The first week of this fashion filled month has come and gone as New York Fashion Week closed with Marc Jacobs’ show on Friday. A little bit of everything found its way onto one runway or another – even a cat was used as an accessory this season. Here are five of NYFW’s most buzzed about shows:
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Jason Wu:
Jason Wu just can do no wrong. After dressing the First Lady for her second Inaugural Ball, he puts out another stunning fall collection. This season’s palette was mostly black, white, and red all over (with a few other colors thrown in here and there, one being a gorgeous cobalt blue finale dress) with lace-on-plastic giving a number of pieces an extra special something. The added textural elements of fur accents, ostrich feathers, and pleats enhanced the chic and sophisticated garments, while it is only a matter of time until the two striped, knit and sheer tops find their way onto fashion editors.
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Alexander Wang:
Every season, Alex Wang is always a talking point. This season there are two talking points. Firstly, he will be showing his first collection for Balenciaga come Paris Fashion Week. Secondly, he accessorized his models with bulky, boxing-inspired, shoulder length, black fur gloves. And it was fantastic. The idea being widely reported is that Wang’s boxing gloves were a statement to say he is ready to step into the Balenciaga boxing ring and face the fashion fight. Genius. As for the collection, it was almost entirely comprised of outerwear. Mohair jackets with broad, structured shoulders and leather bombers with fur sleeves were standouts.
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Prabal Gurung:
The military-inspired Prabal Gurung closed his show with a leather harness layered over a flowing, silk gown to complete a collection that was hard-meets-soft at its finest. Many of the looks featured cinched in waists, and if Gurung has his say, voluminous peplums will continue to be around for fall. The military influence was apparent in the color palette, which was mostly comprised of navy and olive green. Pieces a little less combat-ready were the dresses in the latter half of the show, made of silk, they included cutouts and asymmetrical draping, but if ever fighting in a fashion-war, those looks would surely end up victorious.
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Rag & Bone:
This season, the British duo of Rag & Bone stuck to their unmistakable design aesthetic that is just so, well, British. The entire collection (which evoked a “1960s in England” vibe) had houndstooth and plaid printed knits and outerwear that will no doubt be staple pieces this fall, while a nod to mod was apparent through the A-line mini dresses and color blocking of rich plums and bold oranges to contrast the heavy use of black and grey. As always with Rag & Bone, it is the styling that is heavily praised, and it is no different with this collection of ready-to-wear that is truly ready-to-wear. If in six months girls everywhere are strolling the streets in tweed jackets and quilted leather pants a la the show opener, it should come as no surprise.
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Altuzarra:
Another one of fashion’s young It-designers, Joseph Altuzarra’s fall collection was much more subdued compared to seasons past. Where he once paired slinky slip dresses with parkas and fur-embellished footwear, he now opted for sleek leather dresses and perfectly tailored skirts. The collection relied heavily on black and white for its palette, but did include pops of orange (as turtlenecks layered underneath white tops) and forest green (used for two pieces – a studded skirt and dress). Like his famous designer friend Alexander Wang, Altuzarra also showed oversize fur mittens on the runway, but also used the striped black and white fur in vests and jackets, two components of the collection that are turning out to be fashion industry favorites.
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Honorable Mentions: Proenza Schouler, Rebecca Minkoff, Chado Ralph Rucci