The New York Fashion Week kicked things off with in a big way. Celebrities like Kanye West and Rihanna debuted collections, and Lady Gaga walked the runway for Marc Jacobs. However, even stars like those cannot outshine the presentations of fall 2016’s ready-to-wear collections by some of fashion’s biggest names.
At Proenza Schouler, the styling relied on imbalanced proportions like oversize trousers and fitted waist-length coats over longline tops. Diagonally buttoned vests added structure to otherwise unstructured looks of flowy garments.
The collection as a whole played with the construction, or deconstruction, of the garments as stitching and laces ran throughout the collection as a detail on everything from knit dresses and vinyl bomber jackets, and relaxed fit bandage dresses came down the runway with layered strips of fabric loosely hanging off, bouncing with every step of the model.
Minus a few pops of orange, the color palette was subdued. Standout textures were the lightweight knits that were featured heavily in the collection, as well as the oversized shearling collars on outerwear pieces, like patchwork fur coats and camel-colored leather.
This season, Alexander Wang put out a collection that stayed in the realm of what is to be expected of Alexander Wang.
Looks from the fashion favorite are all about attitude and the styling of typically very wearable pieces, and this collection was just that: wearable. The clothes themselves, both men’s and women’s, were in essence very simple. Wang showed leather slip dresses and camisoles layered under chunky coats and paired with sheer tights.
Pastel sweaters with the silhouette of a pole dancer and various slogan pieces were not only memorable, but will surely sell, as will the marijuana print jacket, skirt and camisole. Wang’s aesthetic was a grungy, street-style inspired look blogs and buyers will go crazy for.
Over at Altuzarra, prints dominated the collection. There were stripes and paisleys and florals in rich plums and navies, all presented on thin-strapped handkerchief dresses layered over long sleeved tees or fitted blazers paired with midi skirts.
One of the more notable looks from Altuzarra was not one of these tailored looks, instead it was the finale dresses. Maxi handkerchief dresses appeared earlier in the collection as a look leaning towards daywear, but designer Joseph Altuzarra reimagined them in sequins to close the show, showing how the “Altuzarra girl” transitions from day to night.
Finally, there was Marc Jacobs, who had not only one of the most talked about shows thanks to Lady Gaga, but his collection of voluminous goth queen-slash-period piece attire mixed with a few conventional touches made it a must see. There were oversized hoop skirts with striped tights and supersized platforms, and coats so big they looked like they could swallow the models whole.
Looking at pieces individually, there were plenty of items that could make it out on the street. A leather jacket with fur shoulders and velvet wide-legged trousers will surely be spotted in stores this fall, and don’t be surprised if you see oversized bows, a design detail Jacobs used often, embellishing the next crop of winter coats.
What will be trending after New York Fashion Week…
Dark clothing
One of the most popular trends throughout NYFW was very dark clothing. A lack of color was noticeable within several collections including Rihanna’s FENTYx Puma collection, and Proenza Schouler’s show.
Grunge-inspired clothing
Alexander Wang’s collection is filled with looks inspired by the ‘90s music scene, including pastel sweaters, various slogan pieces and a marijuana print jacket.
Prints
Prints dominated the collection at the Altuzurra collection with stripes, paisleys and florals, and models at the Marc Jacobs show also wore print fashions.
Gothic pieces
Marc Jacobs had one of the most popular shows of the week, and featured a lot of gothic and period pieces, but Jacobs was able to modernize the look to be more wearable after New York Fashion Week.