Archive for February 8th, 2007
Key Takeaways: Like Marc Jacobs, Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough reached back to the 1920s for inspiration. Cloche hats topped off vaguely masculine silhouettes, full of flat-chested tops and dresses. A dash of 80s style–broad shoulders and pouf sleeves–added to the distinctly retro feel of this collection. Key trends included: menswear as womenswear, voluminous sleeves, knee-length skirts and dresses, and fur.
Color Palette: Blacks and greys mixed with olive green, a dusky red, and a deep blue. Sequins and shine, as appropriate for the 1920s/1980s theme, appeared on a number of the looks.
Silhouettes: Masculine silhouettes predominated in this 1920s/1980s mix. Boyish, flat-chested looks were interspersed with the broad shoulders and poufy sleeves. Garment classifications included wide pants, knee-length skirts, drop-waist dresses, and bustier dresses. Of note were the geometric fabric pattern "ribbons" decorating the dresses.
Accessories Report: Cloche hats and a heavy use of belts, which sat at the natural waistline.
What’s Wearable: The collection’s 1920’s inspired pieces are great for women with boyish figures, as they are designed to minimize the bust. For more curvy women, the wide trousers will help balance the upper and lower body.
What’s Not Wearable: The exaggerated poufy sleeve is difficult for real women (and even models) to pull off successfully.
February 8th, 2007
Key Takeaways: Derek Lam jumped on the 1980s bandwagon with skinny riding pants, off-the-shoulder tops, broad shoulders, oversized coats, and asymmetric draping.
Color Palette: Black, white, grey, and shades of brown were accented with blue and gold. Plaid patterns featured prominently.
Silhouettes: Big on top, small on bottom. Broad shoulders, oversized outerwear, kimono sleeves, and off-the-shoulder tops were paired with legging-style pants and short, swingy skirts. Cocktail dresses featured asymmetric draping, 80s style. Detailing to note: zipper details, oversized collars, metallic shine, plaid, and decorative pockets.
Accessories Report: Boots and belts accessorized the 80s style outfits coming down the runway.
What’s Wearable: Kimono sleeves work well to camouflage thick upper arms, and broad shoulders help balance wide hips.
What’s Not Wearable: Horizontal stripes only visually widen your body, and the severe, skinny riding pants will only work on stick-thin women.
February 8th, 2007
Key Takeaways: Narciso Rodriguez has been experimenting with the same sleek, structured forms for the last few years, but his work appears fresh and innovative against a backdrop of designers moving from layering and volume to a long and lean silhouette. Key trends for both men and women included: slim silhouettes, geometric patterns, and colorblocking. Key women’s trends included sleeved and asymmetrical dresses and long gloves.
Color Palette: Black, grey,beige, and white were spruced up by teal and a dusky emerald green. Colorblocking added a graphic feel to the collection.
Silhouettes: With touches of 60s elegance, Narciso showed slightly big over small, or small over slightly big silhouettes. Overall, the looks were long and lean, with precise tailoring for a snug fit. Structured coats skimmed over skinny pants and dresses. As a nod to seasons past, Narciso showed a few body-hugging, empire waist sleeveless dresses. Other dress trends to note included sleeved dresses and asymmetrical frocks. For men, the look was either slim all over or slightly big over small. Of note was a "paint splattered" graphic print tee–a departure from Narciso’s past menswear.
Accessories Report: For women, the big accessory was long gloves; for men, it was the skinny tie.
What’s Wearable: For women (with a slightly curvy figure), we love Narciso’s signature body-hugging empire-waist dresses. Silhouette-wise, it’s tough to go wrong with the slightly big over small and the small over slightly big silhouettes. For men, the slim cut suits with skinny ties are great for adding visual height.
What’s Not Wearable: For women, avoid dresses and skirts that hit you at mid-calf, as the awkward length visually shortens you. For men, steer clear of pants with tiny patterns–they look more like pajamas than street pants.
February 8th, 2007
Key Takeaways: As expected for Oscar de la Renta, the show exuded unadulterated luxury–for both young and old. Key trends included: fur, controlled volume, embroidery, shine (sequins and metallic fabrics), ruffles, and geometric patterns.
Color Palette: Earthy with blacks, chocolate browns, and greys, accented by jewel tones of deep purple and ruby. Metallic sheen made an appearance, as did shiny sequins.
Silhouettes: Controlled volume at the waistline, hemline, and sleeves. Outfits were gently cinched at the waist with seamlines and belts. Voluminous coats felt wearable, with the shape not overly exaggerated. Oscar fell in line with the sleeved dress trend, but upped the drama factor with asymmetric styles.
Accessories Report: Belts drew attention to the waistline. Bug eyed sunglasses shaded the models’ eyes, while fabric-covered bulbous necklaces adorned their necks. We noted the occasional fur hat, along with handbags with chain straps. Tights were layered under Oscar’s dresses and separates, as appropriate for cooler temperatures.
What’s Wearable: Small geometric patterns work well to disguise problem areas. We loved the oversized collars, which draw attention to and frame the face. Sweaterjackets provide an unstructured alternative to traditional winter outerwear. Bottoms, which sat at the natural waistline, will flatter those with long torsos and short legs.
What’s Not Wearable: Fur made too many appearances on the runway for our taste. Besides, didn’t we all decide that Fur is Out?
February 8th, 2007
Designer Farah Aponte was inspired by one of her best friends (and a fellow artist) to create the Virginia Multi-Chain Necklace. Farah took Virginia’s three best qualities–elegance, funk, and a dash of toughness–and translated them into jewelry.
How to wear the necklace? Farah suggests pairing it with either a low-cut neckline, a boatneck top, or a series of layers. "I wear it with a blazer or with a little hoody left open with a tank top underneath."
Fun fact about Farah? She still thinks Cookie Monster is hilarious. Sometimes, she’ll tune into Sesame Street just to watch him.
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February 8th, 2007
