In this article from October’s Manic! Magazine, Lara Boffa chooses her four favourites from September’s New York Fashion Week.
‘September is the January of fashion!’ This particular quote from the now cult movie The September Issue perfectly describes the feeling of novelty that surrounds the fashion industry at that time of the year.
Whilst most mortals would be scavenging around the shops to try and stock up on their new Autumn wardrobe, fashion editors, buyers, fashion insiders as well as bloggers like myself who live Fashion Week vicariously through their Twitter feeds, flock to the four fashion capitals to see what designers have in store for the spring season. Fashion Week season opened in New York with a series of shows from established fashion giants as well as new-generation designers. Whereas I try to be as open-minded as possible and to appreciate every single garment being showcased, I am inevitably drawn to some works over others. These, ladies and gentlemen, were my favourites.
A CHORUS OF APPROVAL
The roaring applause as Michael Kors walked out on the runway following the final look modelled by the ever-so-stunning Karlie Kloss could hardly be misinterpreted. The crowd liked it, and well, so did I. Michael Kors presented an exquisite collection of largely unembellished numbers, a perfect marriage between mod and nautical with a very Palm Springs and Los Angeles feel to it. The star-studded front row, including the likes of Olivia Munn, Camilla Belle, Michael Douglas and Catherine-Zeta Jones, were treated to a collection with obvious, palpable sixties influences, filtered through a much subtler, yet still present, nineties aesthetic. Models adorned with perspex accessories and futuristic sunglasses, walked out in heavily striped pieces and elongated silhouettes. The predominant stripe pattern was interestingly explored by the particular designer: he toyed with different proportions, alignments and thicknesses in order to maximise its use whilst still making it look fresh.
The colour palette was mostly derived from basic, primary colours, yet there was a sizeable dose of a bright yellow hue which I am strangely drawn to. Whereas I would instinctively reach for my sunnies to shield myself from the eye-popping hue, I found myself being fixated with it. It’s official, yellow is set to be one of the ‘it’ colours next season! Kors himself described his own colour choices as very ‘Beverley Hills’.
It took me approximately 0.3 seconds to single out my favourite item in the entire show. The collection featured a striped swimsuit that I am head over heels with! Oozing confidence from each millimetre, the piece is a delicious combination of green and blue stripes at the bottom and red and blue stripes at the top. To make it even more unforgettable, the swimsuit is sectioned by an eye-catching golden zipper that allows it to be magically transformed into a two-piece bikini!
Many appreciate how Michael Kors always seems to include that sense of ‘here and now’ in his fashion aesthetic. Take, for instance, the way his collection also included a gorgeous belted red coat with a very hard to miss rounded collar. ‘When spring hits the stores, it’s still cold’, declared Michael Kors before moving on to explain how you would want to wear those new pieces ‘now’. It’s like he altruistically thought of the fashion A-listers planning to attend his next show in February! All in all, the Michael Kors Spring/Summer 2013 collection was truly a lesson of pure American glamour.
POSH STYLES
Equally worth a mention is Victoria Beckham’s ‘Victoria, Victoria Beckham’ line. I don’t know why exactly, but there’s something about Lady Beckham that is increasingly intriguing lately. Irrespective of whether it’s her recent snaps with baby Harper – who, according to Victoria, already learned how to catwalk! – or my perception of her following the way she outshone all the other Spice Girls at the Olympics closing ceremony, the fact is Victoria is quickly earning herself a well-deserved place in the Fashion Acropolis.
Beckham’s VVB diffusion line is at once sporty yet restrained, boxy yet feminine. For those who are lucky enough to be as slim and lean as Queen Victoria, the collection comprised quite a few stunning, form-fitting bodycon dresses. I can hardly think of anything more Victoria than that! However, for all those ladies who can’t as yet describe their relationship with carbohydrates as ‘on the rocks’, there were also looser and more forgiving garments. In fact, the Spring/Summer 2013 collection featured a fantastic selection of billowy shirts in the finest of silk fabrics tucked into breath-taking floor-length skirts that totally stole the show!
Fashion insiders were surprised at Beckham’s choice of shoes. Did Victoria, Stiletto Empress, pair her designs with flat shoes? Brogues, even? Strange as it may sound, we cannot deny that the final look worked nonetheless...and how!
As I watched the VVB models strut their stuff to a vibrant soundtrack of 80s Hip-Hop remixes, I couldn’t help but notice the simplicity of the colour palette. Personally, I always get the impression that simple hues tend to accentuate the clean lines of a structured collection wonderfully. Victoria’s reliance on basic shades of black, white and red allowed for a better appreciation of details like pointed collars and the undeniable architectural cut of her jackets. Oh, and speaking about those jackets, I can’t wait to see how the high-street is going to emulate those particular silhouettes come the warmer Spring months!
ALCHEMY
Marc Jacobs’s tribute to mod was an unexpected move that gave us yet another reason to refer to the talented designer as the industry’s ‘alchemist’. His Spring/Summer 2013 collection marked a complete shift from what he showcased last year. His new collection, in fact, has nothing to do with the poetic, romantic, pilgrim-inspired collection he presented us with in the preceding season. His blanket of stripes and the strong sixties influence had me sold in a matter of moments. Jacobs’s stripes, zigzags and swirls had Andy Warhol written all over them in bold, italic and underline and his inclusion of mini-skirts, ultra-long pants and midriff-baring garments added that little touch of welcomed playfulness.
Apart from the mod vibe, I also love how Jacobs played with silhouettes we’ve been seeing for a while. His figure-hugging pencil skirts, for instance, lay lower on the waist, revealing a teensy-weensy bit of skin below the navel. Following his show, Jacobs stated that his collection should confirm that ‘sexiness isn’t about being naked’. Agreed.
MODERN ROMANCE
In order to leave the very best for last, I chose to conclude with Ralph Lauren’s Spring/Summer 2013 collection. This is one of those shows I find easy to classify in my ‘fashion moments which made me hyperventilate’ category. On the final day of New York Fashion Week, Lauren unveiled his Latin-American-inspired collection that included suede jackets, toreador-inspired leather garments, Romantic poet blouses and cloth wrap shirts. Hobo bags, crochet sweaters, tank dresses, rose print chiffons and fan-shaped clutch bags sealed the overall exotic, folk, bohemian element of the show.
The mood was also appropriately reflected in the collection’s predominant colours – amethyst, turquoise, tomato red, black and white – and even though it bears a stark resemblance to the Moschino’s Spring/Summer 2012 show, the former is much more light-hearted when compared to the theatrical, melodramatic sentiment of the latter. As far as I’m concerned, I’m all for Ralph.