Posts filed under 'Runway Reviews'
Photo Credit: NY Metro
Key Takeaways:
This relatively new line (which began in 2005) combines the
sophistication of runway offerings with the attitude and sensibility of
the street.
Color Palette: Rose, lavender, navy blue, winter white, black and pewter lame.
Silhouettes: Shearling-lined hoodie jackets, pencil skirts, tapered jeans, sweater-trimmed skinny pants, shirred blouson tops.
Accessories Report: Leg warmers, stiletto pumps, wide belts, newsboy hats and berets, voluminous, teased boudoir hair.
What’s Wearable: Virtually everything is wearable on the street–this label is, after all, designed by "Jenny from the block."
What’s Not Wearable: The curved press-on nails that adorned the models’ delicate fingers.
February 11th, 2006
Photo Credit: NY Metro
Key Takeaways: The veteran designer had fun experimenting with volume for the next season while keeping all other flourishes to a minimum, making for a classic Donna Karan collection.
Color Palette: Not surprisingly, black was a favorite color of this collection, as were bold shades of purple, gold, camel and red, all paired with electric purple on the lips.
Silhouettes: Plunging V-neck cocktail dresses with shirred front panels; tie-waist wrap coats with oversized lapels; jewel-encrusted, netted cutouts on bodysuits and sheaths for a trompe l’oeil effect.
Accessories Report: The face was a blank canvas, save for shocking fuschia on the lips. For shoes, it was all about high heels–the platform is back as a bigger trend than ever!
What’s Wearable: A black netted bodysuit, encrusted with jewels, completely sexified a power pantsuit.
What’s Not Wearable: As much as we tried to be open to new color pairings, we cringed at someone’s decision to pair purple lips with a red houndstooth jacket.
February 11th, 2006
Photo Credit: NY Metro
Key Takeaways: "For fall, I was inspired by the romance and ruggedness of a modern shooting party," Ralph Lauren said of his new collection.
Color Palette: Muddy browns, dark grey, forest green; black, gold and blue for formal dressing.
Silhouettes: A gaming- and hunting-inspired twist on the gamine/gamin look: Equestrian-styled jackets and pants, double-breasted suits, fedoras with feathers. For night, Lauren’s classic taffeta ballgowns in blue tartan plaid.
Accessories Report: Thigh-high brown suede riding boots, floppy hats, fedoras and berets, leather gloves all accentuated the feminized ‘huntsman’ look.
What’s Wearable: Well-fitted equestrian-style suit jackets.
What’s Not Wearable: We shivered when we saw the turtleneck unitards. That, and painfully drab, ill-fitting articles that epitomize the de rigueur dumpster look.
February 11th, 2006
Photo Credit: NY Metro
Key Takeaways: Consistent with designer Yeohlee Teng’s philosophy of dressing, this show was all about simplicty of color (basics neutrals, plus white and black), pared-down style (buttonless jackets and fuss-free wraps) and versatile textures (wool and silk).
Color Palette: A range of browns, plus black, cream and (surprisingly enough for fall) bright white.
Silhouettes: A high-waisted skirt held up by suspenders, jackets tied at the waist, 3/4 length wool coats, shawls and neck warmers.
Accessories Report: Long, loosely-worn skinny ties; shawls to be wrapped around the neck and shoulders; bare eyes and tawny cheeks; absolutely no jewelry.
What’s Wearable: An exquisite-looking camel-colored cowl-neck wool coat.
What’s Not Wearable: A white shirt, black pants, black tie, full-length black-and-white cape and slicked-back hair felt a bit too Dracula for us.
February 11th, 2006
Key Takeaways: Brothers Custo and David Dalmau showed a collection of back alley fashions suitable for rebellious hipsters raised with proper etiquette. As expected, layering is in, and the hearty use of fur as an embellishment adds a bit of maturity to a vibrantly youthful collection.
Color Palette: Basic blacks, grays and browns (both light and dark) coincide with fiercely rich reds, blues, purples and greens.
Silhouettes: Relaxed, but not too baggy. The slip-on high-waist dresses fit in a straight flattering line– which conveniently makes for an androgynous complement to the slim, narrow lines on the men’s pieces. On the flipside, feminine poise is illustrated via emphasized waists, flowy fabrics, constricted skirts and torso-hugging corsets.
Accessories Report: Printed stockings add a bit of whimsy to the pieces. The thoughtful shrugs, ponchos, mutated boleros and capes are beautifully crafted and give justice to the runway presentation. Different types of hats include outsized fedoras (or are they porkpies?) and the occasional use of varied handbags to add some zest.
What’s Wearable: The necklines, both engulfing and modestly plunging, are very appealing. The knit and fall-friendly fabrics are adorned with various graphics that include, but are not limited to, roses, Asian characters, cowgirls and the abominable snowman playing a drum set (at least that’s what it looks like). The patchy pieces are very fun and the use of texture in the skirts, pants and tops are very conceptual – but still look good for the average Joe or Jane. Eveningwear is a bit subdued and tangential, but sexy. Overall, the use of old fashioned aesthetics (i.e. knits, ruffles, lace) is mixed well with modern day technique.
What’s Not Wearable: The pieces are both strategic and well made, but there is one piece in particular that was a simple eyesore – the hole-in the chest cat suit thing was too bohemian Victorian. It carries an "Interview with a Vampire†theme that is theatrically tacky. The biggest downfall of the piece was the unflattering pair of printed pants (they looked like stretch pants. Once again the mixed patterns began to be too excessive and eventually became less appealing and more epileptic.
February 10th, 2006
Photo Credit: NY Metro
Key Takeaways: This season, Milly was inspired by the sixties, as reflected in fun retro prints.
Color Palette: Two color schemes comprised the fall collection, one in brown, bubblegum pink and cream, and another sixties-inspired brown/green/yellow/cream/orange combo.
Silhouettes: 1960s Op Art print sheaths, double-breasted and fur-trimmed coats, sheer blouses and tie-neck tops.
Accessories Report: Chain link details, fur trimmed coats, maryjanes and oversized bows.
What’s Wearable: Virtually everything. As usual, designer Michelle Smith has paid attention to flattering shapes, colors and detailing.
What’s Not Wearable: A few of the sheer blouses need to be worn with something underneath when translating into reality.
February 10th, 2006
Photo Credit: NY Metro
Key Takeaways: The look was very Bobo (think Mary-Kate and Stavros in the Village).
Color Palette: As if straight out of a Rothko painting, the color scheme was limited to blue, grey and black.
Silhouettes: Models strutted down the runway in layer upon layer of oversized clothing.
Accessories Report: Ultralong scarves (and necklaces for women), newsboy hats, logo duffels, knit ski hats for men, pins on lapels, suspenders, fanny packs.
What’s Wearable: For women, a capelet with oversized buttons; an oversized wool grey coat; slouchy leather bags. For men, fitted blazers with pin adornments on the lapel.
What’s Not Wearable: Colorless colonial-style dresses for women; for men, sleeves hooked to the thumbs.
February 10th, 2006
Photo Credit: NY Metro
Key Takeaways: Excellently edited collection from a true up-and-comer. Key trends: (1) capes, (2) raised waist emphasis, (3) belted styles, (4) tuxedo detailing (5) ruffles, (6) voluminous sleeves, (7) grecian draping, (8) tulip skirt styles.
Color Palette: Neutrals with splashes of spring green, sunflower yellow, sky blue, and a rich, warm purple.
Silhouettes: Silhouettes tended to be more fitted on top and loose on the bottom–or vice versa. Lam showed a host of tailored tops and voluminous skirts–both tulip skirt shapes and the run-of-the-mill full skirt. He also presented a number of oversized jackets/capes over slim, tailored silhouettes to balance them out.
Accessories Report: Chain necklaces and chain bag handles. Belts were rather thick and sat at the natural waistline.
What’s Wearable: Lam accomplished the formidable feat of designing an interesting, wearable collection–we were hard pressed to find extremely unwearable looks. Our favorites? A long babydoll shirt paired with a suit jacket, pants, and short gloves…and fur (skip the fur, make Trisha happy)–shown above. We also appreciated the black asymmetric capelet paired with a bright yellow ruffled shirt, long gloves, and skinny pants.
What’s Not Wearable: One blousy white halter dress wasn’t particularly flattering, even on the model’s thin frame. The stark contrast of the thick black belt didn’t do her any favors either.
February 10th, 2006
Key Takeaways: Inventive Swiss-inspired collection with looks ranging from a sporty equestrian to extras in the Sound of Music to a 1920s-meets-preppy-schoolgirl outfit. Key trends included: (1) Toggle coats for men and women, (2) short sleeved looks, (3) double breasted coats, (4) stripes and solids for men, (5) raised waistlines, (6) vests, (7) giant cuff bracelets, and (8) fair isle sweaters. What did we appreciate the most about Trovata? Even in the simplest of outfits (a v-neck sweater over a button down shirt and slacks), we saw clear attention to detail: the shirt sleeves peeked out from under the sweater a perfect amount–about 3/4 inch–just as they should when a man is wearing a suit blazer.
Color Palette: Neutrals with shots of mustard yellow, olive, burnt orange, purple, sky blue, and bright royal blue.
Silhouettes: Silhouettes were generally slim, but some looks paired a fitted top over a more generously proportioned bottom. For women, we saw short sleeved dresses, fresh looking sailor looks–including a great pair of sailor pants with purposefully mismatched buttons, fair isle sweaters, short sleeved looks, boatneck styles, asymmetry, loose flowy skirts on dresses, cropped pants, striped tights, and sweatervests. For men, we saw striped looks under jackets, plenty of plaid, suspenders, fair isle sweaters, peacoats, and of course, toggle coats.
Accessories Report: For women, giant charms on necklaces, giant cuff bracelets, scarves wrapped around the head Grace Kelly style, hoodie-like hats, knit caps with bills, furry hats, and tights (but of course). For men, we saw untied bow ties, suspenders, and beanies.
What’s Wearable: Most of the collection was wearable, but we especially loved the toggle coats and sweaters for both men and women. We also appreciated Trovata’s take on the nautical theme: a cropped blazer + a button down striped shirt with yoke + sailor pants with multicolored buttons.
What’s Not Wearable: I would skip on the Sound of Music ensembles, but they were just for show anyways.
February 10th, 2006
Key Takeaways: A rather somber collection of generally slim, tailored silhouette. We noticed Lazaro and Jack’s love of the dart, though at times, the collection reminded us of Patterndrafting I’s dart manipulation exercise. Key trends included (1) waist emphasis on a higher waistline, (2) oversized collars, (3) dresses over long sleeved shirts, (4) 3/4 sleeve jackets, (5) vests, (6) grecian style draping, (7) fur trim, (8) tights, (9) voluminous sleeves, and (10) asymmetry.
Color Palette: Dark. If you squinted at the runway, all you would see are shades of black, grey, and brown. We also spotted a purple dress in the mix.
Silhouettes: Emphasis was placed once again on the waistline (which sat a bit higher than it did last season). Most silhouettes were slim, though we did see a host of oversized coats, creating a "big over small" silhouette. Classifications included long sleeved dresses, 3/4 sleeve jackets, pencil skirts, belted styles, oversized cape-like jackets, motorcycle jackets, and vests.
Accessories Report: Oversized belts, dark tights, smaller square sunglasses, and short gloves (a welcome break from everyone and their mother showing Long gloves).
What’s Wearable: Our favorite look of this collection? A cropped 3/4 sleeve blazer over a grey knit shirt (shown above), paired with a fancy embellished skirt and tights.
What’s Not Wearable: Just say "no" to leather pants. You’ll thank us when you’re older. The oversized collarless jackets are also unflattering to the figure–even to that of a model.
February 10th, 2006
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