The fashion world is buzzing right now since every fashionista's attention is geared towards the streets and catwalks of NYC, London, Milan and Paris, where the next it-things can be found.
I love fashion because it looks into the past for inspiration but it's never a stale, immobile thing. Fashion always looks ahead, no matter where the inspiration comes from. It is always evolving and challenging our notions of beauty, our aesthetic and worldview. These past few seasons fashion has made great use of previous decades, the 70s and 90s especially, but it's always in a new, redefined sort of way. We are going through some dark times I feel and we need to find a little refuge in the optimism and comfort of the past so we can face the future.
As a general observation after following the designers' shows closely (via vogue.com, that is) I can say that there weren't any big surprises there. Most designers stayed true to themselves and delivered what their customers ask for.
My favorites this time around aren't that different from previous seasons, since I tend to favor certain designers over other ones, although I do try to stay as impartial as I can - which is quite the challenge for me. I was also very keen to tap into the young designer pool and take a look at their promising offerings in hopes of finding my next new favorite designer.
Let's start:
Altuzarra
Okay it's no secret that I love Altuzarra and what he has to offer. His sexy, elegant clothes hold a dear place in my heart. This collection felt even more elevated than his previous Fall one, maybe a bit more mature and grown-up, less provocative but still enticing. There was an easy elegance in his latest offering that seems to be what people ask for these days. The use of print was phenomenal and the embellished gowns were truly a sight for sore eyes. He's undoubtedly turned out to be one of the strongest contenders in NYFW.
Creatures Of The Wind
Honestly I hadn't really paid this brand enough attention and I was very wrong not to. This collection was modern, vivid and sexy in a subtle way. The flared cropped pants, the red leather pencil skirt and the key-hole blouses are certainly pieces I'd wish to wear right now if I could. A denim midi dress layered over a 3/4 sleeve navy top also made a lasting impression and it's definitely the sort of look we'll be seeing more of.
Delpozo
I do admire the Delpozo brand for that dreamy aesthetic they deliver, but this time creative director Josep Font outdid himself. The clothes looked like real works of art, they were fun and whimsical, like visual poetry. The most beautiful color combo of them all is the blush and bright canary yellow, which was also spotted on the Creatures Of Comfort show. The real winners for me though were the oxblood numbers - truly breathtaking.
Michael Kors
Michael Kors' show is always highly anticipated and deservedly so. His Fall 2016 show was an ode to the 60s but always with his inimitable touch. Streamer-hemmed dresses and skirts swayed beautifully as the models walked while sequined flared pants gave disco a new, updated meaning. In other words, Kors is dressing us the way we want to dress in 2016.
Proenza Schouler
PS is always the brand that ends up on my favorites list, even if they conjure up the craziest looks. This time though things didn't get that crazy, in fact everything felt more polished up than before. Maybe that has to do with the designer duo's desire to go down a more put-together route as opposed to their ripped-apart, deconstructed designs during last season. They did not fail: the kooky element is still here but in a less obvious manner which ultimately results in more wearable and practical clothes. I'm really loving this thematic and the looks that stood out to me most were a lace up midi flared skirt paired with a ribbed grey high neck blouse and the cross-shoulder bags. McCollough and Hernandez are really defining what's cool right now.
Rodarte
The Mulleavy sisters have truly wowed me during the last few seasons. Their Spring/Summer, Stevie Nicks-infused collection was a revelation and this one here was no exception. The clothes are dreamy, fairy-tale-like yet sultry. Their maximalist approach could easily fail in less apt hands but they have mastered it artfully. Shaggy colored blocked fur, intricate lace patchwork, neck belts and ruffled gloves made for a satisfying collection.
J. Crew
While this is a highly commercial brand, it was more inspiring and flavorful than plenty of others. The explosion of color was very satisfying and the heavy use of pink didn't feel kitchy - at least not in a negative way. It's pretty obvious that Alessandro Michele's new Gucci has had a huge impact on fashion right now and I love seeing it translated into affordable, practical, streetstyle-candy type of garments. Every item on the collection earned a spot in my heart and my wishlist. Yay for color in the wintertime.
The ones that fell short:
Alexander Wang
Unfortunately Alexander Wang's collection did not impress me. While the clothes are very sellable, they're not as edgy or as envelope-pushing as his previous offerings. I might be one of the few to notice this, but this time I felt like the 'cool' factor was a bit try-hard and a bit too obvious - cue the weed printed skirts and excessive use of logos on everything. It wasn't a bad collection, but despite his attempts at 'young, hip and cool', it was far tamer than what we've seen from him in the past.
Milly
While the outerwear was beautiful, the Fall '16 collection was far from exciting, in my eyes at least. The turtlenecks were desperately trying to make crop tops wearable for winter but the result wasn't as impactful. The whole thing felt like something we've seen over and over from the brand and I expect more.
Jason Wu
Wu's latest assortment came as an unpleasant surprise to me. I've adored his previous work and whenever anyone asks me about my favorite designers he's always the one that comes to mind first but this time although the clothes maintained that classic femininity and elegance that he's known for, they felt uninspired and stale. Yes, there were some pretty dresses here and there and nothing was particularly bad, but yet nothing was great either. Till next time, I guess.
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