Posts filed under 'Runway Reviews'
By Priyanka Ghosh and Julie Gulfer
Key Takeaways: Rützou’s collection was all about contradictions in silhouettes, colors and detailing. Strong simple lines merged with layered volume. Smooth silks and satin combined with beaten wools and basic cottons. Rützou paired somber muted hues with seductive splashes of bright colors. Romantic embroidery details were juxtaposed with rebellious leather and stiff metal.
Color Palette: Army green, ink blue and steel grey black were accented by vivid tones of red, purple and parrot green.
Silhouettes: Big over small. Long-sleeved frocks with loosely gathered pleats were worn over capri-length tights or cuffed pedal pushers. Free flowing peasant tops with wrist length sleeves cinched just below the shoulders were worn over skinny pants. Tight bolero vests in textured fabrics accompanied A-line tanks. Details included embroideries, stylized prints, strips of silk and leather, mirrors and metallic accents.
Accessories Report: Platform pumps, elbow length gloves in bold primary colors, and textured knee-length socks. Long hair ironed straight and paired with an oversized leather headband also dominated the runway.
What’s Wearable: Cropped bolero vests with mirror and embroidery detailing worn over A-line tanks flatter the bust while hiding a tummy. We also took note of the long sleeves on the frocks which visually slim and lengthen the arms.
What’s Not Wearable: If Lil’ Kim and Sporty Spice designed a clothing line, their centerpiece might be a pair of wide legged, bright green satin drawstring pants with a shiny white racer stripe down the side. We’re not fans of this look. We also thought that the long scarf made entirely of leather gloves was a bit over the top. Gloves look great on hands. Let’s keep them there.
March 10th, 2007
Omiru is pleased to bring you a touch of Scandinavian style with coverage of Copenhagen Fashion Week, Fall 2007. Check back over the next couple of days for our signature show reviews and a comprehensive trend report.
Introducing our two Copenhagen-based guest contributors, Priyanka Ghosh and Julie Gulfer!
Priyanka Ghosh has the mind of a political scientist and the soul of a fashionista. When she is not trapped in the Danish libraries researching her Fulbright thesis on Euroskepticism (she’s not sure what it is either), she is wandering along the canals of Copenhagen, soothing her soul with Miss Sixty jeans, shoes from Friis and Company, Karen Millen dresses, cheap accessories from Vero Moda and uber-chic pieces from Tiger of Sweden that she can’t afford but buys anyway.
Julie Gufler, a native of Denmark, is studying literature and modern art and culture at the University of Copenhagen. When not studying or spending time with friends in the cafes of Copenhagen, she’s a freelance writer, producing articles on fashion, contemporary art and literature.
Pictured: Munthe plus Simonsen, Fall 2007 collection.
March 10th, 2007
Key Takeaways: Cynthia Steffe’s sweetly chic Fall 2007 collection presented familiar silhouettes and details, such as oversized jackets and cardigans, dresses with pockets, and the Spring 2007 favorite, skinny pants.
Color Palette: Black, white, grey and medium beige, complemented by lavender, magenta and shades of purple.
Silhouettes: Loose shapes ended at the knee, and were paired with slender black stockings or pants layered underneath. Controlled volume made appearances at the waistline, the hemline, and on sleeves. Of note were the dresses, which featured sleeves and/or pockets, and the jackets, which distinguished themselves with oversized sleeves and/or collars.
Accessories Report: Wide bangles in crème, clear and silver mesh as well as thin belts with finger-width silver polished buckles.
What’s Wearable: Victorian-inspired high necked dress shirts will be elegantly wearable this fall.
What’s Not Wearable: Avoid mixing two strong patterns, such as florals with stripes, unless you have a good eye for pattern.
February 12th, 2007
Key Takeaways: Minimalism, as appropriate for the house of Calvin Klein. Francisco Costa showed structured, oversized outerwear over slim, curve-hugging dresses in simple shapes.
Color Palette: Browns and greys, tempered with beige. Hints of metallic shine made an appearance in the minimalist collection.
Silhouettes: Big over small. Outerwear–in the form of funnel neck coats with curved side seams and 20s style cocoon wrap coats–enveloped models in slim cut dresses. Thick cropped funnel neck sweaters brought volume to looks with body-skimming tops and skirts. Controlled volume was seen at the sleeves, waistline, and hemline.
Accessories Report: Simple black gloves, tights, and ladylike handbags.
What’s Wearable: For those who aren’t afraid to show some curves, the entire collection could easily be translated for the streets. We’re all over funnel and oversized turtleneck necklines for those with long necks.
February 10th, 2007
Key Takeaways: Zac Posen’s focused his 1940s tailoring sensibility on polished jackets, suits, and his signature dresses. Silhouettes were generally slim, though Zac shook things up with volume added in just the right places.
Color Palette: Black, black, and more black, with greys, white, and shots of royal purple and blood red.
Silhouettes: Zac Posen showed mainly big-over-small silhouettes,such as a voluminous military kimono sleeved coat with a slim skirt. Pants were skinny and high-waisted. A number of babydoll looks, complete with ruffles and volume, made their way onto the runway. Fitted cocktail looks were ruffled and featured sheer-over-solid layering. Zac’s signature eveningwear featured curve-hugging gowns with fishtail hemlines. Detailing to note included oversized collars, ruffles, and pocket and tab detailing.
Accessories Report: Long, elbow length black gloves accessorized the sexy, tailored looks.
What’s Wearable: One of our favorite looks was a peach-pink ruffled blouse with flutter sleeves paired with a burgundy tulip skirt. We also loved a cropped ruffled black jacket paired with an above-the-knee skirt.
What’s Not Wearable: A poufy fur coat with ruffled, horizontal detailing–tough for a stick-thin model to pull off, near impossible for Real Women to wear.
February 9th, 2007
Key Takeaways: An architecturally inspired collection with a somewhat mod, futuristic feel.
Color Palette: Muted blacks and greys, paired with metallics.
Silhouettes: Monique Lhuillier’s strength is her dresses, and the architectural seaming on these dresses was reminiscent of Narciso Rodriguez, circa 2003. Details to note: the high neckline, the yoke-collar combination, and the slim vertical cutouts.
Accessories Report: Metallic belts expressed the architectural theme of the collection.
What’s Wearable: On the red carpet, we expect to see the high-waisted cap-sleeved black dress with metallic gold hardware–the perfect silhouette for women looking to visually elongate their legs.
February 9th, 2007
Key Takeaways: In a season of intense wearability (hello, Betsey Johnson), we took an intermission at Heatherette, where we saw no shortage of neon colors, fanciful silhouettes, and eclectic detailing. Lots of layering, hordes of warming sweaters, some punk and some ski-inspired looks made their way down the purposefully wild runway. If a skier and a punk-rocker fought each other in a deathmatch, their remains would resemble the Heatherette Fall 2007 show.
Color Palette: Every color under the sun, including purple, bright blue, neon yellow, red, hot pink, silver and gold.
Silhouette: Equally voluminous and skin-tight. Voluminous looks included bubble skirts, sweaters, ponchos, zip-up hoodies, and Tarzan dresses. Streamlined looks included high-waisted skirts, short shorts, leather bathing suits, and leather pants.
Accessories Report: Sheer tights, ankle boots, layered and chunky bangles, and hats.
What’s Wearable: Almost nothing in Heatherette’s collection is directly translatable to the streets. But then again, do Traver Rains and Richie Rich really design for the common folk?
What’s Not Wearable: We’d like to point out the Dorothy-inspired costume and the leather accessories (which scream S&M).
February 9th, 2007
Key Takeaways: Shorter and sexier, Doo Ri Chung’s Fall 2007 collection mixes her signature architectural draping with a darker edge.
Color Palette: Black, with touches of gray and navy, and bursts of yellow, teal, and bourdeaux. In keeping with the metallic trend of Fall 2007, shiny sequins made their appearance as well.
Silhouettes: In a word, short. Doo Ri’s signature draped dresses, paired with dark tights, hit above mid thigh. Skinny, high waisted pants and skirts with bubble hems were paired with babydoll shapes and capelets. Detailing included fur, lace, and bows.
Accessories Report: Smolderingly sexy elbow-length black gloves were the standout accessory of this collection.
What’s Wearable: Cap sleeves and kimono sleeves favor those who want to cover up heavy upper arms.
What’s Not Wearable: We love Doo Ri’s draped dresses, but they’re cut too short to be worn without pants off the runway.
February 9th, 2007
Key Takeaways: A refreshing change from the boxy shapes of past seasons, Kati Stern brought back floaty shapes and 1940’s Hollywood glamour. Models seductively strode down the runway to old-school hip-hop beats with romantic Veronica Lake hair wearing knee-length dresses of chiffon and fur coats paired with slim oatmeal-colored leggings. Delicate chiffon followed luxurious sable, satin and velvet down the runway. Lowered pockets, bows and piping accentuated the luxurious feel of the collection. Key trends included: sleeved dresses, voluminous sleeves, oversized collars, oversized buttons, pocket detailing, plaid, and fur.
Color Palette: Sand, wood and charcoal-inspired colors let us reminisce about faded sepia prints from grandma’s boudoir.
Silhouette: A-line skirts and slim pants complemented Little Red Riding Hood capelet fur coats. Romantic silk and chiffon dresses were slender and form-fitting with hemlines that ranged from knee-length to floor-sweeping. Waistlines varied, sitting at the natural waist to the hipline. Leggings–a continuing trend–were also featured.
Accessories Report: A shoe for every occasion – t-strap heels for long flowy dresses and Mary Janes for sassy shorter dresses. Belts and bows were wide with a soft sheen, and large floppy sable hats perched jauntily on top of long loose hair.
What’s Wearable: We loved the layers upon layers of chiffon and silk in the dresses – controlled volume with a lot of romance.
What’s Not Wearable: Skip the socks with your heels–wear stockings or go bare.
February 9th, 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
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