Shimada’s Fall/Winter inspiration is a young and playful look, the seasons are getting hotter so the color palette dabbles into a spring color wheel. The opening section is all bright and vibrant colors. Shimada’s knits are a mix between cashmere and angora done vibrant multi-color South American prints. One best example of these sweaters is a wide neckline cashmere and angora blend sweater with the South American design done in black, yellow and brown on a white background. The look is finished with a powered blue silk satin top and a yellow knee-length skirt with a white lace shell that has been embroidered with black bubbles. This combination look was shown in several different color combinations. Another great combination is the south America design done in red/purple/green and blue on a pink background. The powder blue skirt is shorter and done in pencil skirt silhouette with a white lace shell and black embroidered bubbles.

The second section is all about texture and print, Shimada showed a series of knee-length skirt and dress looks. She even included more prints in to the collection, from paisley and gradient prints paired with feather top or detailing. The third section moves back to knits and the knits get heavier. The skirt is shorter and shockingly enough the designer pops out two leather looks. First a bellow the knee leather trench coat with a wide lapel and collar. The other look is a wide lapel and collar bomber jacket worn with a honey yellow silk lame pencil skirt. Both leather jackets are done in very rich honey orange leather. For the evening section Shimada moves to a black and white palette. She experiments with showing several sexy black dresses with very little embellishments. One piece did stick out like a sore thumb, the Marcel Marceau diamond print jacket.

Some designers really jump out with one of the hottest accessories for the season. This season Junk Shimada showed a her looks with a new Japanese and 40’s inspired heel. I cannot rave enough about these heels. It’s a cross between the 40’s boxy open toed heels with a Japanese style platform heel. Shimada kept of the 40’s references and made them pop by doing all the heels in vibrant silk satin. My favorites are the two-tone heels with the matching fabric rosette on top. The key or hot colors are the vibrant and rich purple silk satin shoe and the emerald green version.

One of the must have looks is a cascading ruffle skirt worn with a feather covered collarless jacket. The skirt is done in a black and mauve gradient print, which matches the gray and mauve feathers on the jacket. The other must have looks is Shimada’s 40’s style polka-dot cocktail dress. A black sheer knit dress is covered in a sheer silk tulle fabric with white polka dots and the edges are scalloped and finished in white hem. Of coarse to complete the look you need Shimada’s emerald green silk satin heel. Shimada’s collection for Fall is a bright relief from all the black we’ve seen from New York to Paris. The collection is youthful and really sends a strong statement to Parisian women. Young and playful is not a look for Spring/Summer. Bravo Madame Shimada!

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Sherlock Holmes meets Katherine Hepburn, masculine chic with a girly twist! To open the collection designer Frankie Xie focused on a literal translation of both Holmes and Hepburn. From the high waisted pant looks or the detective style cape coats and ponchos. The color palette is very earthy from brown to greens and dark grays. One of the literal looks was a tight Windsor check brown wool coat. The sleeves are cropped to half-length and the body of the jacket is tailored in a straight line. For the second section Xie starts to focus on more knit pieces in each look. One of my favorites knit pieces from this section is a powder blue cashmere cable knit poncho style sweater. The hem of the sweater is styled on a bias creating a bell shape to the poncho. The look is topped of long white cashmere scarf and a pair of Xie’s wide draped leg Windsor check pant.

This season Frankie Xie played with new draping and emphasized on volume on a few looks. One key piece in the second section is a cropped Windsor check wool jacket. The opening of the jacket is draped at the front and tied off with a waist belt. The third section has more of tailored look and in a very strict color palette of black/gray and white. One of the standout pieces in this section is a gray silk taffeta mini dress. He pairs a box shape neckline with the box shape mini sleeves on the shoulder. The bottom of the dress has black silkscreen print of a garden silhouette. For the evening section Frankie chose to move away from natural color and gives us rich black velvet and purple satin pieces. The first half of the collection is very strong and clearly defined. Xie tried to experiment with several looks and styles through out the collection. The closing section was a big miss with the metallic baby doll dresses. There was a little color in the collection with purple in the evening and emerald green in the opening section. If the designer had incorporated these great colors in more of the collection the collection would have really popped out at the buyers and editors.

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Sonia Rykiel opened the collection with a lot of volume and knits. Cloud like silhouettes, draped lines and short as can be for Rykiel, right above the knee. In the second section Sonia toys between her cloud silhouette and her classic Parisian tailoring and keeps the color palette very muted in most of looks. She does introduce one print into the collection a black and tan peacock feather print similar to a moiré taffeta design. She used the print on a draped wool overcoat. The collar and sleeves are over draped creating a heavy look to the coat. Another great outerwear piece is on of Rykiel’s black wool cropped opera coat. The over draped body of the coat and wide set collar is new Parisian chic with a shorter length.

This season Rykiel did show a lot of black on the runway, a classic for Rykiel. The silhouette in the third section is all over the place; from the draped jackets to the sheer spider knit dresses or the loose print pieces. One of the best pieces in this section is one of the spider-knit dresses, which Rykiel covered with embroidery and beaded cartoon figures like Betty Boop. Simple smock dress the cartoon details and the shock of hot pink on the dress popped on the runway. For the evening section Sonia played with several wide leg pantsuit looks and even barrowed last seasons rosette and ruffles details. The last series of multi-color faux fur jackets are an “it” piece for the season. Rykiel touched on every color from mauve, hot pink, black and navy blue. My favorite is the sleeveless olive green faux fur jacket worn with a olive green cashmere turtleneck dress.

For must have pick at Rykiel I have chosen to very basic pieces but strong pieces. First is a pair of Sonia’s black silk crepe baggy leg pant with matching black crepe suspenders. The other must have piece is the stone white wool trench coat. The coat has a box shape shoulder and the bottom of the coat is flared from the hip. Some of the strongest pieces from Rykiel this season are not her signature Parisian bundled up looks, instead its her skimpier pieces in the collection. Overall the collection has endless number options for the Rykiel client, from her finely tailored outerwear pieces to her chic baggy leg pant suits or her new less is more pop print dresses. Bravo Madame Rykiel!

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One of the shinning highlights of Paris fashion week is certainly Atsuro Tayama; the light is shining bright at Tayama because of his use of color. This season he takes 60’s tailoring in a shocking Mondrian color palette. The opening section really jumped into the whole Mondrian color palette with a series of outerwear pieces in vibrant shades of blue, red and yellow. This season Tayama gave his outerwear pieces a slight heavy silhouette but he keeps it very tailored to the body. The second section has more day pieces including a emphasis on prints and bold designs and prints. From mod prints to mod style striping or color blocking in diamond shapes. One of the standout pieces is a black and red zigzag and diamond silk merino knit dress with heavy cashmere knit collar. For the third section he gets a little more serious and a little flashy at the same time. Like the sequined jacket and a series of plaid wool jackets and skirts. One of the standout looks is a red-patent leather jacket with a Cardin wide collar worn with a short black and red tartan design wool skirt.

Tayama shifts back to a mod look with a series of solid color wool outerwear pieces tailored in Pierre Cardin silhouette. One of the standout outerwear pieces is a black and white plaid wool overcoat with a ¾ length sleeve and wide Cardin collar. For the fourth section Tayama switches again to a more playful silhouette with shorted dresses and showing more skin with halter-top dresses and plunging necklines. Atsuro also uses a reworked paisley print that is concentrated in one color after another. The closing section is a series of bubble shape pieces, from jackets to dresses and skirts. The tailoring earlier in the collection is such a strong statement, the bubble shape pieces really subtract from the whole vision of the collection. But Tayama closed with one of the strongest knit pieces from the Paris Fashion Week. Light gray cashmere knit dress with a high ribbed knit collar.

The must have pieces from the collection are two perfect editorial pieces. First is one of Tayama’s outerwear pieces in the opening section. A bright blue wool overcoat with rolled collar. The front of the coat is sculpted into layered shape that is reminiscent of Cardin styles from the 60’s. The other must have piece from the collection is one of the paisley print dresses. A sleeveless tunic dress done in a black/red/white paisley print on silk jersey. The plunging neckline and hem of the skirt are timed in wide ban black silk jersey. What I really took away from this collection is the first ¾ of the collection is such a strong statement and clear vision for Tayama. His eye for tailoring is clearly defined, focused and executed. Sadly the end of the collection was moving in a wrong direction. Overall Tayama gave us collection of endless bold looks and pieces. Thank you for no giving us a sea of black! Bravo Monsieur Tayama!

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This season Valli’s inspiration is a cross between American Prairie and Parisian decadence. A heavy constructed silhouette! But first I have to get this out, “Carol Ann walk to the light”, those hats, come on! The opening section is a series of black looks with a few prints pieces here and there. The lengths of the dresses are short while the outerwear pieces are long and the pant leg is straight to the floor. One of the strongest outerwear statements in the opening section is the print pieces. One great piece is black/white/yellow modern print on a heavy wool fabric. The coat is collarless and has a ¾ length sleeve with a bubble shape cuff. Another great look from the opening section is Valli’s bell-bottom pantsuit. The pants have slim tailored leg down to the knee and then Valli flares the fabric to the floor in a bell bottom shape. The matching jacket is tightly tailored in the sleeve and torso.

In the second section Valli shifts to a black and white color palette and the emphasis is on blacking the black and white pieces or incorporating more prints. The inspiration for the prints is certainly taken from St. Laurent’s animal and pop prints from the 80’s. While the color blocking is derived from Mondrian’s artwork. The third section is more of the same shapes but the designer gets frilly and girly. Adding tight layers of ruffles or bundles of feathers on top or the hem of dresses. While I find these pieces are take inspiration from past seasons, Valli’s craftsmanship and choice of fabrics really make the pieces and looks standout. One of the best examples is Valli’s black and white contrast bubble print silk cocktail dress. The top of the dress is covered in black and white quail feathers down to the bottom of the bust line. The bust line of the dress is trimmed with a black velvet ribbon and bow, which then connects to the black/white print skirt. Another strong cocktail dress in the evening section is a short length empire waist cocktail dress in black silk taffeta. The top of the dress is covered in large black crystals. Valli gives the dress small caps on the shoulder, reminiscent of the shoulder cap at Lagerfeld’s last collection for Chanel.

Valli’s must have outerwear piece from the collection is his wide set collar overcoat. The coat is done in a black and purple version of the contrast bubble print on silk taffeta. The other must have piece from the collection is his white strapless silk crepe cocktail dress worn with a side black belt around the waist. The bust line of the dress is covered in layers of tight white ruffles and pleats. The only color piece in the collection was a red silk taffeta dress. The statement for this collection is to bring back the little dress and give us a girly and playful looks. While I loved the constraint of the black and white color palette, I could only imagine how much more powerful the collection would have been with more color. In the end the collection is a great féte! Bravo Monsieur Valli!

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Galliano’s recent Fall/Winter Couture collection was not a show stopping parade of devastating design and vision. Instead Galliano distracted the attendee’s with some seldom seen faces on the catwalk. Naomi and Shalom are not models to write home about, they’ll show up at the drop of an invitation from Galliano. Instead it was two other former supermodels, one took to old tactics and the other reemerged from seclusion. First up was the infamous chameleon taking another swing at being a red-head! Linda Evangelista dyed her hair red prior to show; some gossiped that she jumped back to red to stand out over the shocking return of Karen Mulder to the runway.

Mulder, one of the blond bombshells of the late 80’s supermodel wave which carried into the 90’s, she abandoned the runway and fashion world after a long battle with depression, a suicide attempt that put her in a coma and failed attempt at music career. In late 2006 Mulder gave birth to her daughter Anna and after her almost 10 year hiatus she reemerged on the couture runways. Now as much as I love Linda for attempting to bring back the red, it’s such a desperate attempt to one-up Karen. Karen Mulder takes the crown for best entrance for the new season of shows. Now I would love to see Karen at Chanel.

Another big return to the runway at the Dior Couture show was the triumphant return of the black hair vixen Mariacarla Boscono. She’s has been absent from the runways for the last two seasons. Although Galliano continues is excessive need to reinvent Dior’s new look, this season the collection was a dud. The show stopping parade of supermodels was the only card he could play. Galliano seemed to have phoned it in this season. While I adore the trumpet return of Mulder and Boscono, the collection lacked drive or direction. Even the models makeup made this point. Galliano is known for visionary partnership with Pat McGrath but this season only regular models had some sort of paint on their faces. While their mentors appeared fresh faced for the perfect photo ops! Some have even blamed the blasé collection on the recent passing of Galliano’s right hand man Steven Robinson. There might be some truth to this notion as Galliano has always been the personality of the design team while Robinson gave it energy and life. We miss you Steven Robinson, we really do!

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A long awaited collection; the first collection for Olivier Theyskens was a combined inspiration of the swan lake ballet with Theyskens aesthetic of a relaxed silhouette with an American sportswear feel. The opening section is a series of heavy knit pieces and then moving into sculpted pant and skirt looks. One of the strong knit pieces in the opening section is a pale gray cashmere/angora ribbed knit dress with long sleeve. The hem of the skit is finished with scalloped knit shape. The color palette is soft shades of white, pale grays moving into black and darker grays. Theyskens opted for a skinny leg pant for the season. Another great pieces from the opening section are the white bias zip front jersey jacket worn with a matching light knit bias neckline top.

In the second section Theyskens moves away from a structured silhouette into a series of draped dress’s/gowns and oversized sweaters/coats. One of the key knit pieces in this section is a thick weave gray angora poncho. The poncho is knit with a scalloped hem and worn with an ankle length gray jersey dress. In the third section Theyskens shifts back to a structure look and focuses on matching pieces like skirt and blazer combinations. One of these combination looks is in the evening section a floor length gray silk crepe gown embellished with stripes of silver crystals and stripes of crepe-covered buttons. .

What is really lacking in the first three sections is a strong statement or looks that Theyskens is known for. Its not until the evening section that we start to see Theyskens really start to loosen up. The evening section is his classic floor length Theyskens silhouettes and the emphasis is on draping fabrics and emphasizing different parts of the body, like a draped bust line. One of the show stopping gowns the exhibit this is one of Theyskens origami style gowns at the close of the collection. A white silk chiffon and crepe gown with stiff swirls of fabric draped around the bus line and arm. The seaming and stiff swirls are embellished with white ostrich feathers. Another great evening look are Theyskens floor length stripe silk chiffon gowns. The gowns are constructed with strips of chiffon draped on a bias. One of the standout gowns is a white and yellow silk chiffon gown that he pieces the strips of white chiffon with yellow chiffon.

The two must have pieces from the evening section are two contrast looks for Theyskens. First is one of Theyskens bias opening leather jackets. The leather is oil treated and the opening is places on side of the hip and zips up to the opposite shoulder. The other must have piece is one of stiff swirl gowns. The gown is a strapless floor length gown that Theyskens drapes with tiers of cascading colored silk chiffon. The tiers move from a pale yellow at the bust line to lime green at the hem of the gown. This collection is certainly more of a Theyskens collection rather than a Nina Ricci collection. For the past decade the House of Ricci has struggled to really get a designer to come in and really define the Ricci woman for today. Finally the House has realized that they just need a designer who can come in with their own image and build the house back up and slowly start to reference Madame Ricci later on. Even Lagerfeld didn’t start at the House of Chanel by mimicking the classic tweed suits. Bravo Monsieur Theyskens!

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This season Sybilla Sorondo focused on a draped silhouette with hints of the 30’s in the looks. The opening section looks are emphasized on a structured suit look with a draped knit or fur piece. The color palette moves from olive green to black and even burgundy. One the highlight pieces in the opening section is a olive chenille and cashmere knit poncho. The poncho is shaped on a bias like a cape. Sorondo shows the piece with draped leg pant. The second section is the introduction of leather pieces and more structured silhouette pieces. One of the misses is the use of ruffles and giving dresses a bubble hem. One trendy accessory that just seems to continue to look hot season after season is the crotch length leather boots. For the third section Sybilla Sorondo keeps to black and contrast it with textured fabrics and treatments. For the evening section she goes skimpy with sheer fabrics paired with black fur pieces or ruffles covered cropped pants. Then finally the designer adds some color in the evening dresses and gowns. Although I didn’t like how the Sonondo cropped the length of the gowns to show off the matching leather boots. One of the standout evening gowns is a olive green silk organza gown with little circle cutouts of the same organza fabric covering the top of the dress and lightly scattered on the skirt of the gown.

The must have piece from the collection is Sybilla Sorondo black faux fur jacket. The sleeves have a bell bottom drape from the shoulder and the collar is an oversized Mao collar. Sorondo adds more structure to the piece by putting gray pinstripes on the fur. One statement you can really take from this collection is that Sorondo is really focused on a luxurious look for the collection. There are endless options for the little black dress in this collection. What really stood out are the very sculpted pieces to the looser silhouette pieces.

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This season McQueen’s inspiration was taken from witches and the mystical and dark side of the craft. Many commented the collection is another safe collection for McQueen showing reconstructed or possibly omitted pieces from previous collections. While I can see that McQueen barrowed heavily from past collection, what most didn’t notice is the new shape and inspiration in a few pieces. Easily missed because McQueen didn’t show them as flashy, heavily decadent looks. Rather they were very simple and the emphasis on the new silhouette that McQueen is working on. This new shape is a broader hip or shoulder, very sculpted and reminiscent of the flattering shapes of the Victoria period. The first section is very mix match in terms of silhouette but McQueen focuses on one length for dresses and outerwear. For the second section we start to see some of the previous collections looks, like the bondage looks and the goddess dresses. In the third section McQueen takes this seasons leather trend and does leather on everything but outerwear pieces. One of the standout leather pieces is a burgundy leather strapless dress with a sculpted silhouette worn with shoulder length burgundy leather gloves and burgundy fur wrap around neck and shoulders.

McQueen used a lot of leather in the details of this collection, from the shoulder length gloves, belts, boots and bags. One of the key looks highlighting these great leather pieces is the white silk jersey wrap dress with a wide hooded collar and lapel. To complete the look McQueen added burgundy leather accessories, from the triple strap on the waist, the shoulder length gloves to the textured and studded burgundy leather boots and handbag. He does however move away from the clean line structure to a billowy and romantic silhouette for evening. The strongest pieces are his slimmer evening gowns beaded with shooting star storms. One of the standout pieces is a midnight black velvet floor length gown. The mock neckline, shoulder are beaded in crystals in star shower shooting down to the waist of the gown.

The two must have pieces from the collection are two of Alexander McQueen’s new dramatic silhouette pieces. First is a gold metallic off the shoulder dress. The sleeves and hips are sculpted and the skirt length is short. Another must have piece is the black silk satin coat with the seaming highlighted by black crystal beading. The sleeves of the coat are black leather and are tailored to the arm like a glove. After 5 seasons of non-stop show stopper collection, McQueen does deserve some time off for good behavior. While many editors and critics slammed him for an unimaginative collection. They are spoiled because they expected more of a spectacular and nonstop romp of flawless pieces and looks. Bottom line the collection is safe and McQueen gave us strong pieces that are a second chance to grab classic McQueen style pieces. More importantly McQueen gives us a little hint for the future, a new shape and a new vision. Bravo Monsieur McQueen!

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Albert Kriemier’s Fall/Winter collection opened with ruffles! A slow start! The opening section is slinky black with a lot of sheen silks trimmed in delicate ruffles. He opens with a lot of all black looks and then shifts into a dark gray looks. The shape and silhouette is very close to the body, from the skirts and dresses to the outerwear pieces. I really love the pieces with the tiers of black faux fur layered vertically on black crepe and chiffon. One of the standout pieces in the opening section is a knee-length long sleeve dress; the black chiffon is covered in the tiers of fur. The dress look is topped with a deep indigo wool sleeveless safari jacket. The second section jumps out of the dark palette and into shocks of color like magenta and soft shades of white. The silhouette slightly loosens up but I don’t like the little fabric box pieces.

In the third section Kriemier moves back to grays and blacks and the silhouette tightens up again. But the designer starts to add heavy volume top pieces to the looks. For evening he focuses on giving the looks more shine and depth with a few print pieces. One of the must have pieces is a white wool overcoat with a black chiffon shell. I know the piece is a copy from the Dolce & Gabbana collection, but Kriemier’s gives the coat modern construction rather than voluptuous sculpted silhouette at D&G. The other must have piece from the collection is one of the black chiffon cocktail dresses covered in tiers of faux fur trim in black. This dress is unique because Albert spaced the tiers adding more lines to the dress. The inspiration for the collection is fluid. While there was very little color in the collection Albert’s detailed fabrics and clean silhouette are a marriage. He opted to steer clear of this season’s looser shape but a lot of the strongest looks in the collection are some of his heavily detailed piece looks. I felt the collection was perfect just as is, no need for more color and no need for more volume. Bravo Monsieur Kriemier!

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Martini’s inspiration for Fall/Winter is a mix between an English Burberry style and with an American sportswear silhouette. The opening section is a series of looks incorporating a lot of decadent fabrics like velvet, tweed, wool and denim. The silhouette in this section is very strict. The pants are tight on the leg, a trend that is slowly dying. The highlight of the opening is the outerwear pieces. One of these standout outerwear pieces is a gray tweed overcoat with strict silhouette and the opening of the coat offset. The coat appears heavy even with the turtleneck collar. The second section moves away from the strict silhouette and plays with a more American sportswear silhouette with looser shapes and straight leg pant. One great look is Martini’s straight leg pant in brown wool tweed and topped with a brown jersey hooded top with a plunging neckline.

Martini keeps to heavy fabrics but the color palette stays in neutrals with a lot of browns and whites. One of the miss looks is the parka style leather jacket. Another great look from the second section is a pair of Martini’s brown tweed pants worn with a calf length off white knit cardigan and brown knit jersey top. The third section has Martini moving back to a stricter silhouette with several tapered leg pant looks. He also tailors the gowns and cocktail dresses for evening very close opts for the perfect black dress or gown. One of the bold pieces of the collection is a black-brushed wool coat. The coat has a strong shoulder and the opening is offset and hemmed at the knee. A classic piece and certainly a big sell for Martini. The second section is certainly the highlight of the collection. It would have been great to see Martini and his design team, focus on the new silhouette of the seasons, which he touched on lightly and abandoned the strict silhouette he used through out the collection.

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Ennio Capasa inspiration for Fall/Winter is a new world look. The body is covered and the look is layered but a strict silhouette. The opening section is all black and moving into some grays. One of the standout pieces is a black textured and treated leather biker jacket. The second section has a hint of color in one red piece in a sea of gray looks and then shift back into a sea of black. Capasa opted to show an abundant number of outerwear this season although the only fluid statement is a more of edgy/utility look to the outerwear pieces. The outerwear pieces are detailed with straps; decadent fabrics like suede or draped with a new shape like a long front and cropped back. Another great piece is Capasa’s dark olive green bushed wool jacket. The jacket is loose on the torso and cropped at the waist. The sleeves are over draped with the collar done in turtleneck style.

The third section has more red pieces added to the collection and a few persimmon color pieces. Sadly the shape or silhouette Ennio worked toward in the closing section is full but its created by a bubble hem on a skirt or jacket. One of the standout dress looks in the collection is a long sleeve black cashmere knit dress with a turtleneck. The front of the dress is designed with two zipper openings running from the neck to the hem. Another key look from Capasa is the loosely tailored suit in the closing section. A loosely tailored mens blazer worn with a straight full leg pant, with the highlight of the collection being the outerwear pieces, the complete look of layered tops under tightly tailored outerwear pieces was too busy and too confusing. There are a few great retail pieces but editorially the collection is missing those bold pieces. Although the black knit dresses with strips of black leather, also missing is a variance of color. I would love to have seen more pieces play with the red and persimmon colors.

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To open her Fall/Winter 07’ collection, designer Alberta Ferretti toned it down. She focused on full silhouette in a dark color palette with only one color splashed on the opening section, a dark shade of emerald. Ferretti did take up a few of this season trends like the heavy outerwear pieces and her print looks. One of the standout outerwear pieces is the draped black wool coat with the sleeve over draped with a bubble shape hem. The coat is belted below the bust line creating a pleat on the coat. For the second section Alberta introduced brown in the color palette with an emphasis on brown leather, beading and prints. One of the key leather pieces is a classic a-line light brown leather coat. The collar is oversized with metal studs detailing the front seaming and covering the collar, pocket openings and sleeve cuffs.

Then, Ferretti moves back to black for the third section with mild shades of gray. Overall this section is a little less inspired than the previous sections. The highlight of the collection are the closing evening looks, from the playful feather detailed black cocktail dresses or the gorgeous column evening gowns in black. The gowns are highlighted by prints, feathers, moiré taffeta, velvet and heavy beading. On the best cocktail dresses is a black silk chiffon simple sleeveless tube dress covered in the deco style bead design. Another great evening look is a square shoulder layered evening gown. Ferretti’s sunset print layered with black tulle beaded and trimmed in black ostrich feathers. The top of the gown is detailed with a beaded deco design.

The must have pieces from the collection are two of Ferretti bold cocktail dresses. First is one of Ferretti’s deco style beaded gowns. The dress is a caramel color knit dress covered in a layer of sheer black chiffon covered in the heavily beaded deco design, top to bottom. The other must have piece is one of Ferretti’s feather cocktail dresses. A box shape a-line dress with ¾ length sleeve in black silk crepe with the body of the dress is finished with strips of black silk satin spaced between bands black and white quail feathers. Most certainly one of the most elegant and grossly understated collections Ferretti has created in a while. Missing is her young, sexy and colorful looks. Instead Ferretti gives us a trend collection of black pieces and earthy brown pieces for day. Bravo Madame Ferretti!

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This season Rifat Ozbek opened the Pollini collection with a lot of black and dark grays. He embraces the short skirt trend and emphasizes the looks with little accents. Everything from appliqués, beading on pockets, leather straps on the hems and sleeve cuffs. One of strongest statements Ozbek made this season is his circumvention of the heavy outerwear trend, instead he choose to give his outerwear pieces a lighter draped silhouette. The opening section is a series of gray and black but the highlight is Ozbek’s long pants. One of the standout looks in the opening section is a matching black jacket and skirt. The skirt and jacket are done in black silk/nylon blend and hemmed with a quilted shiny black nylon. Another great piece from the opening section is an off-white wool a-line dress with a cape style sleeve. The shoulders are detailed with a knit embroidery and the look is finished with a black faux fur arm warmers.

The second section has subtle color with earthy greens mixed with spicy shades of orange. The looks are a combination of pant looks and dress looks. Ozbek also showed a few print pieces, one of the standout prints is a black and silver camouflage print on silk taffeta. One of the great looks incorporating this print is the matching skirt and jacket in the silk taffeta. The jacket is trimmed with fox fur on the collar and shoulders. To finish the look are a pair of Rifat’s faux fur arm warmers. The third section is a move back to black but the fabrics have sheen or a mixture of leather pieces with texture like faux fur or beading. One of the key pieces in the closing section is black faux fur and printed taffeta fabric.

The must have looks this season are two contrast looks for Pollini. First is the spicy orange crepe rosette tops worn with a pair of knit wool shorts and a pair of wool ribbed knit arm warmers? The other must have look is a black a-line cocktail dress layered with layers of different embellishments that Ozbek used through out the collection. From the black silk crepe rosettes draped on the shoulder and the waist of the skirt to the sectioning of the matte black silk taffeta contrasted by the black velvet seaming. Lacking this season is a new look for Ozbek. The silhouette is standard and the little detailing is certainly the high point of the collection. One thing is for certain; it is a strong collection and very wearable collection for the Pollini client. Could Pollini be the next Louis Vuitton or Gucci? Ozbek’s last two collections are very commercial with a few editorial pieces here and there. I would love for him to give us a least one collection full of his imagination and fantasy. Bravo Monsieur Ozbek!

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Veronica Etro’s inspiration for Fall/Winter is a mix between a 20’s style flapper silhouette and a DaDa art for the bold and geometric prints. The opening section jumps into the top trends of the season. With a full leg pant, bold prints on metallic fabrics, structured knit pieces and heavy leather jackets. But she keeps the color palette at a minimum sliding between gray and white with small hints of bold colors here and there. She also keeps the skirt lengths at the knee opting to stay away from the short trend. One of the standout looks in the opening section is a black sleeveless cashmere cardigan with a turtleneck. To finish the look Etro showed sleeveless white cashmere knit dress with a geometric design on the bottom half of the dress. For the second section the mix of basic black piece with prints in rich colors of brown, caramel, emerald green and yellow. One of the standout looks in this section is a gray and yellow geometric design print on silk chiffon skirt worn with a sleeveless gray cashmere stop with neckline embellished with beading.

Etro does show several pieces with a bubble hem and tapered leg pants. For the closing section she keeps the looks more dressed up and emphasizes color metallic. The standout looks for evening are the heavy outerwear looks. First a full silhouette jacket done in a heavy ¬knit with a black and dark olive green design. The look is finished with a black silk crepe full leg tuxedo pant and a silk chiffon blouse. The other standout look for evening is a matching pencil skirt and a draped neck top in the same black and olive green geometric print knit. Etro finishes the looks with a heavy black wool coat with the sleeves trimmed with black fur.

The must have looks this season are two dressed up day or business looks. First is Molinari’s gray wool baggy leg suit. The jacket is tailored with wide lapel and belted around the waist with a double black leather belt. The other must have look is a brown and gray printed knit skirt worn with a matching cape jacket in the same heavy knit. This season Veronica Etro focused on the classic Etro prints and took them from the fabrics and incorporated them into some strong knit pieces for Fall. While the collection is a little lacking in the color department, Etro presented a very strong commercial as well as editorial collection. Bravo Madame Etro!

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Thomas Maier opened this season with a “sea of black”, so many designers find it necessary to build off of black in the fall/winter season. The look is a little dresses up but youthful short in such a severe color palette. One of the looks that really show this mixture is the black wool dress worn with a matching cropped waist black wool jacket. The princess shaped sleeve is cropped short with the collar and lapel lined in a contrasting heavy wool fabric. Then slowly Maier did move out of black showering a series of looks in some dusty colors, like dusty rose, orange and brown. One of the key looks in the dusty color palette is dusty rose silk crepe dress. The dress is tailored close to the torso and flared from the hip in a-line silhouette. Maier twists the fabric around the neckline creating a drape look.

The second section is a series of outerwear pieces in black and moving into more Fall color palette of off white and pale browns and tans. The silhouette is still young but the emphasis is certainly on a short length. It’s frilly feminine with romantic silhouettes in muted shades. One of the standout cocktail dresses in the closing section is a simple straight-line off-white silk crepe dress. The hem of the dress is detailed with crystal beading and the dress has a short sleeve finished with fabric pleated creating draped look on the shoulder. Another key cocktail look from the collection is a short tan silk organdy dress with a plunging v-neckline. The fabrics is synched on the torso and the sleeves are finished with fabric pinned in bubble shape on the shoulder. There was only one pant look in the collection, for evening only, a tuxedo pant with a full leg. I would love to have seen Maier give the BV client a few more pant looks or even a short look for those Indian Summers.

The must have outerwear piece from the collection is a knee-length soft tan leather overcoat. The leather has impression of a honeycomb design giving the coat some texture. The other must have piece from the collection is one of Maier’s evening gowns. A strapless floor-length black silk crepe gown, the black crepe is tailored with the seaming accenting the hourglass silhouette of the gown. The bust line of the dress is lowered with a strip of nude colored crepe finishing off the top of the bust line. While there was a little color in the middle of the collection, it would have been nice to see more color for the evening section. Especially in those young and flirty cocktail dresses in the closing section. One of the strongest statements from the collection is a youthful look for a brand that is known for its sophisticated tailoring and look.

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The inspiration at Brioni is mix of modern draping and focusing on a full silhouette. the opening of the collection with a combination of green and white looks and emphasis on playing with lines. One of the key outerwear pieces in this section is a dark olive green coat that has a bubble shape almost to the coat. The neckline and lapel are draped wide with on side of the coat opening draped down to the waist. The full shape of the coat is gathered into a pleat and belted at the waist. The design team opted to keep the skinny leg pant in a lot of the looks. But the second section moves into a black and white palette and looks are a little more structured than the opening section where one piece was a stand-alone. Brioni also splashes some red but then its gone. One of the standout looks in this section is a heavily sculpted knee-length black wool coat with a short sleeve. The collar of the coat is incorporated into the top of the coat. To finish the look the coat is belted with a double leather strap belt and worn with a olive green silk gazar skirt and a sheer angora black turtle neck sweater.

In the third section the design team plays with more color on a few looks, like the dark teal used on a top, skirt or knit piece. The close of the collection is a lot of very sculpted dresses and outerwear pieces. One of the standout outerwear pieces from the collection is Brioni’s take on the trench coat. The coat is tailored with a heavy silhouette in black silk crepe and black silk satin lining the collar and lapel. The coat is belted at the waist giving the piece more shape. One of the standout cocktail dresses is a simple strapless silk satin dress with the top of the dress draped from one shoulder over the other. There was one loose fitting pant look in the collection. Missing from the collection is a strong day look; for the most part the collection is mostly about a look for evening even in the opening section.

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The last couple of seasons Dominico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have slowly changed the focus of their collections. In the past they have catered to a more commercial look and presenting a prominent marketable collection. Now they are driven to redefine their image and give their clients new look and a new taste of Dolce & Gabbana. This season they morph metallic fabrics and emphasize a move back to their strict silhouette from the early 90’s with metal corsets. The opening section is very tailored but then the duo takes a billowy shape top and then adds more volume with a billowy tulle shell on top of the piece. One of the standout outerwear pieces in the opening section is a faux cheetah fur coat with a shell of black tulle covering the whole jacket. The coat is worn with one of the silver waist corsets. The second section is more dressed up and the fabrics shift into a metallic theme and we see more embellishment and detailing. Emphasis is another key word, one of the standout looks in this section is pale nude long sleeve top that is silk screened with a metallic version of the nude color. Emphasizing the muscles in the arm and the breasts. To finish the look is a black stretch knit skirt with a contrast dart in black silk satin.

A lot of the collection can be interpreted as too dramatic and too fantasy. But in truth the statement is that sexy can really exists today and Dolce & Gabbana stands for sexy and they are able to define it any way they want. Whether it be a little dominatrix or simple taking volumes of fabrics and emphasizing a silhouette. The statement is severe but the overall execution is near flawless. The third section is little more wearable; the duo toys with heavy outerwear pieces in texture fabrics and leather. One of the strongest combination or theme is Stefano and Dominico pencil skirt combinations. One of the standout looks in this section is a black pencil skirt in a textured patent leather. The skirt look is finished with a matching patent leather vest over a black silk charmeuse blouse with a long princess cuff sleeve. And of coarse worn with a silver waist corset! This season Dolce & Gabbana moved away from the skinny leg pant and embracing the full leg pant. They also emphasized a lot of their animal print looks with heavy beading and feathers. This is most evident in the evening section, which is a long series of beaded gowns and cocktail dresses. One of the standout cocktail dresses is knee-length a-line silk chiffon dress encrusted with beading and a spray of small feathers on the top and hem of the dress. Of coarse the dress is sheer and should be worn with your best lingerie but the metal waist corset sets it off perfectly. Not sure you could wear this dress without the corset.

The must have cocktail dress is one of the heavily beaded cocktail dresses in a crimson red with a black tulle shell encasing the dress from the neckline to the hem. The dress is worn with a silver waist belt corset. The other must have piece from the collection is another black tulle encased piece. A white short sleeve fur coat worn with a silver waist belt and high collar, you can easily see the embellishment and the whole dominatrix theme through out the collection. What is hidden is the reference of structure and architecture. This season Dominico and Stefano take the whole collection to another level, a couture level at least. While the pieces we saw on the runway will be watered down in the stores. The statement is that today we live a luxurious lifestyle and these pieces may be over the top but they fit into our lifestyles perfectly. Bravo Monsieur Dolce y Monsieur Gabbana!

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The inspiration at Les Copains is cooler weather, a bundled up look for Fall and the color palette is light and cool with pale grays and whites. The opening section is a string of knit looks incorporated into outerwear pieces and dresses. Opening with a white and pale gray knits and the outerwear pieces are heavy but compliment the lightness of the knit dresses. One of the standout pieces in this section was the off the shoulder pale gray cashmere sweater dress. The sleeves and hem do have a slight bubble shape but the spirit of this look is the mother of pearl palette covering the body and sleeve of the dress. The second section goes a little darker with heavy shades of grays. Even the fabrics get a little heavier with the introduction of wool and fur into the collection. One of the standout pieces in this section is the cashmere and angora knit poncho jackets. The knit poncho is a contrast diamond design with a pale gray angora contrast with black cashmere.

For the third section turns it up a notch. Showing more layering in the looks and emphasizing the detail of the fabrics. From the weaved jersey fabric to the patent python leather with a contrast seaming. The design also plays more with colors like orange and pale purple. Some of the misses in this section are many tunic style dresses and use of velvet, which are trends we saw last season. One of the highlights are the knit hats minus the pom-poms. One of the standout looks in this section is the gray and tan stripe cashmere turtleneck sweater. The knit is sliced open in the front of the sweater with a contrast of black underneath. The sweater is worn with a full leg jersey pant. The closing section moves into black and navy blue. One of the strongest statements is the sheer embroidered and beaded dress in a poncho shape. One of the strongest pieces is a turtleneck mini-dress. The dress is sheer organza with brocade design embroidery embellished with a lot of beading. The sleeve cuff and turtleneck are done in a ribbed silk/lycra fabric. I love how the designer really struck to the whole bundled up theme for the collection. He keeps the references in the lighter more short feminine looks of the collection. It’s amazing how he moves from knits and furs to metallic fabrics and patent leather. The only dilemma here is the lack of fluidity through the whole collection. The high point of the collection is most certainly the knits pieces from the dresses to the ponchos and jackets.

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Is Proenza Schouler moving to Milan and taking over 6267, this season Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi took note of NY duo’s design aesthetic this season. We see again the roaring 20’s but instead the designer focuses on volume rather than the little details. Aquilano and Rimondi also took on some of this season top trends like the heavy outerwear pieces. The opening section is a lot of heavy outerwear pieces showed with several dark and masculine silhouette dresses in a black color palette. One of the standout looks in the opening section is a black wool overcoat with the lapels and collar over draped. The look is finished with a black faux fur skirt worn with a black silk crepe corset style top. In the second section the color palette moves to dark and lights gray and the look are little more tailored like the series of dressed up pant looks. Sadly duo opted to keep the pant leg tapered this season. One of the standout pieces in this section is a heavy gray wool trench coat. The coat is not a traditional trench silhouette as the body of the trench is flared from the hip and the sleeves are heavily constructed with modern utility style.

Rimondi and Aquilano closing section is long with a series of playful looks in grays and blacks. The looks incorporate trends like chunky knits, faux fur and feather cocktail dress. The silhouette is top heavy through out the collection and one of the best statements in the collection is a bundled up look. The heavy outerwear pieces are truly the highlight of the collection as well as some of playful cocktail dresses in the closing section. One of the standout looks in the closing section is one of the few long skirt looks in the collection. An ankle length gray tweed skirt worn with a brushed black wool jacket with a draped front and worn belted high on the waist. This season the only color piece in the collection is a brown jacket in the opening section. They kept the collection dark and monochromatic and emphasize the detailing of the seaming on some the outerwear pieces creating a heavily tailored look.

The must have pieces from the collection is one of Aquilano and Rimondi’s outerwear pieces and the flirty cocktail dress. The must have outerwear pieces is a gray brushed wool coat which they did the seaming in slice layout creating an almost bubble shape coat. The sleeves are incorporated in the back pant of the jacket creating a shell for the coat. The must have cocktail dress is a black silk gazar dress, the skirt of the dress is covered in black ostrich feathers and the top of the dress is finished with the draping bust line in silk gazar and gather the fabric into straps. While I loved all of the outerwear pieces the absence of color in a lot of the looks is a big miss for the collection. One can only have so much black in their closet. A lot of the playful pieces in the collection really give the collection a younger look but if some of those pieces were in color it would have really complete the collection.

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The inspiration at Aigner Fall/Winter is a mold between American Sportswear and a Milanese silhouette and tailoring. The opening section is a series of dark brown palette looks. The look is a short silhouette worn with leggings or knee-high stockings. The embellishment moves from leather belts to tortoiseshell necklaces or leather appliqués on fabric to look like snake skin. One of the standout looks in this section is a simple brown linen jacket with ¾ length sleeve and the leather appliqué covering the neckline in crocodile layout. Another great piece form the opening section is a simple line dresses in brown with the top half of the dress done in rich brown leather. This dress is an essential piece and can work with other pieces from other designers.

In the second section Aigner adds more prints and shifts from the brown color palette to a navy blue color palette. The leather details are still present but the silhouette is looser. One of the standout pieces in this section is a mute navy blue silk and cotton cropped waistcoat. The coat collar and lapels are oversized and the sleeves are tailored with straight line from the neck to elbow giving the sleeve a heavy drape. Slowly Aigner adds a few red leather pieces and more prints. For the closing section he goes black and steps up the tailoring to a more dressed up look. Showing more outerwear pieces in this section and a lot of leather pieces. One of the standout looks in this section is simple black silk crepe long sleeve dress with a plunging neckline. The dress skirt is covered in a drape of black plastic discs and a matching necklace. To close the collection is a series of leather outerwear pieces.

The must have looks from the collection is a floor length brown twill gown with the bust line finished with a leather halter top loop which Aigner laced a tortoiseshell style necklace. A classic piece for Aigner but a timeless piece! The gown is one of only a few long pieces in the collection. Aigner favored a very short skirt length this season. The real highlights of the collection are the leather pieces in the third section. Overall the combination of day and evening looks is one of the strengths of the collection. The designer touches on a lot of this season’s big trends but keeps true to his sexy silhouette and emphasize on the key piece of each look. That could be a heavy outerwear piece or pieces with leather detailing. Overall I would to have seen Aigner show more leather pieces in the collection and less of the simple crepe dresses like in the black section.

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Izumi Ogino’s inspiration this season is young playful woman, short silhouettes with draped tops. Reminiscent of Marni! The first section is a series of short skirt looks and knit tops belted at the waist. The skirt length is not too short, just above the knee. One of the strongest looks in this section is a gray pleat front skirt worn with a olive green and khaki floral design cashmere knit top. The top is tailored flat on across the shoulders and bust line and belted at the waist. The second section Ogino’s dolls it up with short dresses with princess shoulders and softens the color palette. Izumi’s knits are the strongest pieces in the opening while in the second it’s the outerwear pieces. In the third section the color palette goes a little darker with a series of black looks and several gray pieces. One of the standout looks in this section is a gray v-neck sheer angora sweater with beading weaved into the knit. The sweater is embellished with his metallic butterflies and a copper sequined mini skirt. A few looks did stick out like a sore thumb from section to section. One example is the olive green and gold look in the middle of the black section, not sure if the designer did that on purpose or the model couldn’t get dressed in time.

The color palette is all over the place this season. There does not seem to be one common color through out the collection. The closing section is a mish mash of looks from the butterfly embellished knit tops, sheer cocktail dresses or metallic mini skirts. One of the strongest pieces from the collection is one of Izumi Ogino’s outerwear pieces. An orange wool and cashmere double-breasted coat worn with an orange cable-knit cashmere scarf around the neck. Another highlight of the collection are the bag Ogino showed, Simple bags that are heavily ornamented with beading, shells and pompoms and chenille cord. The references are all over the place in this collection, 60’s bell necklines, 70’s color palette’s mixed with 80’s minimalism. A little hectic! If you are looking for something long for Fall Anteprima is not for you, the whole collection is a series of short looks from the dresses to the outerwear pieces.

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Navarra’s inspiration for Fall/Winter is taken from the 60’s but the masks suggest a little Truman Capote’s black and white ball. The first section is a series of tweed looks and pieces. Mixed with knit pieces and suits dressed up masculine. A lot of black, dark gray tweeds and the only color is in the fur trims. One of the key looks using the fur trim is a black pin-strip wool skirt suit. The collar, lapels and sleeve cuff are trimmed in a brown skunk fur. The jacket and skirt are tightly tailored on the body and arm. Navarra’s silhouette for Fall is very tailored, he keeps to tapered leg pant and opts to keep his knit piece heavy like the poncho style knit top. I was not keen on a few pieces like waffled or cushion stitch leather pieces or the geometric color blocked design used on a few wool jackets and tops.

The second section is focused on a lot of heavy fabric and silhouette looks that are printed with vibrant fuscia geometric shape and plaid prints. The third section Navarra moves back to more gray and black shades and plays with combining lace and into fabric. . One of the standout looks in this section is a matching skirt suit look. A gray wool jacket and skirt with black lace detailing the jacket and skirt. The lace on skirt is used to connect the gray fabric creating a see-through affect. For the closing section Navarra moves back to a tailored silhouette and introduces an abundant number of leather outerwear pieces.

The top look from the collection is a black cashmere cable knit turtleneck dress with the with the weave knotted in the front to hold up a belt. The dress is tailored close to the body while the sleeves are loose on the arm. To finish the look Navarra showed a cable knit weave legging worn with knee high black leather boot. The strongest statement that Navarra is making with this collection is building a strong feminine image and focus on his talent for tailoring and highlighting looks with references. There are countless number of strong looks and pieces in the collection but the obvious lack of color is too obvious.

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Marani’s inspiration this season is moving back to the trend from last season. From his use of techno blue to the pencil skirt and the bubble shape. Marani did show several prints in the collection. I wished the leopard print were not in the techno blue. Most of the collection is done in a dark palette of black, gray and blue. Marani does splash some color like red, purple and silver. The opening section is strictly tailored and very Italian. Marani did loosen the pant leg on a few pieces like the silk satin tuxedo pant. One of the standout pieces in the opening section is a striking and unique piece. A mock neck blouse done in a sheer tulle fabric that has a techno blue ribbon weaved into the fabric. The top has a bell drop sleeve and worn with a black silk taffeta pencil skirt.

For the second section Angelo Marani plays with more prints, fur and loosens up the silhouette. He shows a few parka style coats but a lot of the outerwear pieces are heavily tailored. In the third section Marani get a little sexier with a lot of skin and a lot of leather and lace details. Certainly this is a very Italian collection, from the sexiness and decadent fabrics and slinky silhouettes. One of the standout print pieces in the third section is sleeveless v-neck yin-yang style giraffe print on silk. A simple piece but a strong statement for Marani, I would love to have seen him really build more on use of prints. Missing from the collection is some sort of raw femininity in the collection. Marani’s look and statement for women is severe and literal.

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Designers Giles Deacon opens his Fall/Winter collection for DAKS with all black. The looks start out structured but then he chooses to add volume here and there. Going into the second section we saw more knit details and then several chunky knit pieces. The chunky knit looks are a complete change in direction from Deacon’s opening section. From immaculate to lazy! One of the standout pieces in the second section is a black chunky knit cable knit sweater. The sweater fits more like wrap and attached to the sleeves are mittens for those cold days. For the third section Giles moves back to a tailored look but focuses on the little detailing and embellishments. One of the key looks in this section is a straight leg pant look worn with a cream wool jacket with a black and orange plaid design. The look is toped of with a black faux fur tube shrug around the shoulders and bust line.

Deacon chooses to repeat from last season trends like the bubble shape and use of ruffles. However he embraced a looser pant leg and heavy silhouette for his outerwear pieces. The theme of the silhouette is all over the place. From the long 30’s style silhouette to the volume and stiff lines of the 50’s. One of the key outerwear pieces that plays with this silhouette is the army green wool poncho style jacket worn draped around the upper body. In the closing section Deacon showed server embellished silk taffeta dresses. One of the standout pieces was a black silk taffeta long sleeve dress hemmed above the knee. The dress is covered in black sphere beads varying in size and Deacon gives the dress a dress shirt collar in the black taffeta material. The styling in the collection is really off, while there were several great pieces and standout looks in the collection. It seems like the designer was attempting to mold two small collections together to get one full collection. Deacon did show a few leather pieces in the collection but I would love to have seen more.

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Anna Molinari’s sister collection really hits the candy store with a collection rich in color. The only other place you can really find the abundance of color is at a candy store. The opening section is a series of red and black looks that Molinari adds animal prints and plaids. One of the standout pieces is dark and light stripe knit dress with the neckline of the dress trimmed with a panel of a cherry print on white silk. Slowly she moved into a palette of pinks, from pink prints to pink faux fur. One of the standout pieces in this section is magenta cashmere sweater worn with a matching magenta and gray stripe skirt and hot pink leggings.

The second section shifts towards the masculine side of Molinari, a lot of black, gray and the highlight is one of her few pant looks. One of the standout looks in this section is a matching polka-dot looks. A gray silk merino cardigan with pink polka-dots worn with a dark gray silk taffeta skirt with pink polka-dots and a hot pink underskirt and pink leggings. The closing section goes back to color with a series of dresses for evening. The highlight is the assortment of color, from blue, yellow, red and pink. Molinari keeps the skirt length short and while she only showed two pant looks in the collection she kept the pant leg loose. One of the highlight looks in the closing section is a black cashmere turtleneck sweater with short princes sleeve. To finish of the look is a bright yellow silk satin skirt with the fabric pleated around the waist.

The must have looks from the collection are two print style looks. First is one of my favorite prints from the collection, a combination print is pale pink peonies on a black and white cheetah print. The dress is a printed silk crepe shell with layers of printed silk chiffon on the skirt around neck and shoulders of the dress. The other must have look is the pink and black cheetah faux fur a-line silhouette coat with a matching purse. The collection as a whole is a great find and sell for Molinari. Some might find the decadent pairing of heavy fabrics, vibrant colors and over the top outerwear pieces, too much. This collection has so many unique and key pieces, personally I love the hot pink stockings over the red stockings, but that’s me! Bravo Madame Molinari!

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Black continues to escape from New York, another collection that is a sea of black. Although Marchiso did splash some color on the collection, only two pieces, one pink and one yellow. The inspiration this season is a more masculine woman. The tailoring is very strict from the outerwear pieces to the skirts. In the opening section she showed the looks in all black intensifying the masculine tone of the looks. Marchiso attempted to tone it down a little by using feminine fabrics like satin and crepe. She opted to keep her pant looks tapered to the leg but she did embrace the variation of length in her skirts, outerwear and dresses. One of the standout pieces in the collection is Marchiso short take on the skirt suit. A matching cropped waist jacket and mini skirt done in gray wool herringbone tweed textured fabric. To complete the look is one the unique pieces through out the collection, Marchiso’s heavy black knit stockings. Overall the strongest pieces in the collection are the short skirt looks. There were also a few great outerwear pieces, keeping with this season big trend. I would love to have seen a strong pant look or even some decadent knit looks.

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Posted by turlie at 07:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sexy, decadent, strict a lot to digest in one collection! Designer Stefano Guerriero open the Fall/Winter collection at Balizza with a lot of black. The tailoring is close and the details are the key to the looks. From fur capes, feather sleeves on patent leather jacket to the contrast of texture like the patent leather jackets with a fur collar and worn with a black taffeta dress. One of the standout leather pieces is a black patent leather double-breasted jacket with a fur trimmed wide collar. The look is complete with a black silk organdy skirt and thigh high black leather boot. One of the shocking outerwear pieces in the opening section is the black plastic safari style jacket with the collar finished in black ostrich feathers.

For the second section Guerriero splashed a little red but the looks take a little twist into a 70’s disco style Halston looks. A lot the 70’s style looks are too reminiscent of disco style trends we saw last season at Gucci and Versace. In the third section there was a shift into a few white looks but still reminiscent of the 70’s. Like the David Bowie fur section with silver patent leather and the collection shifts into overkill with a series of silver looks and finally with a series of gold and brocade looks. One of the standout Bowie looks was a white faux fur coat worn over a classic white shrug dress with a sweetheart bust line. The dress torso is draped with a purple and white silk halter-top drape. Another great piece from the collection is the hooded black fur jacket with a strong shoulder, reminiscent of the 80’s.

The strongest section is the closing section of 6 evening gowns and dresses. The must have piece from the collection is one of the evening gowns from the closing section. A floor length silver gown covered in beading and mirrored pallets from head to toe. The gown is a halter-top gown with a plunging neckline and back. The collection had several highlights but I would love to have seen Guerriero show a few more print looks and more heavily embellished gowns and dresses. The collection certainly fits into the Milanese mold of decadence and sexiness. But I would love to have seen Stefano explore a softer side to the looks, a younger side at least.

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The inspiration at Varum Bahi is a season of floral embellishments on 60’s inspired earthy silhouettes. Bahi does recycle last season bubble hems and bell shapes dresses and sleeves but his heavy embellishments are the highlight of the collection. Bahi does show several print pieces in the collection but one of the best fabrics is his weave fabric that he used on outerwear pieces and skirts. The opening section is a lot of natural color pieces including several pieces in last season metallic gold. One of the standout pieces is an earth tone version of the weave fabric on a scalloped collar jacket. The jacket lining and sleeve are done in green/orange moiré taffeta. Another great quilted fabric pieces is a classic a-line skirt done in tones of muted green/yellow/brown worn with a silk crepe draped top.

The second section has more of a decadent look, Bahi focuses on a lot of gold metallic pieces for the evenings. But some of the color combinations are little off and a few looks have too much color. Some of the top pieces are a very frumpy and over layered. For evening Bahi focused on embellishments and pairing light and heavy fabrics. One of the standout evening looks is a strapless gold dress with a brown tulle shell that is covered with pale aqua fabric flowers. Unfortunately a lot of the collection is to heavy or over draped. The highlights from the collection are some of the outerwear pieces and certainly a few of the cocktail dresses.

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For Fall/Winter 07’ designer Marios Schwab does black and more black. His silhouette is flowie and in various lengths. The inspiration is mix between a Japanese ninja and a dominatrix. Schwab showed several velvet looks but his short and embellished looks were his crowning moment. One of the standout pieces in the collection is a black silk crepe dress covered in plastic mounds in black and a blue metallic. Another strong piece from the collection is a short-layered black chiffon dress with the fabric criss-crossed around the neck. The bust line of the dress is sculpted in black plastic plated and a black leather belt around the torso. The highlight of the collection is all of the beaded and plate embellishments. I would love to have seen Schwab play more with these elements and less of the toned down looks.

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Leather, denim and knits, soft knits. This season designer Marie Elena Pino focuses on these three elements for Fall/Winter. The pants are tapered or skinny leg but Pino focuses on the detailing on the denim and leather pants. The look is a mix between Italian sexy and heavy Swedish styling. Although there were a few little details that were a little overboard like the raw sheep wool leg warmers and boots or the chunky knit scarves wrapped around the head. One the standout knit pieces was a white cashmere/angora cropped waist knit cardigan. The cardigan is collarless and has short sleeve. The front of the cardigan is a ribbed knit that is attached to the upper arm like a muscle. For her leather outerwear pieces Marie keeps the jackets tightly tailored on the torso and emphasizes the tailoring with darts of denim. One of the standout pieces in the first section is a brown leather jacket with darts of denim on the shoulders, sides and also at the bottom of the jacket. Only a handful of pieces really stood out in this collection. I would love to have seen more knits in the collection and more leather outerwear pieces.

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At the Richard Chai Fall/Winter collection he took American Sportswear and meshed it with a modern Italian tailoring. Sculpture is a key element for Chai’s design aesthetic but this season his sculpture is all over the place from the little feminine elements like a bell shape shoulder or the minimalism of a color blacked dress or jackets. The opening section is the first glimpse of a confused statement for the collection, a little America sportswear mixed with minimalism. In the second section Chai switched to masculine tailoring and emphasized feminine details like a accentuated bust line and soft textures in her knits pieces. For the third section Chai added more feminine details like embroidery on outerwear pieces, soft and shiny fabrics for the dresses. One of the standout pieces in this section is an off white wool jacket with a violet floral embroidered print on the collar, sleeves and trimming the sleeve cuff and pockets. A modern piece but Chai softens it up with the delicate embroidery and off white wool. Color is also another way Chai softened up the collection, using pale shades of white, silver and lavender. One of the best pieces in this soft color palette is the lavender and white geometric print coat. The front of the coat is double breasted with a wide Mao collar and worn with a soft white silk organza skirt.

The must have piece from the collection is the only leather pieces in the whole collection. Chai took a classic bomber jacket shape jacket with the torso elongated and the bottom of the sleeve tapered down to a bell shape. The jacket is done in a dark teal patent leather and the collar is wide set with a boxy shape neckline. The looks through out the collection fell outside of the common statement Chai was trying to achieve. The result is a mixed message collection that I would love to have seen softer pieces in the earlier party of the collection. I found that Chai got too serious in the early half of the collection and his message was lost. He was jumping to far out of the box or more importantly too quickly.

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Catherine Malandrino’s look for Fall is a lighter silhouette with an emphasis on draping and textured fabrics. She did continue her us of the bubble hem but she did focus on a monochromatic color palette like her black and white evening section. For the first section Malandrino’s color palette is very strict on each look but colorful, with bold shades of purple, fuscia and blue. One of the standout pieces in the opening section is a collarless silk chiffon a-line dress with a ¾ length sleeve. The waistline of the dress is elevated and the fabric is pleated from the waistline. The dress is detailed with large black buttons down the front of the dress. In the second section Catherine showed more knit looks and some the best pieces were the knit outerwear pieces. One of the standout pieces is a double-breasted white ribbed knit jacket worn with the collar draped around the jacket like a cape.

The must have pieces from collection are two cocktail dresses from the evening section. The must have dress is a black sheer chiffon tank-dress that has a hound’s-tooth knit design in on the chiffon. The bottom of the dress is trimmed with mirror palettes. The other must have dress is one of the great ideas Malandrino had this season the combination of the feathers with strands of beading on the evening pieces. It’s a tank dress with a mock neckline; the dress is built in layers. The collar is done in pale grey silk taffeta, bust line and torso a silk sheer toile and a band of silk taffeta on the bust. The dress is finished with skirt of the dress trimmed in tiers of pale grey ostrich feathers and crystal beading. The collection is very simple and a new takes on the classic Malandrino style. While there are a few adventure pieces in the collection, I was a little disappointed that Malandrino opted to revisit a few of last season’s trends. I would love to have seen her move forward rather than standing still this season.

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More skinny leg pants, please no more! G-Star’s Fall/Winter collection for G-Star is a little mixed up, from the toy between a tailored crop outerwear pieces or the new trend of heavy outerwear. The choice of fabrics is very limited in the collection between the mass use of denim or denim style fabrics and black leather. One of the key pieces in the opening section is a sleeveless black leather bomber jacket. The waist and shoulder are done with a ribbed elastic band. Although G-star kept the skirt and dress short the fabrication or textiles really don’t flatter the tailoring. The only two clear defining sections in the collection is the black section or the navy indigo blue section laces with non-stop denim looks.

The only strong pieces in the collection are the outerwear pieces. The must have piece is a denim style linen coat tailored a-line torso and tight tailored sleeve. It was very hard to really look past the abundant use of black and denim, which really hurt the womens collection. The mens collection gave G-Star more options. One lady could easily steal some of the mens pieces for her own; like the leather pieces or the tightly tailored tops. I am not what was really missing the mix, could color or some variance of black or indigo help. Not sure!

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The opening section at the Cynthia Vincent collection was a number of young playful looks that hints of a 40’s inspiration. Even the colors are reminiscent of the 40’s, from the dusty seafoam green, rosy mauve or muted grays. Vincent’s looks for Fall/Winter are certainly taken from a lot of the trends we have seen this season. From her super short looks, to her draped jersey pieces, she even gives a series of great knit pieces. One of the top knit looks in the opening section is the brown heavy knit cardigan that is styled like a collegiate coat. Worn under the cardigan is a muted seafoam green sheer knit turtleneck sweater that is embellished around the belly with stripe of black crystals and a pale gray velvet ribbon. For the closing section Vincent shifted her focus to a black color palette highlighted with more brown and blue outerwear pieces. One of best-knit pieces in this section is a muted blue cashmere net weave cardigan. The cardigan is tailored with a draped silhouette, from the bias draped ¾ length sleeve and the waist tied of with a matching belt.

One of the strongest and a must have outerwear pieces from the collection is a cape style trench coat reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes. The jacket is done in a cashmere/wool blend fabric with a tan silk satin lining. Another must have look from the collection is one of the few skirt looks in the collection. A pale pink silk chiffon top with a band of silver crystal beading draped down the neckline of the top. The look is finished with a tightly tailored high waisted gray wool dress skirt. The collection is very small and full of unique options. While the outerwear pieces are certainly great finds for the collection the dresses are a little puzzling. There was one print in this collection, I think if there were more prints in the collection the collection would have come alive. Overall it’s a great attempt for a strong personal statement.. Bravo Madame Vincent!

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This season the duo mold their looks between two women from the 20’s. From the sexy and savage young lady of the night to the girl who visits the salons of Paris as well as the underground clubs of Berlin. Wearing the Art! A key ideal that Jack and Lazaro design by! One could even say this collection is a dark look into “Thoroughly Modern Millie”. The opening section is a series of heavy outerwear pieces. The silhouette of the coats is form conscious with dramatic statements like the high bias collar. One of the strongest looks exhibiting this idea is the matching black silk brocade skirt and jacket. The jacket is the highlight – with it’s double breasted front to the high bias collar trimmed in faux black fur and sleeves done in waffled knit in a bubble shape. Then the designer duo took knits to a new level showing a series of knit looks. One of the best all knit looks is a olive green cashmere waffle knit matching two piece look. A cardigan with a high bias collar in a ribbed knit worn with a waffled knit dress with a button front and pockets at the hip.

In second section Jack and Lazaro give a little color but keep to the dark color palette from the opening section. They even give us one of the most striking pieces in the collection. A collarless jet-black crocodile leather jacket with a princess shape short sleeve. Also shown in this section is one of the best examples of the duos tailoring. A reworked black wool p-coat with the sleeves done in black waffle knit cashmere and black fur lining the collar.

In the evening section the designer showed a series of black and white print looks. The dresses that the duo drew inspiration from Roshack are amazing, certainly the biggest editorial pieces in the collection. The dresses are detailed with embroidery and beading and the image of the inkblot is more reminiscent of brocade style prints. One of the best pieces that exhibit this look is a sleeveless white silk crepe covered in a brocade line design running top to bottom. The lines are constructed with Swarovski crystal tubes and beads. This season Jack and Lazlo also kept their pants long and with a baggy leg. They also focused on layering, like short-sleeved jackets over long sleeved shirts and tops. One of the standout evening coats was is a brushed black wool 20’s style coat with the bias collar oversized. The sleeves are cropped at ¾ length and Jack and Lazlo trimmed inside of the collar with black knit.

The must have pieces from the collection are two of the most unique pieces in the collection. First is a new take on Jack and Lazaro’s signature band detailed bust line which they took a classic a-line dress and covered the bust line with a back of silk crinoline in the shape of knotted bow. The hem of the dress is trimmed in faux black fur. The other must have piece from the collection is one of their 20’s style coats which they did in a bold black and white brocade print fabric. The black and white brocade print is on done on silk tulle and the draped sleeve cuff is trimmed with black fur. A devastating outerwear piece and certainly one of the most editorial pieces in the collection. One thing is certain is that the duo really focused on their own voice this season leaving trends out of their collection. The only obvious trend were the hats although they opted for no gloves. My first reaction to this collection is the duo is really branching out of the safe zone. The end result is a detailed collection with an emphasis on the tailoring and reworking their classic silhouettes. More than anything this collection is a shift away from the fabrication pieces and imagery. This change is evident in their ability to mold new fabrics into new classic looks. Bravo Monsieur Hernandez and Monsieur McCollough!

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Maria Cornejo modern New Yorker is very literal this season at Zero+. The silhouette is draped and loose on the body. The opening section is a mix of day look with bundled up evening looks with a little leather popping out here and there and even some plaid prints. Another strong statement at Zero+ is Cornejo;s draped knit pieces. One of the standout pieces is smock style gray cashmere knit dress. The dress has slits in the front allowing a belt to peak out in the front. There is very little color in the collection with only three-color pieces in red and purple. A lot of the looks in the opening section are very masculine while the closing section is more feminine with prints and softer fabrics that are loosely tailored. On of the best print pieces is a simple silk satin dress worn with a cropped waist black cashmere sweater. The print is an abstract design similar to a wrinkled metallic material.

The must have look from the collection is one of Cornejo’s pant looks. A high waist black and gray tweed pant. The pant is tailored with a straight leg that is oversized on the leg. To finish the look is a black silk crepe blouse which Maria twists the fabric emphasizing the bust line. I was very please to see Cornejo loosen up her strict aesthetic in the close of the collection, but I would like to have seen more prints from Cornejo. There is only two prints in whole collection, the second print reminds me of the smudge polka-dot print I saw at Lyn Devon. One great look that Cornejo used this look is a long aviator style jacket in black leather worn with a above the knee skirt with the smudge dot print on silk taffeta and highlight by gold tones.

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More Black, but designers Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi opts to focus on volume rather than skinny black. Right from the opening section Aquilano & Rimondi showed a series of heavy bulky knits. But, is frilly black really that attractive? The second section is a short look but the emphasis is on the knit pieces. She does show a series of tailored mens pin-stripe blazer looks. This masculine tailoring shifted into the closing with a series of masculine fabrics morphed into feminine styled looks. One of the key looks in the collection is the pant which Aquilano and Rimondi opts to keep the pant leg loose and baggy. All of a sudden in the closing section the duo comes alive. The early part of the collection very constrained and closed while the closing section plays with embellishment and printed fabrics and she finally rocks it out with two killer leather pieces. As the collection progressed Tommaso and Roberto started to really find a voice. Although the bulk of the collection is in all black the detailing at the end of the collection is the highlight. I would love to have seen more prints come out in the collection earlier on. However the richness of the black and heavy detailing of the knits and fur is striking.

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Black, Black, Black and more black! The look at Phi is biker rock woman chic. I have not seen so much black during NY fashion week since the 90’s and designer Andreas Melbostad drab mood is drenched all over the collection. Melbostad opted for the short silhouette this season, showing off sexy legs in thigh high black leather boots. Karl Lagerfeld eat your heart out! The fabric combination is really interesting in the collection, from the quilted silk satin jackets with leather sleeves to the tweed miniskirt with the seaming finished in leather. I was delighted to see such a great number of leather pieces in the collection, everything from jackets, mini skirts, vest and even accessories. The opening section is a series of very short with mini skirts and dresses worn under a long overcoat or jacket. One of the standout pieces in the opening section is a black wool trench coat with quilted black leather sleeves. The opening of the jacket, lapels and color are trimmed in black leather as well. Another key look in the opening section is the layering of knits. One of the key knit looks is a faux fur jacket with gray knit sleeve worn over a printed tank dress and sheer knit button front shirt.

Melbostad choose to keep the looks this season very sexy but highlight the heavy outerwear pieces with leather detailing. The second section is play with textured layering and highlighted by a few print pieces. One of the best looks that exhibited the textured layering is the long sleeveless black silhouette jacket look. The jacket is worn over a black cashmere turtleneck sweater along with a gray tweed mini skirt layered over a black silk satin mini skirt. The “It” piece is certainly pirate style crotch length black leather boot with platform heel. For the third section it’s more prints for Fall, prints used One of the great prints in the collection is a Japanese fan style print. One of the standout print looks is a black and red button front dress worn with a black suede jacket. Melbostad’s outwear pieces may be all black but the focus is on tailoring, the sleeves are tighter and the shoulder has more volume.

The must have looks for Fall/Winter incorporates Andreas Melbostad’s great knits, heavy textures and a short silhouette. The emphasis is the leather pieces incorporated into the looks. First is one of the opening looks a cropped waist bomber jacket with black faux fur on the wide collar and the sleeves done in quilted black leather. The look is finished with a black cashmere turtleneck sweater dress over a cropped tapered leg pant. The other must have look is one of the long black suede vest jacket worn with a black silk merino turtleneck sweater and a gray tweed mini-skirt. While many designers in New York are seeing black for Fall/Winter 07’, Melbostad’s prints give us some hope. I was crazy mad about all of the outerwear pieces with the heavy leather detailing. Bravo Monsieur Melbostad!

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Designer Antonio Berardi’s Fall collection for his Berardi line is a hint of Tokyo Mod. You can take that from either the all Asian models on the runway or his strict black and white color palette. This season Berardi keeps to the skinny leg pant strays away from the oversized outerwear trend and keep his outerwear pieces very tailored to the torso and arms. The only print that he used in the collection is Windsor check from last season. The details are in the skirt, they vary in length but the tailoring and styling very strict Berardi. From the opening section the close the looks slowly become more and more edgy. Shifting from the feminine silhouettes done in masculine prints like the Windsor check and finally coming severe androgyny with biker jackets and skinny leg pants worn with boots. One of the strongest pieces in the collection is a black cashmere/wool coat. The opening of the coat is trimmed in a stripe of dark gray wool and the coat sleeves and torso are tailored tight.

The key pieces from the collection are Berardi’s outerwear pieces. The must have piece from the collection is a cropped waist black biker jacket. The message is a little lost in this collection. While I understood the whole modern mod mixed with the downtown chic. The collection fell victim to the NY curse of “the sea of the same”. Missing is the adventure or experimentation Berardi is known for! While there are several classic pieces in the collection there was only a handful “wow” pieces. Certainly Berardi could have used more leather outerwear pieces in the collection.

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Minimalism meets decadent fabrics, the contrast of texture and firmness. Designer Lyn Devon’s looks for Fall/Winter are heavily structures with touch of softness, but the lines and seaming are literal. One trend that Devon emphasized this season is the print; which she styled after 60’s geometric art prints. The first section is styled with several boxy tailored pieces and looks in very muted color palette. The only color in the collection is in the print pieces. One of the standout looks in this section is was orange and white geometric art print silk chiffon blouse worn with a tailored tight tweed pant with the pocket openings trimmed in a orange silk satin ribbon. The outerwear silhouette is loose on the body, while the pants are tailored close to the hips and butt. Devon keeps the length of the pant long while the dresses and skirts are above or at the knee. In the second section Devon drapes tops and outerwear pieces over skirts and pants creating a contrast of heavy silhouette on top of a tight silhouette on the bottom. One of the standout pieces in this section is dark navy blue turtleneck top with a ¾ length sleeve. The top is detailed with a geometric T contrast seam.

In the second section Devon shows a few prints but one of the standout prints is a black and white polka-dot print on silk. The dots are smudged creating a print that is very similar to a cheetah print. One of the key looks that incorporate this print is a silk collarless zip front top worn with a brown linen jacket. The jacket is the key to the look with a draped ¾ length sleeve and a clean tailored torso paired with no lapel. The third section moves back to a loose silhouette with a series of smock dresses but Devon focuses on the combination of fabrics as the detail of the looks. Devon also makes sure her outerwear pieces are another highlight following the heavy outerwear trend seen on the runways. One of the strongest outerwear pieces in the collection is a knee-length black wool overcoat with offset opening. The collar is done in turtleneck style off set like the coat opening.

The must have piece from the collection are complete opposites. First is the embroidered geometric shape smock top with a bias hem. Another complete look and a must have look has several key statement pieces from the collection. It’s a layered look with a black silk gazar pencil skirt worn with a zip front smudged dot print silk top under Devon’s black wool jacket with a draped sleeve and torso. Lyn Deon’s style is certainly evident in this collection. With the whole modern silhouette attributed to greats as Issey Miyaki and Rei Kawakubo. Devon’s strongest statement from the collection is her colorful and eye please prints. The only thing I would like to have seen was a few more print pieces in the collection. Overall a strong collection and a very retail collection! Bravo Madame Devon!

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How can you ever go wrong with Anna Sui, every girl today needs a little Anna in their closet. Whether it’s a t-shirt, her classic baby doll dress or a killer pair of her boots. The opening section is dark with tones of black and classic Sui purple. The statement pieces in this section are the knits along with a few leather pieces. The “it” trend is Sui’s knee high black leather boots. Anna even draws from her decadent archive of prints and textiles. Bold is really not a word to describes Sui’s eye for creating decadent looks and pieces, its more like “Alive”. One of the standout looks in the opening section is a bright blue print dress with a velvet collar and sleeve cuffs. To complete the look Sui showed a brown tweed jacket with fringe trim and buttons matching the colors in the dress print. The second section is peppered with a few color pieces but Sui keeps the color with the blue/red-blue family, with a hint of green here and there. The prints are highlight of this section especially in her knit looks. One of the standout looks is a dark olive green paisley print cashmere/wool knit hooded cardigan and matching skirt. The look is finished with a spicy orange silk satin hooded blouse.

The must have looks from the collection are from the third section. Sui moves away from the blue and into more reds and oranges. The looks were a combination of printed pieces matching with complimentary outerwear pieces in heavy velvet, taffeta or faux fur fabrics. The first must have look is the black and white news print blouse worn with a pin stripe black skirt trimmed with lace. To complete the look is a black and white wool sweater. The other must have look is the orange/blue/brown striped velvet coat worn with a brown and orange paisley print dress. To top the look off Sui had showed a boot in the same striped velvet fabric used for the coat. There are countless options in this collection, in every look. Whether it’s the gold beaded baby doll dresses or the embroidered biker boots or the matching taffeta dresses and capes. Sui’s philosophy of adding more is how to really create her look for everyday. More being the accessories, from tassel jewelry, brocade accents or even a sequined cap. This collection is most certainly one of the best outerwear collections Sui has shown in recent seasons. The pieces to watch out for are the taffeta trench coats or the ponchos and capes. Bravo Madame Sui!

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A muted and toned down flirty girl, that’s Jenni Kayne’s direction for Fall/Winter 07. Kayne focused on keeping the collection young and youthful by keeping the skirts and dress looks short. She keeps the tailoring very simple and clean and the color palette safe with a lot of muted or dark shades. The opening section is a mix of natural tones of white and brown with black and gray pieces. Jenni incorporates several big trends of the season in her collection from her prints; lightweight knits and slightly oversized outerwear pieces. The second section is all black and white with more pant and leggings looks and stronger outerwear pieces. One of the standout outerwear pieces in the second section is a black and white plaid cropped waist jacket. The jacket has a cropped short sleeve and wide collar, to finish the look Kayne showed a black pencil skirt and black cashmere cardigan. The color for evening is black, and Jenni plays with length and embellishments on long dramatic gowns. One of the standout looks was the floor-length Grecian column style black silk crepe gown. The gown is a halter-top style with the neckline done in a gold brocade fabric.

The must have pieces from the collection are two contrast pieces for Kayne. First is the empire waist dress in a brown and tan moiré taffeta print. The other must have piece from the collection is Kayne’s reworked collegiate coat into 60’s tube silhouette style. The coat is done in black-brushed wool with straight-line silhouette and short sleeves. I love how she paired the strict modern coat with a sheer embroidered and beaded long sleeve top. There were only a few leather pieces in the collection and it would have been nice to see more. The highlight of the collection is youthfulness of the design. The outerwear is another strong point to the collection. Although the trend this season is heavy outerwear, she keeps the tailoring loose, which is just enough. Bravo Mademoiselle Kayne!

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For his second ready to wear collection, Jason Wu warms up his classic glamor woman and gives her countless options. The opening section is a series of all black looks, from the outerwear piece to the cocktail dresses. One of the standout outerwear pieces in the opening section is a black wool coat with ¾ length sleeves and worn with a mustard yellow leather belt. The collar of the coat is encrusted with pearled beads. Wu touched on a few of last season’s trends like brocade fabrics and 50’s style cape jackets. The second section is a highlight of a little color, mainly red and yellow with a lot of metallic silver. The silhouettes from the opening to second sections are all over the place. No clear defined silhouette statement in the whole collection. For evening Wu only showed 6 gowns, all floor length and all draped with a romantic full silhouette. One of the standout gowns is the red silk taffeta empire waist gown. The fabrics drapes to the floor with a slight slope in the front showing off the red silk satin fabric underskirt.

The two must have pieces are from the opening section. First is a wide neck silk jacquard dress with an elbow length sleeve and pencil skirt shape with a flare at the hem. The other must have piece is a silver brocade fabric jacket. The tailoring is very simple but the silver brocade as an unique look. The look of the collection is still reminiscent of his passion in designing clothes for doll collections. Absent is his sense of adventure in creating unique pieces and looks. While the whole collection is easily a commercial success, editorially this collection might hurt Wu with very few eye please pieces.

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Millicent Roger’s American sportswear meets working woman chic is the inspiration for Julies Chaiken’s Fall collection. For the opening sections the palette is gray and white and slowly Chaiken added some color. She kept the silhouette long this season, the skirts and dresses are hemmed below the knee. One of the standout pieces in the opening section is a blue-gray wool/jersey blend dress. The tailoring of the dress is a tight silhouette, which compliments the modern minimalist look Chaiken was achieving. Unfortunately Chaiken took this tight tailoring and used it in the outerwear pieces of the collection. Although she made sure that the pant pieces were more relaxed. A lot of the pant had a baggy leg and another standout look in the opening section is a pant look, a light gray wool pant with a baggy leg pant worn with a pale gray blouse. In the second section Chaiken adds more color and continues with a long silhouette. Then in the third section she moves into a black and white palette showing various looks for evening. From oversized and draped white cashmere sweaters to the long flowee jersey gowns in yellow, red, green and the crowd favorite purple.

In the middle of the evening section Chaiken showed 4 looks that had Indian embroidery and beaded details. These looks were interesting and the detailing was beautiful, but they stood out like a sore thumb. The major statement pieces form the collection are the modern silhouette pieces which you can attribute the inspiration from even Donna Karan. The first must have look from the collection is a oversized and draped sleeve white cashmere sweater worn with heavy baggy leg black wool pant. The other must have look is gray cashmere knit sweater dress. The body of the dress is tight on the body and the sleeves are flared from the elbow. The looks for Fall are some of the most toned down looks we’ve seen Chaiken do to date. While the collection has been commented as being safe, the androgyny style of the collection is very prominent and is strong statement. I am not sure if I really grasped the idea of Millicent Rogers in the collection, rather I see more Katherine Hepburn and Donna Karan through out. The collection is very warm and full of life were as Rogers is colder and brasher. Overall this collection has an abundant number of strong pieces and looks. Bravo Madame Chaiken!

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For Fall designer Doo Ri takes on the outerwear trend of the season with a focus on complimenting her short and feminine silhouette. The opening section is probably one of the most out of the Doo Ri box moments you can get! The decadent knit pieces paired with delicate embroidery or her signature draping paired with embellishment. One of the standout looks in the opening section is a cropped gray knit jacket with short sleeves and beaded stripped color collar. The jacket is worn with a short empire waist black silk organza dress with black satin bows layered on the bodice of the dress. Another strong look from the opening section is gray cashmere knit sweater trimmed with a black lace style knit on the hem. The look is finished with a black velvet bubble shape skirt and a small fur shrug jacket.

Doo Ri used the bubble hem on several pieces which is another repeat trend. For the second section she moved back to her signature draped dresses and tops. She played with tops giving them a plunging necklines and framing the bust line with heavy beading. One of the standout pieces is a burgundy silk draped top with the bust line covered with burgundy fish scales palettes. For evening Ri kept the selection very limited. She opted to only show a handful of looks the crowning looks were two of the beaded cocktail dresses. The dress is almost reminiscent of Alexander McQueen’s empire waist holster strap dresses. Ri keeps the look toned down and focuses on her modern draping as the highlight. One of the standout looks in the evening section is a burgundy silk jersey dress with a bubble hem and the waistline moved above the breast. Ri does a contrast strap of burgundy beading and crystals.

The two must have pieces from the collection are two great editorial pieces. First is a deep purple silk satin blouse with the bust line detailed with matching purple fish scale palettes. The other must have piece is the printed burgundy and teal stripe halter-top dress. The hem of the skirt is detailed with beading and a holster beaded strap worn on top of the dress. This collection is another great chapter in the Doo Ri saga. A chapter that is moving fast and moving forward. She continues to respect the style she crafted over the past couple of years while continuing to evolve it. From her new structured outerwear pieces to the emphasis of embellishment on her classic pieces. Doo Ri’s choice to slowly evolve in the industry is evident in this collection and a wise decision. Bravo Madame Ri!

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Amy Smilovic’s inspiration for Fall/Winter 07’ is the 30’s and 40’s. A lot of the prints and a lot of the color-blocked looks really define these inspirations. The opening section is a variation of short and long looks. Smilovic kept the pants tailored with a baggy but straight leg. The highlight of the opening section is the printed silk dresses, skirts and jackets. One of the standout pieces in the opening section is the black and white peony print coat. The coat loosely tailored and the sleeves are cropped to a ¾ length. The look was completed with Versace style print silk blouse and short black skirt with sailor buttons. I did not like the Versace print used on several pieces in the opening section. For the second section Smilovic added more prints, some of the prints are very simple plaids and polka dots. The strongest prints in this section are the inspired prints like the Aztec Zigzag or the Art Nouveau on two dresses. Amy even took the prints to another level creating embroidered prints on several pieces. One of the standout pieces is a black cotton twill skirt with Dorothy Draper style floral embroidery on scalloped hem of the skirt. The embroidery is emphasized by the huge eye-lets around the bottom of the skirt.

This season Amy Smilovic didn’t go to short with the skirts, keeping them tailored right above the knee. For the closing section she got a little lost. While come of the 30’s and 40’s references are hinted here and there, Smilovic opted to repeat some of the last season’s trends like the ruffle and 70’s smocks. The key looks from this collection are all of the print pieces. While the solid color pieces and looks are feminine, Smilovic’s prints are the show stoppers. The two must have pieces from the collection are print looks. First is two toned tree print on a silk gazar dress. The other is an art nouveau print on a long sleeve silk organza dress. The floral print is used on the hem of the skirt and on the bottom the sleeves. There are several editorial worthy pieces in the collection, especially the print pieces. The only thing I would like to have seen is Smilovic abandon the whole romantic wispy look the closed the collection. Overall there are a lot of unique and strong statement piece in the collection. Bravo Smilovic!

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Modern construction with references of military detailing and of coarse a feminine silhouette here and there. At Vena Cava the opening section is a series of misguided looks, from the sleeveless pocket front dress to the bubble shape dress worn over a bell-bottom pant. The opening section is overworked and over stylized, the looks don’t compliment each other and the pieces get lost in the abundance of layering. One of the highlights from the collection is Maycock and Buhai’s choice to keep the pant leg full or baggy. On of the great pant looks is a black full leg wool pant worn with a matching black wool jacket. The second section is a little more toned down and a little more focused. The designer duo opted to stick to this season trend of short skirts and dresses but kept the evening section long. One of the standout evening pieces is a floor length silk organdy gown. The skirt is printed with a lace designer trimmed with a print of feathers.

This season Maycock and Buhai opted to only show one leather for the entire collection. This leather piece is my must have piece from the collection, a cropped collarless leather jacket, the leather-dyed honey brown. The stand out feature of this jacket is the opening that draped over the chest. This season the duo took too many trends from the last two seasons, from bubbles shapes, plaids and denim. Overall one the strongest sections in the collection is the evening section. This evening section is small and the duo moved back to some military references, but the long sleek and the long flowey silhouette fell out of the vision they painted through out the collection. Bottom line what really hurt the collection was the over styling of the looks.

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A junior collection is always the hardest because you want to catch the editor and buyers eye while still staying true to yourself and inspiration. This season Lika Volkova & Alessandro DeVito took the workingwoman dresses and focused on a draped silhouette accented by pinning. The collection was laid out in a mix match look; there was no fluid theme or inspiration in the collection. The bulk of the collection is done in a black/gray/white color palette. The only color piece in the whole collection is the last look, a yellow and gray cape and matching yellow dress. The look Volkova & DeVito tried to achieve in the collection is a soft but masculine style for women. Soft and feminine fabrics soften modern structured and tailored looks. The duo did adopt some of this season trends like a heavy outerwear piece and a full leg pant. The must have piece from the collection is a white silk organza blouse. The top is structure and pinned into layers. Being his first collection during NY fashion week, Volkova & DeVito showed he has some potential and he certainly is moving towards his own vision in this collection.

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For her Fall/Winter collection Alice Temperley hinted on androgyny mixed with feminine fabrics. The collection color palette has a modern Mondrian spectrum. The colors are blocked in each piece and the colors are clear and defined. For the opening section Temperley kept the skirt lengths short, but not too short, just above the knee. One of the standout looks in the opening section is a black-cropped tuxedo jacket worn with a really short black skirt. To finish the look Alice did a blue top with the opening and lapel of the shirt in black. The second section we see more length and more detailing. The gowns and dresses had detailing reminiscent of deco architecture style. One of the standout pieces in this section is a black silk crepe floor length gown. The bodice of the gown is done with the straps criss-crossing in a deco print.

Th is season Alice Temperley continues her use of print to really make her collection standout. This season in the third section she showed a few prints on dresses and skirts. The prints reference a deco and art Nuevo period prints. One of the strongest pieces in this section is a white silk organza short skirt with a brocade floral print in black. For the closing section Alice kept the look very dressed up but played with skirt lengths and opted to show a baggy leg pant for evening. A great trend that we will hopefully see more of in the weeks. One of the strongest evening looks was the orange silk crepe gown with the top of the gown overlaid with strands of gold ribbon and beading.

The two must have pieces from the collection are two of Temperley’s print dresses. The first dress is wide neckline dress with long sleeves. A woman arch type print covers the skirt of the dress, the sleeves and bodice. The other must have piece is poncho dress which Alice ties the waist with a black leather belt. The dress is printed with a Nuveau stripe print, which defines the fan of the fabric. Another strong point of the collection is Temperley’s great bags. Sadly she only showed only a handful of leather pieces in the collection, I would love to have seen more. Season after season Alice Temperley has really been able to continue to evolve her vision and style into a new chapter. The result is another strong collection giving us great pieces for editorial and sale. Bravo Madame Temperley!

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Posted by turlie at 07:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The mixing of the workingwoman from the 40’s with the eccentric details from the 20’s. Karen Walkers Fall/Winter collection opened with a series of day looks mixed with a lot of accessories. The tailoring is structure but Walker keeps the silhouette loose, from the baggy pant legs to the draped outerwear. Her accessories incorporated this season big trend of hats and gloves but she also showed several prints. A lot of the prints were shown in the second section. One of the standout pieces in this section is a 70’s geometric style print dress. The dress is tailored to the body with a wing shape on the shoulder. Walker also begins to layer the looks in the second section. Another standout piece in this section is a brown tweed jacket with winged shoulder and worn with a indigo blue wool pant.

For the closing section Walker repeated a few looks but focused on her outerwear pieces. One the must have pieces from the collection is the brown wool cropped cape coat. Another great outerwear pieces from the closing section are the chocolate brown organza trench coat. One of the strongest statements from this collection is how Walker barrows from the 20’s and 40’s and reshape them into modern pieces. Overall the collection is period driven but takes these pieces by themselves and they really do jump out as modern and feminine pieces. The only thing missing was a few leather pieces and it would have been great to see more prints.

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Toni Maticevski made the jump to NY fashion week after being one of the prized fighters at Sydney Fashion Week. My first impression is Toni focused on details this season, from the trim detailing on seams and delicate draping and pinning on dresses. The first section is very feminine and very short with an emphasis on a black and white color palette. The standout pieces from the opening section are jackets, jacket and more jackets. One of the strongest looks is a black twill blazer worn with black crepe pant with a draped full leg. Another strong look from the opening section is a cropped black wool jacket with fox fur draped on the collar and lapel. The look is finished with a black wool pencil skirt. The roughness of the fur pieces really pops out on the overall look.

In the second section Toni went a little crazy with emphasizing volume and structure. The peach and yellow puff dress and coat was a little crazy. The material looked like a bedspread was draped and sewn to look like a dress and jacket. For the third section Maticevski added more length and mixed a lot of sheer fabrics with heavy structured detailing. The two must have piece are from the closing section. First is a black silk crepe dress with a structured silhouette worn over a white embroidered sheer organza top. The sleeves of the top are tailored with a loose volume. The romantic shape of the sleeve is a sharp contrast to the modern silhouette of the dress. The other must have look is a floor length gown with a plunging neckline to the belly button. The skirt of the gown is a floral printed silk and the bodice is a black crepe trimmed with black leather along the neckline. The move from Sydney to New York has opened a new chapter for Maticevski. While his modern aesthetic is still alive, his selection of delicate fabrics and emphasis on detailing is what really took Toni into a new direction. Some of the best pieces from the collection are a new look for him including his new dress jackets. Bravo Monsieur Maticevski!

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Delicate, adorable and very Italian! That’s how most would describe Olivia Palermo; her collection is a whole other story. Italian modern chic in New York, does it really work! The opening section is a series of dark looks, mostly in black with a splash of blue and red. Palermo opened with several leather pieces but kept the leather pant leg tapered. The leather pieces were shown with silk tops and taffeta skirts. I loved all of the indigo blue silk taffeta pieces in this section. One of the standout pieces is a high waist indigo blue taffeta skirt worn with a gray silk dress shirt. The second section is a series of pant looks and more knee length skirt looks. Palermo keeps her pant leg loose this season and I loved the gray and black silk satin pants with the high waist, no more low-rise pants! The evening section is darker with an emphasis on a full silhouette complemented by sheen fabrics, beading and more ruffles. One of the standout color looks in the collection is red top and skirt. The top is short sleeve mock neck shirt with sleeves and mock neck done in red lyrex and the body of the shirt done in a red synthetic taffeta. The skirt is another red high waist skirt done in read silk taffeta.

The must have pieces are two skirts; first is one of the closing skirts. A black crepe skirt with vertical lines in black sequins and beading and brown satin ribbon. The other must have skirt is one of the black leather skirts from the opening of the collection. It’s a high waisted skirt with an a-line silhouette worn with a lyrex and silk satin top. The key looks from the collection are all the leather pieces paired with strong pieces like taffeta tops or wool outerwear pieces. While Palermo’s use of last seasons ruffle is the only downside to the collection. Palermo presented a strong collection of key pieces for a woman today and tomorrow. Bravo Madame Palermo!

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Posted by turlie at 07:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Erik Hart’s inspiration this season melting black with a number sculpted pieces on the body. He did make the mistake of trying to throw in a few repeat trendy pieces like bubble shape sleeve jackets and dresses. He did show several outerwear pieces but tailored tightly on the arm and body. His womens collection is small this season and only a few standout pieces jumped out of the collection. He fluctuated the skirt length and kept pant legs loose. One of the standout pant looks is black wool baggy leg pant worn with an off-white dress shirt and suspenders. Another key piece from the collection is a gray wool “member’s only” jacket, which he reworked. Compared to its male counterpart, the womens collection certainly falls short this season. It would have been nice to see Goot play with his silhouette, loosen it up and relax the tailoring.

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Structured minimalism with an emphasis on the body! In short, body hugging and black, more black and a lot more black! What really jumped out is the abundant number of leather pieces in the collection. The opening section is a series of stretch wool pieces. The emphasis is on sexy silhouette and emphasized by little details like leather trim on dresses and jackets. One of the standout pieces in this section is a black knee length tank dress with strips of the black leather running horizontally down the dress. The second section has more leather pieces including jackets, shirts and tank tops. One of the standout pieces in this section is a cropped waist bomber jacket. Goot used a textured black leather for the jacket and the trim is done is black suede.

For the closing section Goot moved back to all black knit pieces. Everything is done in a light knit fabric, from the jackets to the tanks and dresses. One of the key dresses from the collection is the black jersey knit dress. The fabric around the bodice is treated creating a sheen on the fabric. Another key combination from the collection is Goot’s black knit tank worn with a black wool jacket. You can see some references from Donna Karan and even Azzadiene Aliah. The simplicity of the collection is one of the high points. The whole collection is done in all black with the texture of the fabrics the key design feature throughout the collection.

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Designer Atil Kutoglu revisits some of top trends from the last 4 seasons for Fall 07. Starting with electric blue, brocades, metallic and even velvet fabrics. In the opening section she opened with 3 electric blue leather pieces. The operable word being leather, which is a big trend from Fall mens and hopefully for womenswear. One of my favorite pieces was a leather pencil skirt in black. Length is a key theme in the collection; Kutoglu plays with length from the opening section a little longer and shorter in the second section. With the short length Atil focuses on draping velvet and metallic fabrics. One of the standout pieces in this section is a floor length strapless gown done in a geometric shape and line velvet fabric. For the third section Kutoglu crosses sophisticate silhouettes with bold and sexy fabrics. Some looks are gold or silver but the standout looks were done in sheer black fabrics. One of the standout pieces in this section is the floor length black organza gown with a black silk taffeta sachet around the waist.

One of the show stopping pieces in the collection is not a dress or gown. It’s a fur coat, now I am not a big fan of fur, but this coat is flawless. Tailored in 30’s broad shoulder shape and done in black mink. The coat has broad shoulder and sleeve while the body of the coat is tailored close. To top the look off Kutoglu tied the waist off with a wide black leather belt and a pair of red patent leather high heel. Missing in the collection is a sense of adventure outside of the whole Herrera and De la Renta style. There were a handful of striking pieces in the collection but the repetitive pieces from past season were too distracting. Kutoglu has an eye for a styled woman but he really needs to experiment outside of the standard pieces people expect from a collection.

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Posted by turlie at 08:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)