Photo Credit: NY Metro
Key Takeaways: The design duo of Steven Cox and Daniel Silver has always been a subtle voice for the over-the-top. This season, they calm it down a bit and play it safe in a collection of suitable coats, sweaters and unusual fall garments that have some sort of conceptual design hidden in the seams.
Color Palette: Grays, blacks and washed out primary shades that don’t make the collection as fun as it should be.
Silhouettes: Once you look past the trademark Duckie Brown quirkiness involved, the tailoring and layering of the garments are complementary. The monochromatic and dark shades mixed with the small fall patterns work well to trace a man’s shape.
Accessories Report: Costumey and cartoony knit beanies stand at full attention while an occasional use of a hefty scarves contrast with the shapely form-fitting tops.
What’s Wearable: Layer friendly coats provide warmth, but the nostalgically knit turtleneck sweaters seem a bit atypical for the conceptual minds of Duckie Brown. Possibly new to the scene is a stylish double breasted cardigan matched with any of their relaxed fit slacks – one of which is of the drawstring nature.
What’s Not Wearable: Where should we start? For starters, there’s a large necked sweater with oversized long sleeves that pop out of a mid-length coat. There’s also a questionably constructed turtle neck with a vest-like garment embedded in the front. They tend to explore both spectrums: the unbelievable plain and the whimsical avant-garde. It’s nice to know that Duckie Brown has a sense of humor when it comes design, but there is such a thing as a bad joke.
Posted by Dino on February 5th, 2006 in Men, Runway Reviews, Runway Reviews, Trend |
Photo Credit: NY Metro
Key Takeaways: Varvatos has made a name for himself with his work with the classic Converse sneaker, which has given him a reasonable amount of street cred. With his newest collection, he gives us a cobblestone of casual and formal menswear that fuses the likes of a desert adventurer, a professional business Londoneer and a nerdy chic beatnik.
Color Palette: A foresty palette of browns, military greens, shadowy blacks and luxurious grays.
Silhouettes: True to form, Varvatos’s craftsmanship is flawless. The popular slim fit outlines men as if it were morphed onto their bodies – same goes with their finely tailored outwear. Rather than being bulky, the layering is actual flattering.
Accessories Report: With an “Oliver Twist,†many of the pieces included Greek fisherman caps (they look like paperboy caps, but a little less boy-like.) Scarves make an appearance as well, but they aren’t has obvious as those others we have seen. Varvatos also gives us another taste of the murses (man purse for those who didn’t read my John Bartlett entry) and couture duffel bags. The popular use of the beanie is also evident in the collection, but instead of making his pieces look thuggish, they give a decent, Oxford University pseudo-intellectual appeal.
What’s Wearable: The material is more than suitable for the kissable fall air – as evidenced by the many full and mid-length coats (some of them double breasted), waistcoats as well as a fur lined distressed leather. Although in line with many other designers, Varvatos takes the lead with wonderfully constructed blazers and slim fit pinstripe suits. Contrasted with fitted outwear, he gives horizontal stripes a softer, flattering look. For a great addition, his work with Converse shines through in his laceless slip-on low tops.
What’s Not Wearable: The use of draping ponchos has the tendency to give a more “homeless couture†look rather than an haute couture one. Unless you enjoy that wandering mariachi image, this one could be left in the closet.
Posted by Dino on February 5th, 2006 in Men, Runway Reviews, Runway Reviews, Trend |
Photo Credit: NY Metro
Key Takeaways: As one of the few designers that boast a “Made in the U.S.A.†tag, Wesetly creates a “no fuss†line of suits this season for the common man. Comfortable, stylish and extremely masculine, his fall pieces are more suitable for a linebacker rather than a skinny chess geek.
Color Palette: Fall friendly grays, greens, and bronzes, with the occasional visit from a vibrant color.
Silhouettes: As opposed to many of those Euro-chic three button suits, he creates unique pieces for the more broad-shouldered man. Some suits have reminiscent tailoring of a Safari jacket, but still maintain a look of a blazer. The suits leave plenty of room for comfort, something many men will enjoy.
Accessories Report: Once in a while, a classic paperboy cap or fedora appeared on the runway, but other than that, the texturally solid colored and striped ties give great praise to his suits.
What’s Wearable: Combining metro denims, professional fabrics and uncomplicated cuts, all of his clothing is blatantly ready-to-wear. One of his popular pieces is the pinstripe suit – something that will never go out of style. His suits contain a great deal of texture and they don’t come off as gimmicky. This includes his most avant-garde blazer: a double breasted green coat that seems asymmetrical. Some of his blazers contain a surprising twist – like a paint-splattered pattern paired with some dirty denim jeans or a stylish floral doodle atop a rich brown. Although minimal in his collection, leather bomber jackets stand out as key pieces – something that may be a big thing this fall.
What’s Not Wearable: A black and brown checker board blazer suitable for uncles who make fools of themselves at family reunions.
Posted by Dino on February 5th, 2006 in Men, Runway Reviews, Runway Reviews, Trend |
Photo Credit: NY Metro
Key Takeaways: Tomer’s latest collection continues his subdued look at the world of men’s tailored fashion. Suitable for the sleek and sexy rock n’ roller, his designs are modestly clean, yet mysteriously dark.
Color Palette: An overcast of monochromatic grays, blacks, blues and beiges. Some of the colors contain a hint of iridescence, but it’s nothing like those campy disco shirts.
Silhouettes: His tops cling to the male form in the right places, while his pants range from the relaxed to the slim fit, which shows great diversity and function in his collection. From head to toe, the color, along with the cuts, give all of his pieces a strong statement on the male form.
Accessories Report: Light as air scarves may not exactly keep you warm, but they sure as hell look good hanging around the necks. They add just the right amount of zest to the collection’s palette. Tomer also proves that chain necklaces hang more confidently in front of a solid, dark color. For another great addition of texture, the leather gloves give more of a touch of metro flair, rather than an O.J. Simpson feel.
What’s Wearable: Without a doubt, vests have the potential to be a popular trend this fall and beyond. Tomer matches them up with same-color tops and it adds a reasonable “umph†to what can be considered a bland color palette. His peasant-like tops exude a certain amount of femininity that doesn’t compromise a man’s self-consciousness, while his tailored mid and full length coats are classically modern. As for the bottoms, the choice of fabrics he uses for the pants is very versatile. What may look like denim is actually a nice pair of slacks—they can be casual or formal.
What’s Not Wearable: You can never really go wrong with basic blacks and grays, which makes all of his clothing appealing to the body. However, it can become more than a little repetitive.
Posted by Dino on February 5th, 2006 in Men, Runway Reviews, Runway Reviews, Trend |
Photo Credit: NY Metro
Key Takeaways: Designer John Bartlett gives us a taste of good ol’ American clothing that is more suitable for the mature professional man who doesn’t want to look like he stepped out of an L.L. Bean catalog. He contrasts aesthetic knits with sleek leather and splashes a reasonable amount of panache where needed. Not necessarily “fashion forward,†but it does keep up with the times (i.e. shoulder hugging long-sleeved henleys).
Color Palette: Rich earth tones are complimented by not-so-loud splashes of oranges, blues and yellows.
Silhouettes: Slim-fit pants that include subtle plaid prints and classic slacks. Sweaters range from flattering V-necks and striped sweaters that adhere to the man’s “Adonis†form and dispel those horrifying rumors of the dreaded horizontal stripe.
Accessories Report: Murses (man purses) are coming into the forefront! Also making an appearance for Fall 2006 are long, chunky nostalgically knitted scarves – just like grandma used to make.
What’s Wearable: Bartlett continues the trend of layering admirably – mostly with his alteration of the “hoodie with blazer†look. He goes a step further and utilizes a college professor tweed blazer and combines it with a street-style hoodie. Sounds a bit old-looking, but it works. The coats included in his collection are definite stand-outs – leathers, warm knits and pea coat-esque outerwear – stylish, yet mature.
What’s Not Wearable: Two words: leather pants. Unless you’re Ricky Martin, don’t go there. We also saw a button-down shirt accessorized by this gun holster looking thing. It was as if an extra from “Young Guns IV†made an appearance on the runway.
Posted by Dino on February 4th, 2006 in Men, Runway Reviews, Runway Reviews, Trend |
Photo Credit: NY Metro
Key Takeaways: A leather belt with a square buckle (in black and brown), worn above the waist on the ribcage, showed up on numerous pieces: a black loose dress, a black trench coat with fur, a blue chiffon dress, a brown short-sleeved coat, a sparkly black dress, a black chiffon layered mini-dress, a grey and black patterned silk dress. Dresses of all sorts – both streamlined and loose-fitting – also dominated the collection.
Color Palette: Black, grey, brown, goldish yellow, blue, and some white.
Silhouettes: Baggy was common theme. It influenced the dresses, trousers, skirts, and coats.
Accessories Report: Thin black headbands worn with a ponytail, long scarves.
What’s Wearable: There were far more wearable items than not. We could see the dresses and military-style jackets at fancy soirées.
What’s Not Wearable: MC-Hammer-esque puffy trousers are better left on…MC Hammer. And though we can all appreciate some fur, one all-fur jacket with a high collar looked more grizzly than girly.
Posted by Melody on February 4th, 2006 in Runway Reviews, Runway Reviews, Trend, Women |
Photo Credit: NY Metro
Key Takeaways: Tights, tights, and more tights. Black opaque tights were paired with dresses, pants, and even open-toed heels.
Color Palette: Can we say black overload? A brown bow (on a black dress) and a white chiffon turtleneck (under a black jacket) were in sight.
Silhouettes: Loose dresses, skinny trousers, and cropped jackets with quarter-length sleeves.
What’s Wearable: Cropped jackets, chiffon turtlenecks, a black tube dress with a brown bow, a black lace dress.
What’s Not Wearable: Nothing Too unwearable here. This piece hardly qualifies as un-wearable to many, but women who don’t like to dress like their men might not like the white button-down shirt with tuxedo stripes.
Posted by Melody on February 4th, 2006 in Runway Reviews, Runway Reviews, Trend, Women |
Photo Credit: NY Metro
Key Takeaways: The trenchcoat is back but it no longer screams “Inspector Gadget†or “Columbine.†Instead, these men’s and women’s coats with high popped up collars, fur, and quality textures shout “Aviator,†“Military,†and most importantly, “Chic!â€
Color Palette: Heavy emphasis on grey and black, but some mustard yellows, browns, navy blues, and military greens showed their hues.
Silhouettes: Long and cropped coats, A-line skirts, slim trousers, and a few loose chiffon dresses.
Accessories Report: No jewels were in sight, but handbags were prominent. For women, we saw maroon, grey, and black wristlet clutches and jumbo leather satchels. One man carried a weekend black leather satchel resembling a bowling ball bag. Possible trend alert here.
What’s Wearable: Almost everything. Kenneth Cole did a wonderful job of designing real clothing for real people (Did he steal our Omiru concept?!). Especially wearable are sophisticated skirt suits, heavy coats, and loose sweaters.
What’s Not Wearable: I can’t imagine a non-military man sporting the half suede, half leather green and black boots.
Posted by Melody on February 4th, 2006 in Men, Runway Reviews, Runway Reviews, Runway Reviews, Trend, Women |
Omiru is pleased to re-introduce our Fashion Week Notebook!
Vicariously (and thanks to the glorious photographic coverage of the fashion shows by New York Metro and Style.com), Susannah, Melody, Dino and I will be reporting on the fashion trends that you’ll be seeing come Fall 2006. We’re also pleased to present to you snippets of life from the "trenches" of New York Fashion Week. Kelly, our NY Fashion Week correspondent, is living the Good life this week…or so we kid her, as she runs all around Manhattan going from show to glamorous show 
True
to our mission of providing an intelligent look at fashion trends,
we’ll be analyzing the fashion shows for trends—in silhouette, color,
and garment classifications. And because of our strong belief in Real
Style for Real People, we’ll be sorting out the runway-only looks from
the wearable ones to give you insight into what you will actually want
to be wearing come fall.
Ideas? Suggestions? Leave us a comment, or email Trisha at trisha at omiru dot com.
Posted by Trisha on February 3rd, 2006 in News |
Issue XXVII of the Friday Fashion Hotlist: a weekly compilation of the
cutest and coolest stuff Style Intelligence Report saw out there this
week.
This
week, we’re eyeing a women’s tote with a print of an uppity bird and a nice pair of men’s flip flops…just in time for 6 more weeks of winter =P.
For women…
Smug little bird, isn’t he?
And for men…
Lacoste Nylon Stripe Flip Flop | $48 at Kitson
Love the tiny stripes and the clean look.
Posted by Trisha on February 3rd, 2006 in Friday Fashion Hotlist, Men, Trend, Women |
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