SECRET GARDEN
London: Erdem Moralioglu changed things up from his classic garden-party ready frocks for a roster of Fall looks that landed a bit more on the dangerous side this time around. A proponent of ultra-femininity, the designer proved that his lace and floral ensembles looked just as right in black latex, rubber and neon color stories as they do in
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FAIRWEATHER FORAY
London: Contemporary fashion has continued to drift further and further away from strict adherance to seasonal codes of sartorial propriety; gone are the days of white being sinful post-Labor Day, boots being seen as impractical in June, and bare legs being covered between September and May. For F/W 12, Kinder Aggugini explored a decidedly lighter side of cold weather
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HERITAGE UNDONE
London: Imported from across the pond to breathe life into Daks, the classic British brand, American designer Sheila McKain-Waid showed a fresh new take on classic English dressing. Re-working the nearly 130 year old brand's classic tartan check in myriad ways, from sophisticated slouchy outerwear to Great Gatsby-inspired slinky velvet numbers, the designer proved there are indeed new ways
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90s NATION
New York: Jeremy Scott got nostalgic for the 90s with a dawn-of-the-internet inspired collection that was as witty, irreverent and playful as ever. Viewing his rave-ready separates through a 1970s via 1990s lens, the clothes were an explosion of club kid favorites from fur and plastic to rainbow stripes and happy faces. While the more avant-garde items like the
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OUTBACK EXPRESS
New York: The Mulleavy sisters have carved out a niche for themselves with collection after collection of dreamy-meets-downtown looks, and this season they continued to build on their fantasy world; in this episode Rosie the Riveter goes exploring in the Australian outback. While the concept may have seemed quirky, the manifestation was altogether wearable, with chunky knit sweaters, work-wear
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BLOCK PARTY
New York: Established minimalist Narciso Rodriguez incorporated a vibrant, if slightly off-beat palette into his volume-infused Fall collection. The looks read as a study on color and proportion, with asymmetrical lines, deconstruction and patchwork-colorblocking, highlighting Rodriquez's most essential point of reference, the female form. A playfully whimsical M.C. Escher-esque pattern was splashed across silk tops and shifts, while the
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POWER PLAY
New York:
For Fall Phillip Lim focused on his core clientele, a new generation of professional ladies with funds to invest on work-appropriate power pieces. This modern view of femininity was manifested in expertly sculpted jackets, statement sweaters and tailored trousers, while a somber palette of black, white and a range of greys led the eye to the clever
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YOUTH IN REVOLT
New York:
California-born New York designer Patrik Ervell is paving the way for subversive minimalism, and the industry is taking note. For Fall the CFDA nominated designer looked to his academic roots for inspiration, with a collection inspired by political unrest and the riots of the past year. The mostly monochromatic ensembles we not without consideration to current
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BEAUTIFUL REBEL
New York:
Newcomer Kevork Kiledjian is still refining his sexy siren aesthetic, and this season he proved that his signature look is capable of both creativity and intrigue. In the past, the tight bodycon silhouettes and generous use of fur and leather felt a bit more geared toward the nightclub than the chic luxury looks one would expect, but
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DARKNESS AND LIGHT
New York: The concept of Prabal Gurung's Fall collection was clear enough to grasp, dark ensembles on dark-haired models gave way to colorful and finally all-white looks on light haired girls. Mirroring the duality of the human condition, Gurung paid tribute to both heaven and hell, breaking away from his typically glitzy lady-like aesthetic which has always veered
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FAIRY TALE FRENZY
New York: Designers Shane Gabriel and Chris Peters continued to garner hype this season as a young New York line to watch. Since winning last year’s coveted CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award, the whimsical brand stayed on message for fall, delivering their signature wearable art with heaps of playful volume and creative fabric play. Inspired by Robert Kirk’s 1691
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RUGGED ROMANCE
New York: Richard Chai has been getting quite a bit of buzz over the past few seasons, more recently for his appointment as creative director for the American heritage brand Filson. Even though Chai is most known for his street-ready grunge-tinged looks, the bespoke details and haberdashery that comes with a century-old brand was evident in this season's Fall
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BEYOND BASICS
New York: A fresh haberdashery mix set the charming tone for the Steven Alan FW 12 presentation as models mixed schoolgirl prim with natty Savile Row proper. This feminine-masculine contrast also informed a fabric story that played ditsy floral-printed silks in subdued hues against weather-ready anoraks —complete with vintage-influenced detailing. Fedoras and flat shoes (brogues and loafers) rounded out
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SCHOOL OF LUXE
It all began with college campus-ready outerwear at Organic's F/W 12 presentation. To his story of diamond-batted flannel anoraks, and vegetable-tanned leather duffle coats, Patrick added touches of overt softness in the form of whimsically printed 1940s dresses, a tiered lace prairie skirt, and a lofty angora v-neck sweater which seemed to be a nod to the varsity
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LACE ELATION
Paris: Building on the romantic femininity echoed by so many designers this spring, Pier Paolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri's collection managed to maintain the girlish glamour, without an ounce of stuffiness. Inspired by bohemian female artists from history including Deborah Turbeville and Georgia O'Keeffe, a serene folkloric thread ran through the clothes, from exaggerated lace motifs to heavy
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