall a time when the women who wore hats weren't Mischa Barton or Ashley Olsen. Tfank added fluid jersey dresses to the final cut for the first time; it would be nice to see more such experiments in the future. The hushed scene and the models' ladylike pace allowed viewers time to study points of interest. Many of these came as models strode away: the low, curved nape of a jacket; the Watteau back of a dress. Like a well-timed dose of espresso, a nearly fluorescent geranium pink added a welcome jolt of color to the genteel palette of icy pales.
7 September 2007