New York Fashion Week - Days 3,4 & 5A little because I’m lazy, a little because I

New York Fashion Week - Days 3,4 & 5A little because I’m lazy, a little because I was really tired these days after my mother came to Milan to visit me - sightseeing with someone who doesn’t know the city where you live in can be a very stressful experience - I delayed my review for New York Fashion Week, and now I’m here to get you through day 3,4 & 5 - and hopefully tomorrow there will be the remaining three days and the first day of London Fashion Week!Day 3What better way to start a new day in New York, the most commercial of the four main fashion weeks, with a very commercially appealing brand? Lacoste (photo 1) sent some models down the runway wearing sweaters with ‘René did it first’ written on them. And it’s true, René Lacoste was the first one, in the 30s, to give sportswear a sporty look without losing the elegance of formalwear. I found it incredible how successfully for this collection they managed to merge tracksuits and trench coats together, or pinstripe suits and polo shirts. Flawless under every aspect.A brand which I always like for its sophisticated vibe is Noon by Noor (photo 2). This time, though, it was not polished as usual, or extremely feminine as I’m used to, but I was glad for this collection because it was experimental - at least for such a brand. I was happy to see that there are brands which still know it’s important to question their aesthetic and to take a breath of fresh air. The last part of the collection reminded me of the good old signature style of the brand, made of jewel appliqués and flowing silk.Dion Lee treated his clothes like puzzles given by stripes of fabric in which the constant peek-a-boo of naked skin was the super sexy element giving brightness to the general atmosphere. Max Azria with his line Hervé Leger opted again for a structured aesthetic translated into dozens of different - sexy - ways. I didn’t like the fact there was not any variety of length - all the dresses were higher than the knee, and this made it a little bit repetitive.Alexander Wang went for total black, and no one knows how much I would have liked to see a nice total black collection, but I was highly disappointed. There was nothing of the activewear wave he surfed for the past collections. Of course it’s fine to evolve as a designer, but I would prefer some time to transition from one design aesthetic to the other, instead of making such rapid changes. That was a no no.For Altuzarra collection there were all the predictable elements of sexiness: sheer lace, leather, form-fitting dresses. Yet, it wasn’t predictable, it was instead sophisticated and seductive. Every woman wants to be like the woman depicted by Altuzarra, that’s sure.Another total black collection was shown on the third day, this time by Alexandre Plokhov. Very strong but still feminine, my favourite elements were the strapless dresses and the draping on many of the silhouettes. If you want an example of wearability and effortlessness at the same time, take a look at CG collection (photo 3). Menswear suits were a little bit shrunk down to give them a more feminine appeal, mini-skirts were decorated by ruffles, all the colours were very earth-toned, with brown, beige, a little bit of pale ochre - and yet, they looked so bright.Isa Arfen was one of the few doing minimal who managed to catch my attention. Loved the wide range of fabrics - wool, lurex, faux fur - and I was amazed by the peek-a-boo pieces paired with simple plain shirts. So nothing and so everything.I didn’t expect I would like Rosetta Getty’s collection (photo 4) so much. There was only a little number of pieces, all of them with a strong 70s vibe, in earth-toned colours and laid-back attitude. Yet I was struck with curiosity for the innovation I could see in shapes and cuts as well as in the modified proportions of many looks.Day 4Ranfan went for coat as the hottest choice for winter: furs, maxi silhouettes, trench. I wished I could see more of that juxtaposition of beautiful colours I so much loved in some of these looks: sky blue, white and tangerine, all together, all extremely bright and beautiful in their difference.Donna Karan for her young collection DKNY used very graphic colours, with layers of clothes in contrasting tones building a harmony of style. But a real showstopper - surprisingly- was Custo Barcelona collection (photo 5). This time the brand totally nailed it. Even if the collection had a really big number of pieces walking down the runway, and so the risk of losing the main theme was really strong, the fil rouge that tied together all the looks was clear throughout the show. Structured pieces following and accentuating the lines of the body and at the same time manipulating the woman body’s shape, that was the strong point of the entire collection. I particularly likd the raglan sleeves giving the shoulders a sort of 80s attitude which I see as more and more fashionable. Amazing the flamboyant prints, signature of the brand.Victoria Beckham sported her usual minimal style, but this time I found it too dark maybe, while Public School showed its urban style canceling all the differences between menswear and womenswear.70s style will be strong for the next season as well, we understood that, and Derek Lam (photo 6) nailed the trend with an ultra-sophisticated attitude. All the pieces were perfectly structured, the trench coats were immaculate in their construction, the bell bottoms were never too large, colours were measured.Simple is a word you would never associate with a brand such as Hood by Air (photo 7), but that’s it: it was much simpler than usual, cleaner, more polished. The brand is growing up, it’s becoming adult, so it’s changing, but it’s still strongly recognisable. Colours were reduced to minimum, white, nudes, black. Outfits were not too busy, and there was even space for smarter pieces of clothing.Yigal Azrouël played with the juxtaposition of lines, both in the materials, with checks and criss-crossing tweed, and in the construction lines, in the shape of the pieces themselves. Porsche Design (photo 8) was strong as usual. The collection was developed in basically two colours: total black and total nudes, with the exception of some grey piece in the middle. Loved the silhouettes, accentuating the waist, and the knitted leather.Thakoon unveiled a collection where the interesting elements were so many that I didn’t know where to start reviewing it. In general the attitude was easygoing, the pieces were simple, made interesting by knots, criss-crossing, juxtaposition of different types of materials. A brand that is becoming bigger and bigger among fashion experts is definitely Opening Ceremony (photo 9). This time the two designers decided for a strong 70s attitude with a younger and fresher take on it. Flares were high-waisted, to the ankle, giving the impression of extremely long legs, an impression enhances by the use of oversize tops. The accessories were simply amazing, especially the shoes. To finish the day, Tracy Reese (photo 10) was part of that group of designers who went very graphic, offering an extremely wide range of pieces among which to choose - they know how to satisfy every taste.Day 5Tommy Hilfiger, after so many years, still has an appeal for cheerleaders - or better, he still is inspired by them. But this time they were definitely luxurious cheerleaders whose uniforms are made of fine leather and soft velvet, girls who follow fashion and know how to be cool in the streets wearing oversize baseball tracksuits and bombers. Another very American designer follows, and of course we are talking about Donna Karan, with her main line. It shone with New York lights: there was the black of the city at night, the gold of the blinding lights, the boldness of the New York typical career woman wearing clothes that fit her strong personality.Vivienne Tam had a collection were many little elements were the really interesting part - I wished I could see more of that lace decorating many of the garments, or, especially, that beautiful fabric looking like a piece of silk Chinese tapestry adorning many of the first gowns. I appreciated, though, the fact the silhouettes were kept simple when using such heavy decorations.Oudifu is a brand from China, and yet in this collection there were elements coming from everywhere but China: front panels and lace looking like inspired by Indian sacred icons; monogram digitally stylised symbols; optical multicoloured patterns; urban cool style, totally Western. Talking about prints, it’s obligatory to mention Alice+Olivia (photo 11) which completely won me over with the best prints of the season so far.The Row by the Olsen twins was in some way more serious than usual, even if you can obviously see the signature aesthetic made of oversize shapes and soft comfy materials. This time the palette was less 'indie’ and more 'professional’ - not sure an oversize buttonless coat worn with slippers can be defined as professional - an attitude confirmed by the venue: the Seagram Building, designed by the architect Mies Van Der Rohe. The Olsen twins continue to create magic and are definitely among the celebrities who successfully brought something smart and unique into the fashion world.I swear I have tears in my eyes while writing this, it feels stupid but this is what happens when fashion really touches you like art does. If you happen to read my blog from time to time, you know that Thom Browne (photo 12) is my favourite designer, so I can’t really be unbiased when looking at one of his collections. The fact is that his creativity goes so much beyond whatever you can imagine, that it’s impossible not to fall in love with what he does and not getting excited when looking at his new creations. I didn’t like this collection as much as I liked his past ones, yet I recognise the masterful quality of the details and the amazing concept behind it. It was mourning, again, which inspired Thom for this new season, and for this reason he went for a total black collection. Yet, the white figures standing up in the background gave the impression of watching a black and white movie. But apart from this, the clothes were anything but old: they mimicked old, maybe, but this was the most contemporary and accessible collection created by Thom Browne yet. There was a sort of Chanel vibe to many pieces - look at the raw edge of some of the jackets, or at the tweed used in some other pieces - and black was not used in a plain fashion: it was kind of three dimensional, with shades - 50 shades of black? - giving detail to every single element of the clothes - the buttons, the zippers, the seaming and the ruffles. Masterpiece, as usual.Adeam showed how to go very dark and still keeping a feminine attitude, while Zoë Jordan borrowed clothes from the male wardrobe and reinvented them in an androgynous style. Loved the white biker jacket and the dégradé long blazer.A very strong pop of colour in 70s style came from Karen Walker, who offered very different options keeping it cohesive. Rag & Bone displayed a strong collection where different style were put bravely together. Silk night gowns were paired with trousers and quilted windbreakers, black was mixed to acid colours and lurex and leather met in more than one look.xxx -- source link

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