NYFW Review: Ralph Lauren's Fall 2009 Collection

NEW YORK -- It is somehow comforting that, though the economy is melting down, Ralph Lauren's rarefied world is still perfectly intact.

The king of fine living, Lauren showed a collection that conjured images of a weekend at a country estate --horseback riding by day in suede jodhpurs, a Fair Isle sweater, tweed jacket and cozy patchwork coat; candlelit dinners by night in a gray wool evening suit with jeweled buttons; or a sinuous white silk gown with an embroidered white shearling coat thrown over the shoulders.

There's nothing quite so luxurious as wearing white during the winter, and being in the circumstances where you don't have to worry about messing it up. Who wouldn't want to escape there for a little while? Besides, Lauren's business stands on fantasy and the idea that his fantasy is insulated from cold, harsh reality.

He also took the opportunity to showcase his new collection of timepieces with "stirrup" shaped faces encrusted in pave diamonds, displayed prominently on models' wrists, and described along with the outfits in the show notes.

NYFW Review: Michael Kors

NEW YORK -- Classics with a twist, that's what Michael Kors is known for and that's what he delivered in his strong and safe collection for fall. That meant basics like a charcoal pinstripe pantsuit, cut out around the shoulders to reveal the collarbone; a black satin evening sheath with molded and folded origami sleeves creating a new power shoulder; and easy, 'I will own it forever' draped black sequin dresses.

Recession? That's not in Kors' jet-setting vocabulary judging from the outrageously luxe shredded fox fur coats, which came in the more sober shades of "black" and "blond," as well as safety-cone orange and neon pink for those who don't mind throwing caution to the wind and advertising that they still have money.

Combined with the neutral palette of camel, charcoal and black, the dashes of neon followed fall's '80s revival trend, while the basic sheath dresses and cashmere sweaters updated with clever cutting techniques prevented the classics from being too dull.

NYFW: Marc Jacobs' Fall 2009 Collection

NEW YORK -- With his typically amped-up runway sets pared down to nothing more than a trailing spotlight, Marc Jacobs showed a exuberant fall collection that reveled in the art of getting dressed. A riot of Crayola-box colors and 1980s references, the show was the jolt the floundering fashion industry needs, proving that the ostentatious furs and jeweled heels of yesteryear may be gone, but that luxury lives on in a purer form through energetic cut and color.

Their hair swept into pompadours and teased into Flock of Seagulls whooshes, Jacobs’ downtown denizens raced around the runway in Max Headroom sunglasses, chain-link necklaces and elfin booties with cartoonish, spring-loaded heels.

You could feel the influence of pop artist Stephen Sprouse in the Day-Glo baroque print leggings, scarves and quilted handbags. (Jacobs, also creative director of Louis Vuitton, recently released a Sprouse tribute collection for the brand.)

NYFW: Duckie Brown's accent color is 'county orange'

NEW YORK -- My buddy Chip in Brentwood is the only fellow Vermonter I know in Southern California, and there's been many a time when we've found ourselves laughing inanely about things those outside of the Green Mountain State would hardly notice.
They usually involve the manufacture of maple syrup, hunting season or a guy named Lorne who was maligned on the walls of every cubicle in the UVM library for his less-than-gentlemanly treatment of the state's moose population.
One time, we started laughing about a hue we dubbed "county orange" -- it's the particular shade of blaze orange associated with hazmat suits, hunting vests, road crew workers and guests of the county penal system. To us, the image of a guy clad in county orange and leaning on a shovel was as familiar a roadside attraction as the Marlboro Man billboard that towered over Sunset outside the Chateau Marmont for years.
That's what came to mind yesterday at the Duckie Brown show, which, like most of the men's shows in Milan and Paris, (and so far, here in New York as well) didn't stray far from a basic black and gray color palette accented with a single pop of color. For the Duckie Brown boys, that was -- you guessed it -- county orange.
That the collection was full of loose-fitting padded trousers, turtlenecks and cold-weather gear that brought to mind the more fashion-forward of the snowboarder set made it all the more appropriate for the cooler climes of slopeside Vermont.

Emporio Armani Men's Collection Spring/Summer 2009

Blue DNA

The genetic code of this Emporio Armani collection is revealed in a palette of pale shades ranging from stormy hues of gray to dark variations of navy blue, possessing the plain austerity of uniforms.

A mental horizon focused on the city, an atmosphere of Nordic Europe, where the contemporary meets the future, the silhouette is now more streamlined, more dynamic: wide trousers, so typically Armani, narrow at the hem, drawn in by two darts. The jacket is reconstructed, but features a small seam on the shoulder that suggests a hand made finish.

Emphasizing the slim look, sleeves are close fitting with a narrow shawl collar. Meticulous linings are piped and edged, creating an overall lightness with delicate materials such as linens treated with new finishes, silk and polyester blends, and shirt material adopted for trousers. Even the leather for bombers and blousons, pierced and displaying heat laser printing for a bark effect, is chosen for its lightweight feel.

New York Fashion Week: Thom Browne Thinks Big

When I saw Thom Browne's fall/winter 2010 runway collection would be showing at the Park Avenue Armory this season, I immediately envisioned the immense, 55,000-square-foot Wade Thompson Drill Hall with its soaring barrel-vaulted ceiling where most of the fashion events take place (last season Yohji Yamamoto and French soccer player Zinedine Zidane memorably kicked soccer balls toward runway photographers at the culmination of a Y-3 show there). 

But once again, Browne was playing with proportions -- and expectations -- and attendees found themselves sequestered in small groups in one of four 19th-century-period reception rooms off to the left and right. (The room I was seated in, known as "The Veterans Room," is apparently one of only two remaining interiors in the world designed by Louis C. Tiffany Associated Artists.)