The buzz around Fashion Week is still high with shows flooded by journalists, fashion buyers and of course stylish VIPs and celebrities. Showing on February 6th were Malan Breton, Nanette Lepore, Michael Kors, Milly by Michelle Smith, Carlos Miele, Anna Sui, Richard Chair, 3.1 Phillip Lim and Temperley London.
Celebrity attendance was high and sightings included Marc Anthony with a heavily pregnant Jennifer Lopez, her twins due any day now. It seems nothing could keep her away from the shows!
The shows wrap up on Friday but until then top designers will continue to show their Fall 2008 collections. So far, all the collections have been refreshingly colourful, a brilliant contrast to the oft dull fall palettes which tend to include a base of browns and greys.
To enter the gallery mode, click on an image for better viewing. The video shows the finale of the Nanette Lepore show.
The highlights from the February 6 shows:
Malan Breton - Breton, a former Project Runway contestant, started Wednesday bright and early with a 9 am show at the Salon. All eyes were watching closely to see how the newbie would be, and the reviews he could were mixed, particularly on his choice to send his models out carrying umbrellas which some argued were a distraction from the clothes.
Nanette Lepore - The 10 a.m. show at the promenade could easily be summed up as fun and girlie, although my first reaction was to call it conservative. An unlikely site on a catwalk, the models actually smiled as they sashayed down the runway in tiaras. The colour palette was mostly shades of greys softened by feminine colours like pinks and purple as well as shades of teal. Photos
Michael Kors - The show at the tents was brilliant and evoked the jet-set feel Kors does so well in his ad campaigns. The collection evoked retro glamour, the overall style was very old Hollywood and would add the much-needed glamour back to celebrities today. Kors hurtled the audience back to the 50s and 60s with elegant updos paired with the recently re-popular geek glasses as well as pencil skirts, cardigans furs and floral patterns. Celeb attendees included Eva Longoria, Debra Messing, Ellen Pompeo, Rebecca Gayheart, Sigourney Weaver, Pharrell, Natasha Richardson and Angie Harmon.
Milly by Michelle Smith - The young designer played it safe by going with styles from the 1950s which continue to be very in vogue this season. Smith says she was going for "uptown girl glamour" in her Fall 2008 line. Photos
Carlos Miele - The Brazilian designer is relatively new to the New York scene, but his ultra luxurious collection went over well with the audience at the Promenade. It was heavy on exquisite design, loaded with luxury fabrics, fur and fine details. "Otter skin shirts are embellished with fox or wolf fur. In the daytime, yellow satin dresses in sunflower prints reign, with very short handknit sweaters and playing off the asymmetry with wide collars that tumble off the shoulder," AFP covered. For nighttime, the Brazilian designer showed off movie-star style, with long gala dresses that skim the body's curves." Photos of the show
Anna Sui - The eclectic show at the tents was pure eye candy. Sui seemed to seek inspiration from all over the place, including Native American and Western influences as well as rock 'n' roll and the psychedelic fun of the 60s and 70s. Her pairing of cobalt blues with passionate red made for a very electric color palette, shocking the senses in a pleasantly stimulating way. There were paisley tights, and traditional Native designs like tassels, fringes and beading. A truly brilliant collection! Photos
3.1 Phillip Lim - The women's wear designer held his 5 p.m. show at the Promenade. After sending out recycled paper invites, the designer arranged for organic and local foods to be available to attendees. "From a shin-length blue skirt at the beginning to a series of well-tailored slacks and some flashy eveningwear, the collection was modern and artful without the overly sexy or frou-frou elements that can insult a woman who isn't shaped like â€" or as young as â€" Agnys Deyn," the Wall Street Journal mused. See images of the show here.
Temperley London - For the last show of the evening, London-based designer, Alice Temperley, held a tremendous 7 p.m. performance at the Tents. Ultra high, shiny, black boots were paired with just about every outfit. The look mixed gogo girl hats and other 60s styles with double breasted jackets, but Temperley made the look very approachable. Dresses and skirts dominated with only a handful of shiny black pants. Celebrity attendees included Christy Turlington, Joy Bryant, Perrey Reeves, and Julia Stiles. It's been reported that Temperley is known to treat her models to bottle of Moet & Chandon champagne after the shows, and this year she even designed a bag inspired by her nicety. Photos
Catch up on the last 5 days here:
New York Fashion Week Fall Coverage
Day 6
Trend Themes
1. Colourful Fall Collections - Disruptive opportunity to offer colourful alternatives to the traditional dull fall palettes in the fashion industry.
2. Retro Glamour - Opportunity for the fashion industry to evoke retro glamour such as old Hollywood style into modern-day trends.
3. Luxurious Design with Fine Details - Opportunity for high-end fashion designers to create luxurious designs that are heavy on exquisite details, fine fabrics, and fur
Industry Implications
1. Fashion Industry - Opportunity to tap into new and bolder color palettes and experiment with vintage eras that are in vogue.
2. Luxury Industry - Opportunity to integrate exotic materials such as otter skin shirts embellished with fox or wolf fur in luxury products.
3. Celebrity Endorsement - Opportunity for celebrities to promote retro glamour in modern-day fashion and become trendsetters themselves.