Spring in New York - Part II - Fall 2011 Fashion Week Highlights

I started this post about five times but finally I think I can write it appropriately. New York Fall 2011 Fashion week had me on the edge of my seat this week; every day checking Style.com to see the newest in designer goods. I had to work the night of the Marc Jacobs show and I brought my laptop and kept it in the backroom to sneak a peak on my break. (ps. Marc Jacobs was RIDIC.)
Ps. the Rag & Bone show was awesome too. They are one of my personal favorite lines for actual wearable clothes. They are the line that I always want to buy from, the clothes I would actually wear, but my personal style is somewhat boring... so I won't go into it :)
So there are three collections I said I would cover in my last post and they include MJ himself, Rodarte and the immortal Betsey Johnson. But I want to add an analysis of Oscar de la Renta and a few remarks on some of the other noteworthy events of this year's season.


I'll start with the best. The Marc Jacobs collection this season left me with my jaw on the floor in awe of the beautiful silhouettes and innovative fabrics and techniques. Although the first few pieces of the line were a little bit worrying, as the show went on, I got the idea and I could really see the genius of the way Marc put the collection together. It was different looking at it in photographs as opposed to watching the show though, so I suggest you all do this in order to be fully aware of the beauty of this line. It was the concept that got me. It's kind of this, Mary Poppins, single working woman, very classy, very elegant look with the colours of a much darker and harder collection. The music tops it off. You really must see it.

Moving right along to the longest of the fashion shows this season in New York, the newest Betsey Johnson collection. I love Betsey, everybody loves Betsey. This season she continued with her trademark style of outfit styling witht he very bright colours and patterns and oversized prints of Marilyn Monroe. With a collection featuring over ninety complete outfits, however, there was much variety in the sorts of styles that came down the runway. The pieces I loved included the ful, bold flower print dresses and large yellow plaid skirts. Beeeautiful..

Next up is the design duo Rodarte's fall/ winter collection. I was delightfulyl surprised when I saw this show. The fabric textures and colours are just lovely. I noticed more with this collection than with any other the profound influence of the 1940s silhouette. Long flowy gowns and high waist coats with the most eloquent jacket pleats and cuffs I've seen in a while. Rodarte is pretty classic. Every season they appear with really solid, sellable collections of clothing. This year, they surprised me with how good the whole thing was when seen altogether. I would have changed nothing.

I had to mention Oscar de la Renta because this show was the most surprising of all. From a House that is known for their neutral and black colours on sleek, high class evening wear, they present a collection of adorable little fur lined pieces with bold reds and browns in his most youthful and fresh collection in years. I love de la Renta because they are absolutely classic in the fashion industry. You always know it's quality and you always know it'll be a good show. I think this new direction will be nothing but good news for the House's future.

So before I sign out I wanted to say that i was sufficiently impressed with New York's fashion week this year. The colours were bold and bright and contrast was the key word. There was a clear return to a 40s-50s silhouette in many of the colelctions with everything from the stockings to the wide shoulders. Everything was lean lean lean and the fabrics seem to have an overall heaviness that tie it all together. Beautiful stuff.

Spring in New York: Fall 2011 New York City Fashion Week Highlights

I've really got to make a point to go to NYC for fashion week some coming year. Much like its European counterparts in Paris, London, Milan etc, New York City Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is rarely a disappointment. All of North America looks to the guidance of this creative melting pot for the latest, most innovative, most avant-garde clothing available. At this moment in time – February 13 – we are right in the middle of Fall 2011 NYC Fashion Week. From just the first three days of events, these are some highlights I personally liked from designers such as Cynthia Rowley, Alexander Wang, The Row, Marc Jacobs, Rodarte and Betsy Johnson.

Cynthia Rowley is always a collection I make a point of checking out every season. This time around she featured what appear to be velveteen or velour coats and gowns paired with everything from Lycra to full sequins. But the one thing that stood out the most in this collection was the designers unique take on the industry's Alexander McQueen inspired obsession with geometric shapes and digitally generated prints. The almost 3D appearance of these skirts is eye popping to say the least.

Who better than Alexander Wang to do a show loaded with futuristic lighting, black shiny fabrics and stunning wide heeled shoes. I normally shy away from designers who make clothes only in neutrals because I don't understand the vendetta against colour, but Wang is usually an exception to this rule. His soft, matte base fabric paired with Lycra lapels all in black screams texture contrast and really works throughout the line. Throw in a few shredded silk gowns and you've got yourself a winner. And he manages to pull all of this off with models wearing their hair in loose buns on the backs of their heads. Simple.

The Row is a young fashion house started for a very exclusive clientele managed and designed by none other than fabulous Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Normally I am not an advocate of the whole actor turned designer thing... but I feel like Mary-Kate and Ashley are a huge exception to this rule. I'm mostly impressed with the fact that they didn't just decide they wanted to make clothes and use their fame to create a label - they actually paid their dues like the rest of us and attended NYU for Fashion Design. Love it. Anyways with this collection, like the rest of the season, it seems to be all about colour and pattern. The bright yellows paired with soft grays were a great contrast with the full leopard print coats and bright blue fur. What really killed me though was the hats. How these women managed to make a giant ball of fur on ones head look elegant, unique and utterly stylish, I'll never know.

Keep checking these shows out and I'll have more info on the collections of Marc Jacobs, Rodarte and Betsey Johnson in the next post.

Peace for now!!