From Marc Jacobs to Ralph Lauren; NYFW Highlights

RALPH LAUREN

There was a lot of talk surrounding Ralph Lauren this fashion week, as he announced that his brand would be staging 2 catwalk shows. As sales have fallen at Ralph Lauren over the past year, the designer introduced a new 'see now, shop now' approach to his latest collection. So pretty much what you see on the catwalk is available to buy straight away from any of his boutiques. Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner and Mica Arganaraz all made appearances, in a collection which was classic Ralph Lauren. From the Navajo references, smart grey suits, flared work trousers and the stunning jewel coloured evening dresses, this was Lauren at his finest while Julianne Moore and Rosie Huntington Whiteley watched from the front row.

Marc Jacobs

Well, Mr Jacobs certainly delivered quite a show for spring/summer 2017 as well as a lot of controversy. The problem wasn't the clothes, the make up or the staging on the catwalk. The issue which got a lot of people's backs up online and especially on Twitter was the fact that the models, mainly all white, were wearing fake dreadlocks, usually associated with black girls, not white girls. I thought the dread locks looked fun, edgy and experimental but I can easily see why this would have irked people. Why did Jacobs just not use black models? Race has always been a problem in fashion, especially for Italian designers, so it's a shame Marc Jacobs didn't use more stunning black girls like Joan Smalls, Jourdan Dunn, Lineisy Montero, Binx Walton or Tami Williams.

Anyway, on to the collection itself. I LOVED this show. From the baby doll/Victoriana mini dresses to the retro 1970s feel, there was a real mix of influences going on. Continuing on from last season, Jacobs decided to send his models out in ridiculously high platform shoes in patent pink, metallic silver and purple. Metallics were used on coats and dresses as well as quilting patterns as seen on the coat worn by Gigi Hadid. I spotted leopard print and camouflage, large fur jackets, accentuated waists and a lot of layering. In fact, the whole thing looked as though it could have come straight out of a musical, maybe something like Starlight Express. Irina Shayk closed the show in a pair of high waist, pink hot pants and jacket, complete with matching boots. It was quite a spectacle, but that's what makes Marc Jacobs great.

Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid on the catwalk

 Hugo Boss

Jason Wu seems to be going from strength to strength as creative director at Boss. His latest collection for the minimal brand was colourful, fun yet stylish and extremely elegant. It was sporty yet relaxed with models walking in breach slides with hardly any make up or accessories. Oh and it was cool that Sasha Pivovarova opened the show too, and not Kendall/Bella/Gigi.

 Michael Kors

Apart from Bella Hadid's embarrassing trip down the catwalk, this show had a very easy going, relaxed feel to it. Kors gave us pretty floral tea dresses in navy and pink, grey check skirt suits, across the body satchel bags as worn by Joan Smalls who opened the show and some great options for evening wear with his sexy, black numbers which closed the show. I loved the messy beach hair and the wedge sandals, as well as the roll call of models. Carolyn Murphy closed the show in a lovely navy dress, while Cameron Russell, Anna Ewers, Taylor Hill and Andreea Diaconu all took their turn to walk. Amazing line up!

Rodarte

As always with Rodarte, Kate and Laura Mulleavy delivered a show packed full of beautiful yet slightly Gothic fashion. I loved all the pretty white looks that opened the show. The frills and ruffles were divine and the sheer fabrics layered over each other where just beautiful. By the way, white is a BIG colour for spring, or I should say 'tone' for next season. The embroidery was exquisite, the shearling jacket amazing with a black net skirt and boots while the decadent dresses at the end of the collection were stunning. Really captivating with such lovely colours.

 Victoria Beckham

I loved Victoria Beckham last season. With all the surfer chic references, it was pretty cool and quite different for her. This season however, I was bored by the 5th look. Yes she experimened with velvet, satin and silk and yes, there were a couple of nice dresses, but the overall feel of the show was very, well...boring. The punches of tangerine orange were nothing new for the designer while the bra let tops and skirts would have been nice with more detail. Not great from VB.

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.

Ralph Lauren - Spring 2016 Review

Ralph Lauren. The billion dollar fashion brand, the world renowned maker of Polo, the fashion empire which consists of everything from perfumes and accessories to beach towels and iphone cases and of course, the incredible man himself, Mr Ralph Lauren. I love this brand, especially the womenswear collections, just because they always tell such a glamorous story and are so differnt to all the other young designers on the New York scene at the moment.There is always a touch of class and sophistication of a bygone era lost to us now.

This spring/summer 2016 show, streamed live in Picadilly Circus at 3pm this afternoon, was another fabulous collection which had the fashion press in fits of rapturous applause. There was a nautical feel at the beggining of the show - think Grace Kelly just setting off on her private yacht around Monaco. White tailored trousers were paired with pristine shirts, midi skirts made of light materials such as linen and cotton-stretch looked stylish and sophisticated with the navy buttoned jackets paired with them while the beautiful wedge sandals all the models wore are sure to be an instant sell out once this collection hits the shops. As models strolled down the runway, all glossy blow dried hair and large black sunglasses, colour was introduced in the form of light tan leather jackets and skirts, complimenting sun tans and adding a sense of luxury to the already chic clothes. It was simple dressing at its finest. One of my stand out pieces was a white midi dress, with a halter neck and no sleeves; it looked oh so summery and elegant that you really didn't need any accessories to take away from the glamour of this dress.

As the show went on, bright pops of vibrant colour were thrown into the mix, splattering the clinically white base of the collection. Red and blue stripes with skirts made of duchess satin were lovely as were the geometric prints on jackets and coats, taking us on a trip back to the 80's when loud and proud prints ruled the roost. Yet, these bold prints were given a 21st century makeover, with little fuss and a more minimal approach. Swirls and squares, triangles and trapezes... Ralph experimented cleverly with his colour combinations consisting around the main primary colours - blue, yellow and red.

What I have always admired about the Ralph Lauren catwalk shows is the styling. I don't know who it is who decides on these fundamental issues of which look each model should wear but taking into account body shape, skin tone and hair colour all the clothes looked absolutely ravashing on each and every girl. If you have darker skin, opt for a bold statement colour such as red or yellow, Mr Lauren seemed to say, whereas if you have lighter skin, its best to opt for a neutral white to show off your tan and add extra sparkle to a minimal look. It was all thought out so wonderfully!

Hollywood and the glamour of the old actresses of the Golden Era have always been a huge inspiration for Lauren. At the end of the show, long maxi dresses cum ball gowns were presented, again featuring nautical prints and with flowing skirts. I loved the red and white dress which the model showed off elegantly with her hand placed on her hip as well as the blue and white floral halter neck dress. Every piece was divine and overall another fantastic show for Ralph Lauren, proving once again why he is indeed the best in the business.

#NYFW: Marc Jacobs and Ralph Lauren

Marc Jacobs
With a chilling and powerful soundtrack (Requiem for a Dream), a black catwalk and a dramatic atmosphere engulfing the fashion front row, Marc Jacobs unveiled his fall 2015 collection. Erin O'Connor opened the show, setting the scene for what was a very dark runway. In homage to Vogue editor, Diana Vreeland, there were plenty of stand out sequin dresses, sheer panels and black leather gloves. Skirts had a 50's feel about them billowing out at the waist and dropping to mid calf and fur was neatly styled along collars and on arms. As for the coats, they were fitted with huge buttons and large lapels. Overall, its clear to state that Marc is most definitely back!

Ralph Lauren
Wintery, warm and cosy, Ralph Lauren gave us a fantastic show wrapping up the end of New York Fashion Week. From the fedora hats to the Navajo style cardigans and jumpers, layers swamped models' complete with the iconic 'Ricky' bags and accessories. Colours were subdued and earthy- grey, brown and beige which eventually gave way to smart black suits, with fur around the lapels. And of course, towards the end of the show, in came the jaw dropping, Hollywood glam dresses. Nobody does new Americana chic like Lauren, and this show was just another stunner.

NYFW: Ralph Lauren Fall 2014

Subdued greys, a touch of pastel pink, a pin-striped suit here and there and a swarm of elegant evening gowns. Ralph Lauren delivered a show today which was indeed classic, elegant and beautiful. As seen at most New York Fashion Week shows, for fall 2014 grey colours and fur accessories seem to be taking the spotlight at the moment, and Lauren was not going to be left out of this pretty trend. 

There were a-symmetric gowns wrapped tightly around the body, grey tailored suits with additional purple ascots, pink capes teamed with straight trousers and of course, classic Lauren halter neck gowns which wouldn't look amiss on the Academy Awards red carpet. Layering was also a big part of this collection, as scarves, waistcoats and coats were worn together with large fur stoles, which sure did look toasty warm for the cold winter months in New York. As always, the materials and fabrics looked stunning, completely faultless and totally desirable. Hair and make up was also kept simple and natural, with hair slicked back in elegant buns while eyes and cheeks looked naturally untouched, with a hint of blush. 

I loved this collection and the hints of Hollywood glamour which Lauren made sure crept through the entire collection. From the fur stoles to the column dresses - Marilyn Monroe or Angelina Jolie could wear this collection and still look chic and beautiful. From the soft colours, to the purest of white suits. From the t-bar heels to the 'Ricki' bags. Ralph delivered another masterpiece of a show! Now its on to Marc Jacobs and then...London!