#NYFW: Altuzurra, DKNY, Philip Lim and more...

 DKNY

Wow! I didn't see that coming this season for DKNY, a brand more cool sweaters and shorts than sexy and stylish. Bella Hadid opened the show in a daringly low cut dresses highlighting her amazing figure, complete with a slouchy hood, followed by a collection which was very street-wear, minimal, oversized and only for the coolest kids in town. I can imagine Kylie Jenner will be all over this show. The credit goes to Maxwell Osborne and Dao-Yi Chow, who since they were appointed as creative directors of DKNY a few seasons ago, struggled to find their feet. Now however, they have certainly delivered, in some style too. Electric blue, soft beige, starch whites all worked together perfectly and as for that epic finale; simply the best.

Rag and Bone

 I always tend to prefer Rag and Bone's winter collections to their summer ones, just because their coats are amazing and their fur sublime. But this spring/summer 2017 collection was pretty good. Neat and stylish with a focus on sportswear, white was a key player as were bold reds on jumpers and bomber jackets. Navy stripe suits were silky and stylish as were the flowing black pieces paired with blue ankle boots. Not one of the greatest Rag and Bone shows, but nevertheless still very wearable with plenty of desirable pieces. 

Oscar de la Renta

I was surprised at the simplicity and overall elegance of this collection. From the floor length white dresses which opened the collection to the beautiful Arabian like patterns on crop tops and skirts, this show by Peter Copping was one of his best so far. I loved the slouchy dresses, tied at the waist with a tasseled rope, a great beach option for summer, as well as the dramatic gowns Copping sent out towards the end of the show. The whole collection was relaxed yet refined, in a way that made it look more modern than the de la Renta of old. Perhaps the brand is finally starting to travel in a new direction...

Altuzarra

Everyone loved this show, and it's easy to see why. Joseph Altuzarra, a talented young designer who always seems to go unnoticed besides his contemporaries Alexander Wang and Proenza Schouler. His spring/summer 2017 collection was bound to catch attention though, with the python print shirts, cute pink cardigans, skirts and dresses, soft floral patterns and tightly cinched in waists with chunky belts. There was a little bit of Miu Miu this season at Altuzarra, with similar coat styles, wet hair looks and styling similar to the Miu Miu fall 2016 collection. Not that Altuzarra copied Miuccia Prada! From the larger than life earrings and super tight pencil skirts and the classic ladylike shapes, the designer did what he does best (which is elegance) but with such fun colours and prints. A really great show. 

 Proenza Schouler

As we saw at Altuzarra, big, dangly earrings were a thing at Proenza Schouler. In some respects, the whole collection was big, oversized, impactful and brightly geometric with flashes of primary colours against stark whites. Billowing stripe skirts were paired with boxy sweaters, Dalmatian print platform sandals were worn against form fitting dresses, while slouchy clutch bags were carried under arms, squeezed tightly to the model. Proenza always push the boundaries with their shows. This wasn't one of my favourite collections of the designer duo but those gorgeous accessories will no doubt be a big sell out next season.

Jeremy Scott

You can always rely on Jeremy Scott to inject some fun into fashion week. Last season it was Barbie mania, this season all the models wore 60's inspired wigs in a bowl cut style. The clothes were loud and proud, some tops bearing 'New York' in graffiti writing, others with 'Jeremy.' There was leather, mini skirts, a pink glittery bodysuit, and plenty of punchy pop art references. I especially liked  a black t-shirt which had a pair of legs in fishnet tights and red stilettos printed down the front. Very weird but cool, pretty much sums Jeremy Scott up!

  

3.1 Philip Lim

From the pretty white, floral dresses which opened the show to the light blue denims and python shoes, (python is a big trend for next season btw) Philip Lim threw a little bit of everything in this season. There were tailored looks, long black jackets, trousers and bra tops, as you can always expect with Lim, but also an injection of a more refined alternative to office wear. You can wear shorts to the office if worn with a buttoned jacket, sleek sandals and your hair tied up, according to Lim. The striped white jumpsuit was a favourite piece of mine, but then I also really liked the bright yellow pieces at the end of the show - one which was more neon than yellow!

NYFW: Proenza Schouler, Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs and more...

Ralph Lauren
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!

Marc Jacobs
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. 

Proenza Schouler
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.

Hugo Boss
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.

Anna Sui
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.

Michael Kors
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.

Best in Show at #NYFW

Proenza Schouler - This design duo always get it right, creating collections which are stylish, sophisticated and simple. The show, which consisted of only black and white was extremely chic, with black neck ties, flamboyant ruffles and cut away dresses baring the arms and shoulders with nautical inspired outfits. I loved the simplicity of this collection and the pared down elegance Proenza always do so well. Another one of my favourite shows from fashion week so far.

Michael Kors - Kors is always a big hit at New York and one of the city's main star attractions. However, for me this collection was not as good as previous seasons. I did like the clever dresses printed with blood red poppies and the contrast with black was effective and powerful. The slouchy, sportswear was cool and the layering was perfect for a casual spring day but there were no stand out pieces which really excited me. But Kors has his massive fan base who have no doubt fallen in love with this latest offering and will be a huge in sales come 2016.

Marchesa - Beautiful, majestic, wearable and wantable! Marchesa dresses are really the perfect item for any red carpet or evening event. Models looked slick with their hair tied back with a middle parting with pink lipstick and no jewellery. The dresses were breathtaking, covered in layers of chiffon, silk, sequins and feathers galore. The rainbow dress looked as though it leaped straight out of a contemporary Swan Lake ballet while the clear, frilled pieces were just gorgeous!

Anna Sui - So far designers at NYFW have been inspired particularly by the holiday theme, be that the Caribbean with Tommy Hilfiger or surfing the waves at Victoria Beckham. Anna Sui was no different with her Honolulu girls taking center stage in floral dresses, bright maxi dresses and colourful skirts. Flowers adorned on garlands around models' necks or embellished onto barely there slip dresses and shorts were cute and a breath of fresh air. It was fun and frivolous, the perfect holiday go-to collection.

DKNY - Since the news broke a couple of months ago that Donna Karan would be stepping down as creative director of her brand, there has been a lot of movement at DKNY, with the appointment of duo Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne, previously the designers behind Public School. Focusing on three main tones, black, white and grey this collection consisted of perfect work wear pieces, from tailored pin stripe jackets to crisp trousers. Shapes were loose but stylish, with white tea dresses and elegant draping of fabrics adding to the uniform-esque feel of the show. Of course, it didn't have the same presence of Donna Karan, but this is a new era for the brand and it certainly looks promising.

Oscar de la Renta - Peter copping has worked his magic at Oscar de la Renta. The designer, previously at Louis Vuitton and Nina Ricci, is known for his eye for detail and superb colour combinations, something which he brought to the de la renta spring 2016 show today. Copping was inspired by Spanish matadors, particularly Ava Gardner's Spanish lover in the 1950's, gaining inspiration from their fiery costumes. I loved the ruffles and floral patterns, decorated on fitted dresses and ballgowns. A perfect new designer for such a much loved and respected fashion house.