By Julia Frank
New York Fashion Week was all about rugging up for winter with coats and jackets in voluminous, anti-body-con shapes. There was a plethora of sheath dresses and a selection of Oscar-worthy stunners. Wintry fabrics – leather, tweed, wool and fur – were abundant and paired in dynamic combos. Hair was either slicked back flat or naturally loose, while make-up was mostly incognito. Overall, the season could be summed up as luxuriously wearable with a hint of whimsy.
Jason Wu was inspired by Marlene Dietrich in Shanghai Express, sending out body-hugging sheath dresses and super-slim leather pants in opulent shades of plum and black.
Both Wu and Proenza Schouler’s Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez used brocade, the latter also incorporated perforated leather and exotic birds embroidered in silk.
Zac Posen was the most literally Oriental with Chinoiserie prints, Geisha-like hairstyles and exaggerated obi-belt bows.
Rag & Bone’s David Neville and Marcus Wainwright were inspired by English tailoring, while Tommy Hilfiger was dressing women for “town and country”.
Ralph Lauren was in Downton Abbey territory with fuchsia and violet scarves and gloves peeking out of three-piece suits. Donna Karan, whose collection was menswear-inspired with a film-noir edge, sent models down the runway in tilted top hats.
Marc Jacobs’ eccentric Oliver Twist collection included huge fur hats, crotched shawls and diamante-buckled boots. Amorphous shapes in tweed, lame and leather were Jacobs’ take on Amish-chic.
Michael Kors, whose front row included Debra Messing and Jessica Alba, also had an impressive array of fur coats and plaid ponchos, with doctor bags and furry hats a la Jacobs.
Alexander Wang had a Surrealist touch with hoodies in shaved fur, leather duffle coats and bags inspired by gun cases, modelled, unexpectedly, by Gisele Bundchen in a true New York moment.
Thakoon’s Thakoon Panichgul looked to the Ed and Nancy Kienholz installation ‘Red-Light District’ (1983-8) showing sheath dresses in hues of hot pink, nude and fire-engine red.
Diane von Furstenberg, with creative director Yvan Mispelaere, was also seductive with feminine dresses in magentas and teals and one delightful domino clutch.
Victoria Beckham added collars in contrasting colours to her sheath dresses. Football jersey-inspired stripes (a wink to husband David Beckham, sitting front-row) and military coats were paired with chunky biker boots by Christian Louboutin.
Bechkam’s more affordable line, Victoria, Victoria Beckham, proved to be less ‘diffusion’ and more of a day-to-day dress range for the woman wearing her main line.
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen impressed with modern classics for their label, The Row, while Calvin Klein Collection’s Francisco Costa showed off postmodern proportions to Emma Stone and Rooney Mara.
Olivier Theyskens imagined his Theyskens Theory girl was “borrowing from her grandma” and Phillip Lim played optical illusions with black and white box jackets and slim pants, throwing in oversized sweaters and bright accents.
Vera Wang had a mix of outerwear (parkas, vests, jackets with fur lapels) and diaphanous silk dresses. The Rodarte sisters, Laura and Kate Mulleavy, looked to our own Australia through Victorian images of the outback and Aboriginal art with dresses in ochres and dot-painting prints.
Oscar de la Renta’s signature lady-like shapes in pastels and emeralds were made fun by digital images of jewels printed onto the fabric. Marchesa was literally angelic with feathers flowing from dresses to imitate wings. The designers, Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig, manipulated lace and tulle to effect dramatic yet ethereal show-stoppers fit for Hollywood royalty.
