Designers cover new ground
Fashion has become a more democratic industry, trying to offer something for everyone. The spring styles previewed so far at New York Fashion Week have targeted pretty young things, working girls, dancing divas and, occasionally, regular women.
The designer runway shows, which opened last Friday, continue through the week, so socialites are still waiting for their cues from Oscar de la Renta, country clubbers from Ralph Lauren and the chicettes from Marc Jacobs.
Diane von Furstenberg: The first dress on the runway at Sunday’s show was one of von Furstenberg’s signature wraps, this time done in a black, white and hot pink pop-art print that acted as camouflage for a lurking snake. It set the tone for the collection that von Furstenberg called ‘’All About Eve'’.
There were plenty of wearable styles - including jersey coat dresses and cotton shirtdresses - but the looks likely to stir some buzz are those von Furstenberg rooted in the garden, including a simple cream-coloured V-neck shift with an oversized ladybug on the hip.
A green frog-print trench coat over a jersey tunic sounds kitschy - and it was - but it also was chic. The best of this group might be the shiny green and blue python slicker that was worn over a brown and black python swimsuit with a plunging V.
DKNY: Donna Karan always says that this line is influenced by the things she sees around her each and every day in New York, so it makes sense that the collection previewed Sunday mixed athleticwear with club couture and office clothes with knock-around weekend outfits.
Hemlines were either really short or really long, some tops were slouchy and loose while others were fitted and cropped. The palette ranged from deep purple to mustard yellow, also signalling that Karan watches the people in this city - they’re not big on pastels, even in the springtime.
‘’New York isn’t one thing, it’s everything,'’ Karan said in her notes.
A short wrap trench coat in poppy red was the right mix of sassy and serious for a working girl ready to be noticed.
Underneath it she could wear the trousers that sat on the natural waist and had wide legs and wide cuffs at the bottom - a welcome item after a fall full of hard-to-wear, high-waisted, skinny-leg pants.
Accordian-pleat A-line skirts that flashed bright colour linings and a band of gold around the hem might help entice that same young woman out of bed on a dreary Sunday. If the weather took a further turn for the worse, she could pull out a royal blue, trapeze-shape parka.
