New York Fashion Week: Part 2

Following on from Saturday’s post, here’s my second installment of some of the highlights from New York Fashion Week. AW11 is shaping up to look pretty damn fabulous so far and with each new show the big picture continues to grow.

Adam

There was a rustic prairie feel at Adam with woven ponchos, chunky knit jumpers and the heavy presence of lumberjack check fabric. But rather than looking undone, the overall look was pulled together by super sharp tailoring in the form of low slung wide leg trousers or kick flare pencil skirts that stopped just below the knee – a key length for AW. Sheer delicate lace tees provided the perfect contrast for heavy checks and masculine tailoring – they promise to be a must have for next season.

Altuzarra

Following Vena Cava’s grunge-glam show, the nineties was again the decade of reference at Altuzarra. Here the look was definitely more glam than grunge, with models sporting the redest of red lips and slick-back hair for a look that was injected with sex. Fur trimmed parkas were slung over slinky satin slips and barely-there floral dresses on models that emulated the likes of Ms. Moss circa 1994. Chunky knit jumpers were worn casually over dresses, revealing provocative thigh high splits, while sheer vests were layered suggestively under grungy outerwear.

Derek Lam

Outerwear was key at Derek Lam with everything from ultra long ponchos and boxy overcoats, to tailored pea-coats and utility style aviators taking centre stage. The palette moved from a pop-y sixtites sky blue, orange, navy and red to a much more tonal collection of khaki, grey, black and nude. The finale showcased a handful of ultra soft and flowing chiffon dresses – a delicate contrast to the hard-wearing demands of AW daywear.

Prabal Gurung

Karlie Kloss looked every inch the ravished damsel as she walked down the runway in the red shoulder baring dress from Prabal Gurung. This sense of undone glamour underlined Gurung’s show with evening dresses that stopped short of looking too beautiful. One manifestation of this idea was the short black gloves paired with each look – a hint at the darker element of this kind of unfinished beauty. His reference point, Dickens’ faded and forgotten Miss Havisham was played out in a way that refused to become a cliché (there were no sepia-toned veils here), and was a subtle and seductive interpretation of forgotten glamour.

Victoria Beckham

Mrs. Beckham’s collection of futuristic fashion was a welcome departure from the fitted cocktail dresses of seasons’ past – although I still counted a few. Bold orange-reds and canary yellows worked well against more muted tones of grey and maroon, but what really stole the show was the accessories. A super-sized tote in contrast mixed-material and a bright boxy retro feel handbag added interest to sometimes-sparse looks. One look featuring a draped neckline and three-strand belt was particularly chic.

Alexander Wang

Alexander Wang gave us the sexy, slick bad girl of fashion in a show dominated by black and punctuated with flashes of bare thigh. Strips of material from a deconstructed satin-look skirt swished down the catwalk in a manner that was anything but soft, and a fur trimmed biker worn with low slung leather trousers gave a new, edgier feel to last winter’s biker chic. Wang stepped up his game once more this season, with premium touches such as a plush quilted lining to a parka-come-poncho and the delicate mixing of styles in a tuxedo jacket with puffa sleeves.

Come back later this week for more round-ups from New York Fashion Week…