Forget walking in ridiculous sky-high heels, models at the Brian Reyes show kicked off their specially-designed Manolo Blahniks for the finale and went barefoot instead. After several stumbles and three models stopping to take off their stilettos, they forfeited footwear all together to close the show. Besides this misstep (ha!) the collection itself was a cohesive display of tailored separates including belted dresses, stone-coloured suits, bronze jumpsuits and mulberry shifts.
Things were of a very sharp, sartorial nature at the Narciso Rodriguez fall ’09 show on Tuesday evening. Dipping into the future (like so many designers this season) his models took to the catwalk in robot-style peek-a-boo headwear. Body-con dresses in acid yellow, shocking pink and neon purple offered a hint of skin in sliced sections. They were thrown alongside more tailored, conservative looks in camel coats and tweed skirt suits. Jackets also ranged from jaquard to mohair with full-length zips. Besides a hint of Gothic lace and a shiny corset here and there, the most daring was left to a camouflage black-and-white print worked into dresses, trousers, boots and just about everything else. Click play on video below to watch.
Alice Temperley is back in the Big Apple after a stint in her home city of London last season. This time, the British designer followed the lead of many, and opted against a runway show in favour of a presentation instead. The two-day event in Soho, which also consisted of a multimedia installation, helped to unveil her Japanese-inspired collection .
Many were thanking Matthew Williamson today who, besides Marc Jacobs, gave us a break from the safeness of black and clumpy clothes with a burst of multi-color print and texture. As part of Team British Invasion, Williamson dazzled crowds with a mixture of shimmery beads, zigzag knits, ruffled cocktail dresses, skinny leather trousers, fur-trimmed shaped coats and sequinned gowns. A nod to his Pucci days came in the form of geometric-shaped prints, which featured in everything from column dresses to shiny suits, and worn with zebra cut-out ankle sandals. Although he did get a little carried away at times, overall I can see how many (especially New Yorkers) might flock to this collection for a touch of uptown society style.
Are we seeing a theme here? Everywhere I turn it’s a tribute to the Eighties for fall 2009… and I like it! Marc Jacobs wasn’t exempting himself from this nod to the neon era, but added a futuristic twist. There wasn’t a kilt in sight, just loads of bright hues, pleated trousers, sculptured cocktail dresses, colorful ponchos, printed leggings, thigh-high boots, all worn over black tights and topped with coiffed hair. Throw in some serious ’80s block shades, padded clutch bags, and long leather gloves and it was clear that Steven Sprouse for Louis Vuitton was still very much on Jacobs’s mind. Overall, it was daring, exciting but above all, fun. That said, I’m sure many will struggle to transfer these looks into wearable pieces, let alone afford to buy them. And sadly, at a time like this, that’s a worry.
Last season, Victoria Beckham was suspected of allowing Roland Mouret to lend more than just a helping hand in her collection. But after presenting her fall/winter 2009-10 on Sunday, those suspicions appear to have been erased. Twenty-three dresses were showcased, each offering structure and tailoring but with a little bit more adventure this time. For example, cape-style coats, zipped sleeves, and fish-tail floor-length gowns. There were, of course, short hems in timeless designs, that she says can be worn for more than one season, a nod to the recession no doubt.
“I see these are investment buys. They’re designed to be worn from year to year, not season to season,” she said.
Guess what? Body-con ain’t going anywhere according to the folks at Preen. Their fall 2009-10 collection was choc-full of sliced body-con frocks offering just a glimpse of skin here and there. Add to that oversized houndstooth coats, fluffed up with Mongolian wool in black and white, skinny shiny trousers, and mini mod dresses in check. There was an interesting use of leather in one tight-fitting dress, modelled by Catherine McNeil, which featured a knot in the middle and cut-outs all over. Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi’s continual pushing of the envelope was even enough to bring Kanye West and his entourage to the front row. Yes, really.
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