While Dartmouth kids were raging their little hearts out for Winter Carnival last week, Olympus Fashion Week was once again raging in New York.
New York Fashion Week is the best thing ever to happen to ready-to-wear, and it happens but twice a year. It is the moment which dictates what will be in stores six months from now. It's a moment that cannot be missed.
Well, turns out we missed it. But (lucky us!), we may live in the middle of nowhere, but Dartmouth was voted the most wired college campus by the Princeton Review like five years ago. So, since we didn't have the chance to be in the front row of the shows, there's always style.com, which shows everything.
We're talking every picture of every look of every show. That's a lot of fashion. And since I know you'll be surfing the latest friend updates on Facebook in your free time rather than studying the latest fashions, I'm bringing the highlights to you right now. Sort of like Fashion Week Spark Notes.
Here's the gist: while we were celebrating this winter and the thought of spring's arrival (albeit a very distant thought), the fashion world focused on fall/winter 2006.
That's six months from now. We can't even plan for five hours from now.
But back to the shows. If you aren't aware of what happened in September (that is, the Spring 2006 Shows), I'll tell you: there was a push towards looser shapes, lots of linen and even more white. Things like huaraches, peasant skirts and floppy hats were hot. But so were short skirts, even shorter shorts, Bermuda shorts, platform sandals and an overall feeling of 1960s chic and pretty preppy. There was a cowboy feel, but a London swinger tone as well. Basically, it was a great season with lots of great clothes. And we're all eagerly anticipating their arrival in stores.
But on to next season. In fashion, we must always be looking forward.
What we can take from last season is what to expect for next season (i.e. last week's shows). We can expect similar shapes (changed slightly), similar inspiration (changed slightly), a few of the same colors, but mostly dark, and fabrics that can withstand a cold winter in Russia rather than a warm desert evening.
And this is just about what we got.
There are several things that make a fashion designer successful, either editorially or in the retail world. He has to be current, he has to be inspired, he has to be different, and above all, he has to be wearable.
Oh, and it doesn't hurt to be Karl Lagerfeld. Karl, the man who revolutionized Chanel and Fendi, debuted his Lagerfeld Collection for the first time in New York this year. He probably could have sent the models down the runway wearing trash bags (or in-the-nude la Robert Atman's parody "Pret-a-Porter") and received a standing ovation from his critics. But lucky for him, his all-black-and-some-brown collection of slouchy cashmere knits -- some of which fit like trendy trash bags -- and slim suits prove why he is Karl Lagerfeld.
While I'd rather blow $5000 on something with the Chanel or Oscar de la Renta label, Karl deserves some respect for finally breaking out on his own. Karl's show is something Ralph (Lauren) wishes he could do. I think Ralph's just dying to break free -- but just for a moment -- of the "lifestyle" empire he has spent his career building. But then again, Ralph sticks with what he does best. And what he does best is beautiful and undeniably wearable. This season, a plaid-happy homage to Highlands hunting season, is no exception.
Among the New York Fashion regulars, Marc Jacobs, of course, was a showstopper. And from what I've seen, his collection appears to be the most inspired, and strangely the most wearable. His layered, muted, flannel, Olsen-twin, homeless looks took the crowd by shock and awe -- and appreciation. While "grunge" was a word often uttered by critics (of course, in praise), Jacobs said, "It's about the places I've been, the people I know, world leaders, and winter."
The somber tone of Marc's show seemed to be a trend among many of the fashion designing heavy hitters. As I mentioned before, in order for a designer to be gushed over, he must be current. And being current means making some sort of subtle political statement. I'm not sure what the fashion world is saying about the state of the real world, but apparently, based upon the "somber tone" critics have observed, it's not good.
But aside from the "somber tone," some designers (even those tagged as "somber") gave us a breath of fresh air with some decidedly fun, sexy, sophisticated collections. Narciso Rodriguez successfully sexed-up minimalism with swimwear-inspired black and white dresses. Michael Kors took the sorority and fraternity kids back to 1960s London with exaggerated rugby stripes and argyle knee-socks. Oscar de la Renta gilded his models in elegant, chic suits and cocktail dresses and gorgeous gowns in jewel tones and black. And Peter Som wowed with a runway full of perfectly wearable frocks.
Up-and-coming uber-crazy designer Jeremy Scott found his inspiration in a McDonald's french fry. His collection of over-sized candy wrappers and pop-printed dresses recalls the days of Andy Warhol. And, hey, those models could use a french fry or two. Between cigarettes, of course.
The shows this year were unquestionably fabulous. It's what we expected -- but better. Every time the shows roll around, I temporarily lose sight of the season we're in or even the one we're looking forward to and jump ahead six months to the season that will be. But reality inevitably sets in. I can't wait to wear a skirt and sandals in a way that would make Mary-Kate Olsen feel uncomfortably bare.
The overall sense is a looser (i.e. more forgiving) silhouette, darker colors and heavier (yet strangely light) fabrics that give off a vibe of 1960s elegance and a "somber" attitude. It's nothing too new, and nothing too old. For the Goldilocks within us, it's just right.
