Rodarte Catwalk Fashion Show New York FW2011

Like a breath of fresh air brought in from a meadow, Kate and Laura Mulleavy’s autumn/winter 2011-12 collection for their label Rodarte was a moment of quiet grace in a maddening world.

This season, set in a clinically white gallery filled with neon light sculptures, the Rodarte archetype – with her windswept hair – continued her mystical journey in and around nature. This time, the sisters focused on the pastoral imagery of the Great American Plains. It made for one of their more serene and straightforward collections, and that means they can give their label commercial strength too.

The clothing had strong ties to the prairies and pioneers, with long sun-dresses in flaxen, muted gold and sky blue. Often these sheaths were worn with equally long coats. Other looks were familiar from last season, like the high-waisted pants and blouses of intersecting panels of fabric. The sisters evoked early American settlers with colonial pony-skin aprons and cinched waists over A-line skirts. Fabrics had a handmade look and feel, such as boucle wool, rough-hewn wools, floral and guipure laces and mohair knits. The season’s geometrics came in Amish quilt motifs, seen in the sweaters and  tops (patchworked from leathers and pony hair) as well as the tough, tribal-looking footwear with Native American beadwork. Dresses, with their slight bishop sleeves and prairie vibe, looked chic, while the floor-sweeping coats  featured the occasional cutout and crisscross straps for visual intrigue.

The draped silk goddess gowns looked simply beautiful and highlighted their theme literally. They all featured a sky and wheat field scene in various hues, depending on the time of the day.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Catwalk Fashion Show New York FW2011

There was a forties meets seventies feeling in the collection of Marc Jacobs’ second line, Marc by Marc Jacobs. What that translated into was a primmer, nerdier version of the Seventies, but with Jacobs’ vibe. This came across in the glassy, polished blouses and dresses that left practically everything to the imagination. This was not a sexy collection, nor was it sexless, it just maintained a more professional, adult mentality. The chunky knits, effortless dresses and sizable pants in muddy fall colours of orange and brown had a thrifted, serious quality to them. It somteimes reminded of Annie Hall. Also attractive was the Navajo-style ethnic prints on jackets and a long poncho.

This was a very commercial and dressed collection, but done in a casual way. Elegant dressing the easy way. Don’t we all want that?

Thom Browne Catwalk Fashion Show New York FW2011

Thom Browne’s first proper show of his women’s collection was a special kind of spectacle. He transformed the New York Public Library into a church with a convent’s worth of models dressed like nuns. Finally Browne found a way to mix his Catholic upbringing and his fascination for uniforms. His nuns marched in covered up except for the gigantic fake eyelashes peeking out from beneath their habits. One by one the girls were liberated from their cloaks by a pair of altar boys, only to reveal clothes that were the real cross to bear.

Underneath there were elements of Browne’s menswear vocabulary: checks, extreme proportions, difficult layering, and an absolute upending of red-white-and-blue tradition. Browne encased each woman in ultra-stiff, tailored layers done in exaggerated proportions with a preppy, varsity theme. There were shrunken suits in mismatched plaids,  blazers with giant peplums and layered maxi coats with shirttail hems, some of which will be wearable once the look is dismantled.

There was absolutely no sex in this collection, restriction was everywhere: the models walked without moving their arms, turtlenecks were pulled up over their mouths, and molded bubble skirts and tops looked about as comfortable as a straight jacket. That seemed precisely the point. One of the finale looks actually included a skirt made out of a cage of red and blue ribbon.

Donna Karan Catwalk Fashion Show New York FW2011

Donna Karan loves to work with contradictions. Masculine-feminine, natural and urban, soft and rough, satin and fur. She continued last season’s pale palette, now  pearl gray and taupe instead of ivory-beige.

As for the clothes, except two pairs of high-waisted draped jersey pants, Karan showed dresses, skirtsuits, and coats, along with a few filmy blouses with draped necklines that sometimes doubled as head scarves. Every look, without exception, had a nipped waist. Karan was at her best in terms of cut, decorating the clothes not with extra stuff but with elegant drapes and folds. One dress was tucked on a soft diagonal and wrapped in front; another fell into a gently  cowl. The jacket of a slim suit had sleeves that tapered from wide, puffed shoulders. Another big hit of this collection were the shearlings and coats.

Often the looks were accessorized with flowing chiffon headscarves worn with a mysterious air of the runway variety, exquisite pearl necklaces and long gloves with deep, dramatic fur cuffs.

Marc Jacobs Catwalk Fashion Show New York FW2011

It was all about polka dots and  looking polished at Marc Jacobs. Again, but now two decades later Marc Jacobs decided to use his favorite print again. It was a big step from his YSL/Seventies inspired spring-collection, but the designer couldn’t care less. He told WWD he’d thought about all things he’d done in the past and what he’d loved. He ran through all of his collections and presented his description of classic. From the trompe l’oeil to the polka dots to the glam collection that had the rubber, and the sweats that he’d done, all those crazy American classics. He just wanted to have fun.

We’re familiar with his mood-swings now, so it’s goodbye to gentle fluidity and hello to an austere line that was sliver thin and had a couture-like precision but also a girlish charm. The dots came small, medium and large; matt and shiny; flat and 3D and in an various fabrics: prints and embroideries, rubber and pailettes, fur and fake fur. Often Jacobs started with a white shirt as a first layer under  a boxy sweatshirt or curvy jacket over slim, sexy skirts. He also showed  sweaters, a men’s coat,  sailor pants and romantic lace dresses detailed with  jabots.

As for accessories, spotted socks, mini-berets and a range of slush-busting snow boots completed the collection. Plus handbags in vibrant car-paint.

Thakoon Catwalk Fashion Show New York FW2011

When designer Thakoon Panichgul was doing research for his new  collection, he observed similarities between the costumes of Versailles and the clothes worn by the Masai.

Well, right. But somehow the designer managed to make a connection and it worked. The first look told it all:  a puff jacket with detachable panniers à la Marie Antoinette, but cut from a red and blue plaid ripped from a photo of African Masai-warriors. And Thakoon kept it going from beginning to end. Most of the patterns and prints, including arty batiks and stripes, were inspired by East Africa while the silhouettes mainly hinged on the courtly side — pouf peplums, ruffles and folds. It was ambitious. But the designer maintained control of this marriage of mixed motifs and the most striking thing was that despite the theme it looked so connected to the streets.

DKNY Catwalk Fashion Show New York FW2011

It looks like New York-based designers are preparing themselves for a cold and strong winter regarding the major outerwear focus most collections have.  At times and temperatures like this, a coat is your outfit — just look at all the fashion-people bundled up along the runway.

There were endless excellent choices on offer for next season at DKNY, with a theme called New York Mods. Donna Karan did those coats tailored and graphic, like the black styles with a bold white panel across the chest, adding a little edge with leather sleeves. Toward the end there were knit puffers and furs. It was all sharp and suitable for everyday use. Same goes for what was worn underneath. Tough menswear in sharp, colorblocked tailoring mixed up with motorcycle jackets. Karan worked up chunky knits with a preppy tomboyish flare: bright cardigan dresses and stripey angora sweaters were worn with tailored trousers, tapered and flared. It was a cool and right on time collection.

Preen Catwalk Fashion Show New York FW2011

Designers Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi’s of the British label Preen looked to the San Francisco crafts movement this season, but approached it in an ultra-modern way. They loved the idea of replicating hand-embroidery, tapestry and appliqué and incorporating it into their designs.

It was the first time Preen had knitwear and art and crafty embellishment in a collection, but it didn’t effect their future-vision. They experimented with proportions – hemlines were elongated, while single items looked like they were several garments. Shirt-sleeves and collars – appearing to be part of a shirt beneath – actually belonged to overcoats,  jumpsuits appeared as matching trouser-and-shirt looks and tapered skirts with  thigh-high splits were fitted with attached shirts. The effect was very modern. The vibrant pops of color, abstract geometric prints and embellished accents that jingled as the models walked by gave the classic silhouettes a touch of chic.

G-Star Catwalk Fashion Show New York FW2011

The new G Star NY RAW-collection was a fusion between 3D, craftsmanship, the elegancy of 1920’s city life and outdoor. That sounds a bit weird, but somehow the designteam of G-Star made it into a modern, consistent collection with a clean urban vibe. The collection also showcased hidden functionalities, based on 1920’s explorers mixed with elegant tailoring. Heavy protection-wear is back into fashion.

Highlights of the collection were the New Charlie Pant for men, featuring a 3D-shaped leg and extreme high back, originally to protect from weather conditions at sea, and inspired by an over pant, which creates volume. The padded Jade Skirt for women featured an extreme knee silhouette created for protection, whilst looking elegant due to high tech tailoring. It was combined with the utility Selwyn Vest, featuring a waxed finish inspired by early North Sea fishermen, who would rub linseed oil into their smocks for waterproofing and windproofing.

Representation of this Metropolitan Explorer theme included the Launceton Coat for both men and women, featuring a storm collar and the natural insulating properties of wool to create a weather proof piece, whilst having a refined tailored silhouette. The city camouflage modern geometric print in the collection also underpinned the core theme, as expressed in the Mackay Jacket.

Prabal Gurung Catwalk Fashion Show New York FW2011

Prabal Gurung got the inspiration for his romantic-with-an-edge collection from Miss Havisham, the rich, heartbroken bride that becomes mad in the Charles Dickens novel ‘Great Expectations’.

That explains the beautifully made and seductive dresses in scarlet or blush pink with dramatic flaws: a ‘wrong’ shoulder above a full skirt, a black leather jacket contrasting with a lacy chiffon skirt, harlequin patterned pants, a juicy mix of red with pink. But also fabrics that were washed so many times they almost began to break down. Fur and feathers worked into the surfaces also gave that disordered look.

It was a daring collection, since Prabal Gurung’s signature seemed more the American sportswear-style. But the designer explained he was in for a new challenge and it seems it worked out very well for him.

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