Feather-light layers of organza and chiffon spilling over Bermuda shorts? It sounds like an odd combination, but Vera Wang pulled it off with panache at New York fashion week.
Wang, a native New Yorker whose wedding gowns are coveted by brides-to-be, celebrated the polar opposites of yin and yang with a structured yet feminine collection of ready-to-wear looks for next autumn and winter.
Her “techno-stretch” Bermuda shorts, resembling cycling shorts to the layman’s eye, appeared under light tan Melton wool coats and jackets, tangerine chiffon V-neck gowns, and dark silk cape tops with necks enveloped in raccoon.
Backstage, Wang cited Gothic cathedrals as a design influence, as she described how decorative elements had been carefully cut as part of each garment rather than just being “slapped on” afterwards.
“We always like tension,” she said, referring to her team. “I like a boyishness next to something sensual. I like transparency next to something strict. I like the mix. It’s that tension that makes it fashion for me.”
Wang matched each outfit with uncompromisingly chunky platform shoes, while models sported rigid, blown-back jetstream hairstyles.
Anybody who saw Marc Jacobs’s collection for Louis Vuitton in Paris a year ago could have been excused for having a sense of déjà vu at his Marc by Marc Jacobs diffusion-line show at the New York National Guard’s Lexington Armory.
Taking a cue from that show’s kinky grand hotel theme, Jacobs topped many of his outfits for men and women with bell-captain hats, and put handbags in the hands of several of his models.
But in lieu of brazen sexuality, he tipped more towards a teasing prudishness with pleated plaid dresses and prim white blouses that could have come from the wardrobe of a young New York secretary in the early 1960s.
Geeky black glasses only reinforced the message – but lest it all look too retro, every one of the dozens of looks was shod with boots: biker boots, lace-up boots, buckle boots, mostly in black but sometimes in burgundy.
Appealing to a totally different fashion crowd, dashing Lebanese designer Jad Ghandour used perhaps more supple leather than anyone else showing in New York this season for his latest range of red-carpet-ready formal wear.
Showing in Cipriani, a one-time bank turned luxury restaurant, Ghandour ditched the femininity of his previous collection for an Amazonian look best represented by a jet-black strapless evening gown that instantly appealed to reality TV star Cynthia Bailey, one of the front-row guests.
“I felt I was seeing something I haven’t seen before,” said Bailey, who appears in The Real Housewives of Atlanta, adding that she preferred a more cutting-edge look – not least to avoid looking like any other celebrity.
Just in time for its ambitious multi-country expansion overseas, US brand J. Crew – a favourite of First Lady Michelle Obama – presented a colourful range of separates in custom-dyed Italian cashmere.
Eye-catchers included a preppy pullover tucked into a snakeskin pencil skirt, a glittering cable-knit sweater, and a bold orange smock dress that an Asian model jazzed up with a radiant smile – a rare sight on catwalks.
Layers of wool defined J. Crew’s autumn-winter menswear range, so it came as no surprise when the label’s chief men’s designer, Frank Muytjens, cited old archive photos of Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton as a source of inspiration.
“I think it’s great to look at historical references,” said Muytjens, a Dutchman now living in Brooklyn and a key figure in J. Crew’s continued efforts to offer shoppers more style and colour in otherwise Gap-dominated retail malls.
Jewels were everywhere on Oscar de la Renta's runway.
The fashion legend used blown-up versions of actual jewellery as inspiration for his prints. He put jewelled headbands in his models’ hair and he embellished cardigans and coats with the sparklers for his autumn collection that debuted on Tuesday. As for colours, there was black, expected for the season, but also ice blue and light pink.
“I used a lot of colours you would not associate with winter colours but today’s woman doesn’t dress for seasons.”
The rest of the runway was filled with the rich, luxury items one has come to expect from De la Renta. There was a silver Arctic fox collar, Chantilly lace appliqué on a chiffon blouse, cashmere sweaters and a gown with a gold silk taffeta skirt.
Rare for most designers, De la Renta listed in some detail the jewellery that was worn by his models: Russian gold, pearl and crystal earrings or multi topaz crystal ring.
The fashion week runway show ended with a series of gowns with large tulle skirts in shades of rose, blue and silver. – Sapa-AP and Sapa-AFP