Oh, what a show! I always say they leave the best to last at NYFW, with Boss, Proenza, Ralph and Marc all showing on the last two days. And this Ralph Lauren show just exuded Hollywood glamour, a country gentleman's sensibility and an air of 1930s excellence. Beige tweeds, neutral trouser suits and tan jackets formed the first part of the show, nodding to the country living mantra Lauren is famous for promoting. It was nice seeing the models in such masculine clohting as it was softened with the delicate hair and make up as well as the materials used, such as suede and wool. The belted coats were another highlight, as were the gol brocade jackets, embellished skinny jeans and ruffled blouses.
Gone was the hot, Flamenco senorita we saw last season, as Lauren went back to his Hollywood glam look, with a number of beautiful jewel coloured dresses at the end of the show. Pleated royal red numbers looked amazing against regal golds and blacks, with the models all wearing shiny leather boots. I loved the final look, a simple black roll neck paired with a billowing gold skirt. Majestic and amazing!
I have to be honest, this collection was rather terrifying. It was not only the sinister hair and make up which made models unrecognizable but the clothes itself, which bordered on Gothic Victoriana mixed with prarie girl. The shoes as well were unbelievably high and very punk, with their huge wedges and lace up fronts. Everything was over-sized which made the models look completely out of proportion, with longer arms and even longer bodies. The catwalk was bare, with no gimmicks as seen last season at Marc Jacobs, while Lady Gaga made a surprise turn on the catwalk, tiny compared to the heights of her fellow models. Not one of Marc's best shows, but food for thought anyway.
They continue to be one of my favourite design duos ever, and a firm fixture at New York Fashion Week. Proenza have proved that whatever they send down the runway is an instant trend and is copied by dozens more designers. This season, they stuck with their strappy dresses showing off the shoulders and decolletage area, added some cute laces and conjured up a new slim silhouette. Large, loose harem pants were paired with crisp jackets and black boots, white biker jackets were decked with buttons and that rabbit patchwork coat had everybody talking, and was undoubtedly the star of the show. Clean, easy and minimal, exactly what we have come to expect from Proenza Schouler.
Since Jason Wu took the helm at Boss a couple of seasons ago, their collections have just got better and better - but still stay loyal to the minimal look they are known for. This season, splashes of colours such as coral pink, khaki green and burnt orange were featured on dresses and tailored blouses paired chicly with black trousers. Pepulums were used on most pieces with the fabric delicately folded over midi dresses like an origami pattern. Models walked with their head pulled back with a middle parting with, you guessed it, minimal make up. As simple as Boss was, it was very effective.
What more can I say about the Anna Sui show... it was just classic Anna. A lot of the patterns we had already seen before, with strong references to boho chic and a 70s sensibility. A nice touch was seeing models walk in pairs down the runway, both wearing matching his and hers outfits. It was all very Mick Jagger complete with silk neck ties, metallic trousers and pretty baby doll dresses.Not one of my favourite collections from the veteran designer.
Before the show even began, all eyes were on the beautiful Blake Lively who was sitting front row with her mum in a lovely beige coat and floral dress. Dressed head to toe in Kors, she looked every inch the movie star in the delicate colours and was joined by fellow actress Naomi Harris. As for the show, which was opened by Freja Beha Erichson, it was a autumnal mix of beige knitwear, feathered cropped trousers, fur coats and metallic mini dresses with dapper style fringing. There was no real theme, instead Kors gave us a little bit of everything from jeans to red carpet ready cocktail dresses. I loved the 60s baby blue coat with white collar and large sunglasses, as well as the overall styling of the collection. Check prints were paired with denim skirts, fur stoles with grey jersey and deep navies were used as a touch of sophistication to this all American woman. Another great show.
Marchesa
The Marchesa lady was in for a dramatic make over this fall. Gone were the pretty, frilled dresses we are so used to seeing and instead a sexier, more grown up woman was unveiled. A gold metallic dress shimmied down the runway, blue pastels were floaty and beautiful while the black sheer pieces were exceptionally beautiful but darkly mysterious. I loved the lace details and the bold use of reds and burgundy's against the black fabrics. As always, Marchesa delivered a beautiful collection. Watch the video below.
