Yesterday at New York Fashion Week was
ruthless. Ruthless. I wanted to cover eight shows, but due to an overflown
schedule, I had to settle for five (as well as writing at such a late hour).
Just after receiving the Couture Council
Artistry of Fashion Award a few days ago, the legendary Carolina Herrera proved to the fashion world that she's
not going anywhere with a fresh spring collection. The opening look, a white
cropped T-shirt over a matching dress with a striking blown-up image of an
abstract flower was enough to tickle the fancy of show-goers. What followed was
equally as memorable, as was Mrs. Herrera's commitment to the architectural
aspect of dressmaking. The origami techniques applied to the silks, as well as
models' graphic hair and bright lips evoked modern geishas. The youthful vibe
the collection was soaked in really showed each time the models turned their
back to the audience, for what seemed to be a simple silk top was actually slit
in the back, exposing quite a lot of skin. To prove that she still has her
finger on the pulse of what is trendy as much as any young designer, Mrs.
Herrera's evening wear was a two-parter (as well as at Prabal Gurung) -
voluminous tops over column dresses. This was one of those shows that got
ladies extremely excited to get dressed up next spring.
After a sexy and vampy
collection six months ago, Donna
Karan took a more artistic
approach to creating her latest spring collection. The belted silhouette was
omnipresent, whether in the form of a midriff baring top and a high waisted
skirt, or a swinging day dress in a graphic print controlled at the waist.
Karan was in her groove in the best possible way whilst showing a few
voluminous shirt dresses in beautiful hues, but the most memorable pieces were
the graphic ones. Off-the.shoulder dresses with graffiti prints and splattered
with paint added an interesting and intellectual note to this somewhat
forgettable collection.
Anyone who's ever seen a
woman wearing one of Zac Posen's
dresses can attest to the fact that he's madly in love with the female anatomy.
His love affair seems to have reached new heights with his latest show.
Although not as enticing when it comes to coloration (black, white and red),
the collection was impeccable from an architectural point of view. The corseted
gowns gave the figure an hourglass shape, whereas more modern pieces, tailored
away from the body in an A-line with an asymmetric hem felt like a nod to Raf
Simons' tenure at Dior. When the drama kicked in, mental applause followed. For
example, an impeccably tailored jumpsuit with a flowing train (which I envision Angelina Jolie in) and a white column gown with a
floor-length cape were particularly flawless.
After three glamorous
shows, the time came to return to the streets...courtesy of the guys from Rag & Bone. Under whelming
is a word that unfortunately came to mind as the last model took to the
catwalk. Various incarnations of outerwear staples (think light parkas and
anoraks) and cool cross-body bags were the high points. Poorly executed
ankle-length dresses and tunics looked like what you feel like after waking up
in the middle of summer on a rainy and gray morning.
The serenity and calm
each presentation from Mary
Kate and Ashley Olsen's label, The
Row, induces is unparalleled to anything you're able to see during New York
Fashion Week. Their willingness to be so bold in their minimalism continues to
amaze me. Every woman that ever added a piece from The Row to their personal
collection says that it goes perfectly with everything they already have in
there. It's a sustainable, rather than a trend-oriented idea of fashion, which
I find to be extremely intelligent and something that truly sets them apart
from any other designer. The fabrics were exquisite, the overall feel -
monastic, the silhouette - elongated, high heels - non-existent, the
manipulation of said fabrics was wrapping and tying and each and every look was
better than the one before.
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