Legendary fashion designer B. Michael recently launched his new clothing collection at Macy’s. During a tour stop in Atlanta, the designer met and greeted new and veteran B. Michael America fans and narrated the spectacular presentation of his new collection, b michael AMERICA RED, available exclusively at Macy’s.
The costume designer for Whitney Houston in the film Sparkle, B. Michael introduced: dresses, some with sleek jacket options that seamlessly transition from daytime to evening; easy-to-wear pieces touted for their contemporary spin on the designer’s signature clean line aesthetic; retro-inspired silhouettes; dramatic sleeves and striking necklines for a modern and versatile look. Neutral tones and solids are prominent in the color palette, and for those of us who like to punch up our looks, bold prints make an appearance in key pieces.
“We are thrilled to present to you a wonderful, wonderful collection designed by B. Michael. This evening’s event is a [culmination] of our 10-city tour around the country. We started in Manhattan, … at the home of Ken and Catherine Chenault. Mr. Chenault is the CEO of American Express. The events have been amazing and the response to the collection has been fantastic. So we are excited to end this tour in Atlanta at Lenox Square mall,” said Bill Hawthorne, SVP of Macy’s.
Celia Smith, fashion editor and a blogger for Essence magazine was the evening’s host and moderator. Here are highlights from the question-and-answer session with the designer. –yvette caslin
How did you get your start?
I started as a millinery designer for a show named “Dynasty,” which was a hoot. I was so young; I had no clue how big the show was. It was a great way to start; Coco Chanel was also a millinery designer.
How did you transition from hat designing to couture?
As an accessory designer, I would design a hat and then would envision what should be worn with it.
Tell us about designing b michael AMERICA RED for Macy’s.
This really has been exciting for my team. My flagship collection is a couture collection. Often women would say: ‘We love your work B. Michael, but I am not a couture customer.” As we grow our business, an American business, we realize this is an opportunity for us to bring our sensibility to a broader audience. This has been a wonderful development process.
Priced between $155 and $400 the b michael AMERICA RED collection is available in the following Macy’s locations:
Macy’s Herald Square, New York
Macy’s Pentagon City, Arlington, Va.
Macy’s State Street, Chicago
Macy’s Metro Center, Washington DC
Macy’s Union Square, San Francisco
Macy’s Center City, Philadelphia
Macy’s South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa, Calif.
Macy’s Lenox Square, Atlanta
Macy’s Dadeland, Miami
Macy’s Somerset Collection, Troy, Mich.
