Best of The Runway NYFW FW15: Day 2

A Détacher

Holy loose knits Batman! Mona Kowalska’s Fall 2015 might have been spun on “heavyheadedness/wrongfootedness,” but the clothing simply looked warm and cozy. A settled feeling pulsed through the harmoniously matched cable knit cardigans and pant counterparts. The simple, loose separates and dresses uncovered touches of simplicity and steadfastness. The explosive Mount Vesuvis print went surprisingly well with the calm silhouettes, but the bright pop of green in the midst of a “calm before the storm” atmosphere felt jarring.

Adam Selman

Selman doesn’t shy away from playful gaudiness. Citing “a rotten disposition” as his influence, he went on to produce a line for the spoiled and capricious. Rockabilly beehives set the mood while sweet polos got a treatment from appliqued black bows. Paired with pink and black checkered schoolgirl skirts and a pair of black socks, the girls displayed a confidence, unfortunately, fit for a bully. A number of body hugging long sleeved dresses with scalloped hems signaled a more grown up aura, while a green wool trench stood out as a very wearable and desirable piece with just a hint of mischief.

Alexandre Plokhov

Alexandre Plokhov supplied the men with some of his covetable and edgy designs, and frankly, as a woman I felt gypped! This season’s womenswear debut is met with giddy excitement. Plokhov attempts to fuse his knowledge of mens design into his new line, and pulls it off flawlessly. Layers upon layers of dark and stormy looks effortless while remaining complex. His own interpretation of a little black dress cinches below the waist in one dart, creating visual intrigue to balance out the texturiized sleeves. Silhouettes reminded of modelesque cool girls, with fitted but slouchy pants and well tailored leather jackets bouncing the tones of black off each other.

August Getty

A sleek lineup of all leather clad models created a sizzle at August Getty’s show. Treated lace shimmered with movement in between the expertly supple and body skimming short dresses and shorts, some of which dipped down in a downward triangle to expose just a sliver of a butt crack. Somewhat of a crude plumber reference, but it worked with the styling. The softest looking velvet swished, elegantly draping the body without seeming the least bit dated as a texture. A pantsuit with a plunging neckline looked sexy for an evening with the girlfriends, while a show stopping evening gown with a cape looked dazzling enough for the red carpet, despite coming in a plain black hue.

Co

Stephanie Danan and Justin Kern of Co found inspiration in Deborah Turbeville’s fashion photographs for this season’s collection. Smart silhouettes hung loosely in a palette of gray, black, cream and deep navy. While an architecturally interesting skirt with 3D folds served up a dose of fun, the most successful pieces were streamlined and languid. A particularly successful combo came in the form of a short sleeved gray sweater over loose gray bottoms.

Cushnie et Ochs

“33.800083, -84.451936.” Looking the coordinates up yields an aerial view of a train yard, and for Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs that translated into inspiration. Clean lines of color interspersed between gaps of gray and void spaces produced a similar vein of clean lines and mesh inserts on the runway. The color palette came in a blocked fashion: pink, gray, red, navy, black, blue. Keeping up with tradition, dresses were body hugging and bore the signature cutouts, although this time they were more subdued and refined. Perhaps the message is that these clothes are meant to reach the masses.

Cynthia Rowley

Marching to her own tune this season, Cynthia Rowley decided to forgo a traditional runway show in lieu of a video presentation on her website directed by Trevor Undi. Lightweight fabrics flowed effortlessly in the wind as the models turned and swirled on a studio “runway”. A subtle sheen and sparkle caught the light with each movement on the embroidered separates and dresses, while a sequin neck handkerchiefs added an additional dazzling element. The palette remained luxuriously rich, with deep purples and dazzling bronze tones.

Gabriela Hearst

Gabriela Hearst’s debut collection focuses on durability and luxury rather than fleeting trends. As a woman of affluence, she’s very well acquainted with what undoubtedly makes an impact for women who seemingly have, or can have, everything. The styles were clean and refined, sophisticated without being stuffy. The color palette remained earthy and non-domineering, while the fabrics exuded luxury, coming in merino wool, cashmere, silks and chiffon.

Hanley Mellon

Nicole and Matthew Mellon drew cues from migration in designing their fall line. The idea was to take “American sportswear and [give] it a little twist,” according to Frederich Anderson, company president. A collection of bright silk layers and smart outerwear like a soft duster coat ensued. The separates exuded appeal and wear-ability, ensuring a covetable status.

Jason Wu

Jason Wu’s subdued colors and sleek silhouettes looked glamorous and charming this season. Despite pulling back a bit with embellished details, Wu still managed to send out an army of highly desirable dresses and separates that elevate a woman’s form to heavenly proportions. An ultra flattering wool shift dress, cinched at the waist with a slim crocodile belt, received added flair from a portion of wool cutouts over its left side. Meanwhile, impeccably tailored trousers accompanied a brilliantly beaded shimmering top, adding glamour to an otherwise subdued ensemble. Jason Wu remains a strong force in fashion and a man of endless surprises.

Kate Spade

Whimsical children’s stories inspired Deobrah Lloyd this season. Fantastic Mr. Fox even appeared as a bag (don’t worry, that’s faux fur)! Whimsical inspiration did not mean childish designs, however. A wonderfully sweet shift-dress with a neck-tie paired well with some burgundy loafers. In the meantime, an adorable fox ear hat made a sweet addition to the wool black and red checkered trench. Pussy-bows, and regular bows for that matter, carried off the sweetness into the rest of the ensembles, which will undoubtedly sell well.

Kempner

Maggie Kempner rolled out a richly hued lineup fit for an impromptu soiree. Easygoing dresses and silky jumpsuits gave a nod to the Seventies with their easygoing vibe. Meanwhile, a beautiful Mongolian fur trimmed coat served a brilliant purpose as a high-end cover-up fit for the dazzling looks beneath.

M Missoni

Angela Missoni rolled out plenty of Missoni prints and knits this season, but made sure to intersperse the looks with fun and youthful silhouettes. Inspired by modern Asian, she weaved in cropped wide leg pants with longer tunic jackets on top and looked to kimonos for dress shape.

M.Patmos

Marcia Patmos isn’t a stranger to international small-town sourcing. This year it’s Zorgey Ritoma, a Tibetan village producing fabric made of yak wool. Inspired by arctic colors and Slim Aaron’s ski photographs, she unfurled a subdued palette reveling in luxurious textures. The fringed knits swathed the body loosely, while outerwear cocooned around, adding an extra layer of warmth.

Nicole Miller

Nicole Miller was never shy with prints, and this season was no different. A fantasy forest theme served as backdrop for camouflage mixed with leopard on top of rainbow and flower prints. The palette remained subdued with a hint of shimmer in jacquard pieces and through clever embellishments. A standout patchwork coat with a fur collar dressed up forest print pants, while a full forest print suit’s silhouette flared out to suggest the Seventies. The collection remained sleek with plenty hinting at a confident and playful nature, including with the use of glimmering crystal embellished seahorses on one top.

Rebecca Minkoff

A demure and laid back collection with a strong hint at the Seventies. Miniskirts were short, short short. Fringe was in full swing, swaying with force not only on the separates, but long and heavy on the suede and leather boots. An earthy palette of browns, burgundies and moss green perfectly fit in with the vibe of the silhouettes. The maxi dresses shimmered lightly as they billowed. Shearling coats came in a variety of shades and lengths. The capes, patterns and accessories, right down to guitar strap bags, could easily be imagined on the likes of Patti Smith.

Rodebjer

Loosely flouncing hemlines flowed effortlessly behind the models. Dark hues and complex prints weaved around the more body conscious styles, hugging curves closely while establishing their own with the patterns. A shimmering elongated vest hung loosely and suggested a casual refinement. Meanwhile, intricate rope lace overlays tied the pieces together to create more harmony in a busy landscape.

Ryan Roche

Ryan Roche introduced a line of the most cozy knits, draping softly in blushing and warm muted tones. A blush fisherman’s sweater hung to the knees with a cape in the same hue swathed it on the outside. Lines were long, clean and at times even structured. Roche knows how to appeal to luxury and to a broad audience. Many of the pieces will undoubtedly sell out, especially considering how cold the NYC winters are.

Sally LaPointe

Sally LaPointe expertly fused textures and materials to create a sleek and modern line which would appeal to a young fashion-forward crowd as much as to the seasoned fashion pros. A wool skirt sliced up to mid-thigh in multiple spots swished as the model walked, meanwhile, an oversize cream sweater with a fringed skirt invited the possibility of an effortless day to night transformation. A knit and mink infinity scarf casually sat high on the neck of a shimmering long sleeved column gown, lending a hand to the fusion of old world charm and new horizons.

Sea

The Seventies propped up Sean Monahan and Monica Paolini’s collection this season. With a bit of a Woodstock vibe, the duo incorporated appliquéd flowers and folksy prints into the line alongside cozy knits and shearling. The palette remained demure save for a splash of colors from the flower print.

Suno

Erin Beatty and Max Osterweis decided to go with un-fussy silhouettes and Jamaican inspired colors (although very subdued) for their fall collection inspired by Bertha from Jane Eyre. The collection unfolded linearly alongside Bertha’s bourgeois descent into madness. A long black trench which opened the show became a trench with appliquéd blue, yellow and green flowers. The strongest pieces were the ribbed sweaters with lacquered multicolored stripes.

Tanya Taylor

Inspired by fish lure wire, and fish hooks for that matter, Tanya Taylor whimsically incorporated fishing related print into her fall collection. Reef prints in different hues comprised long flowing dresses while the outerwear grounded the collection with sensible wool and shearling coats.

Ulla Johnson

A supremely casual but luxurious vibe encapsulated Ulla Johnson’s collection. Bohemian dresses had a summer vibe to them, but paired with the coats and knits, spelled out an easy down to earth way to dress. A quilted jacket paired well with smaller quilt pants and a high turtleneck, meanwhile a similarly styled look with all gray underneath received a pop of color with a blush colored sheepskin jacket.

VPL

Victoria Bartlett’s color-blocked sporty offerings make my gym outfit look like a a towel in comparison. And not a nice towel, a towel you’ve been using for 2 years now and it needs replacing desperately. In a gym obsessed culture, high-end athletic wear isn’t unusual to run across on the runways. It’s surprisingly as common as a socialite’s abundant fake tan streaks. Speaking of streaks, VPL placed several of them down the sides of sweatpants and leggings, highlighting movement and body transformation. Meanwhile, the muted color palette hinted at a vintage vibe.

Wes Gordon

Wes Gordon is still figuring out his direction as a young designer trying to make a mark. This season, he’s drifted off into a place of realness and cool ’90s vibe. Introducing the show with a slinky rib knit ensemble and a double face speckled wool coat, he set a tone of refined minimalism and grounded everyday wear. A discriminating Manolo Blahnik combat boot sealed a tough-girl status. The strongest looks had a tailored but relaxed juxtaposition, such as the double breasted gray blazer and matching double slit  wool skirt paired with a high charcoal Tunisian crochet knit turtleneck. The progressively complicated looks, such as the flower print dress trimmed in a black and white embroidered lace, could have been left out.

Zimmermann

Sisters Nicky and Simone Zimmermann didn’t have to look far for inspiration this season. They lucked out by having ultra-swanky parents who threw parties worthy of the most glamorous Seventies crowd. And through a nostalgic lens, the duo unfurled a fury of ’70s silhouettes in their languid and free-flowing glory. A ’60s palette of purple ash, light aquamarine, burgundy, and tangerine propped up the cream and black pieces. Meanwhile, sheer fabrics layered up for a show in movement and relaxed blouses added sultriness with plunging cutouts.

Rubin Chapelle

Creative duo Sonja Rubin and Kip Chapelle turned to Scottish menswear for inspiration- hooray, because there’s nothing more that I like than menswear! And Scots. But mostly menswear.  Despite suggestion of heaviness (if kilts were floofy we’d be seeing many more man bits), the fabrics were ultra-light. Instead, tartan print was digitally distorted and printed atop the silky separates and dresses. In order to not fully discount frigid weathers, tweed outerwear cocooned the lighter fare.

Monique Lhuillier

Floral prints fused together into a pseudo-watercolor effect, painted one in the midst of lace applique and multicolored shearlings to start. Slowly the procession shifted to silky numbers and sparkling sheer layers underneath the more sensual portion of the collection. A black starry fil coupe swathed the models underneath the flowing gowns and jackets. A dazzling gold gown shimmered seductively in an art nouveau pattern before making way to a number of gold and bronze ensembles. Each progressive dress billowed in the breeze

Katie Gallagher

It’s slightly ironic to interpret synesthesia (instead of a red turtleneck do you simply stump with a mathematical equation or a concerto?), but that’s precisely what Katie Gallagher set out to do this season. “I was thinking about how you might see something as a color rather than the actual object.” Oh. Concertos aside, the designer unfolded the entire collection as a process of color coming into focus. In the midst of swaths of black, red slowly honed in, pulsating back and forth between full intensity and submission into darkness. The dance was all done to a beautiful line-up of extremely thoughtful, wearable and bewitching silhouettes.

Lyn Devon

Lyn Devon didn’t bother with messing around too much. Offering an extremely wearable and appealing line in a range of muted primary colors, she focused on the luxury of the fabric and the cleanliness of the tailoring. This low profile approach is bound to win over more than a few loyal followers.

Novis

It’s as if Matisse himself designed the collection! Jordanna Warmflash cited the multi-faceted, but primarily impressionist, artist as her inspiration for her fall collection. Bright colors exploded in jagged jigsaw print on several pieces, giving the impression of cut out paper pasted on a white canvas. Meanwhile the scalloped trim of the gowns literally interpreted the same technique in 3D. This is a collection Matisse, and any fun loving fashionista, would be proud to display.

Roomeur

Hagit Kassif drew inspiration from underwater and the idea of a peaceful world. Lean, tailored pieces emblazoned with dazzling print details and textures appeared peaceful and sophisticated. A particularly relaxed red suit with herringbone design on the shirt embodied the idea of unity.

Simon Miller

Simon Miller’s pleasant mix of utilitarian shapes paired perfectly with a down to earth palette of olive, navy and gray. Streamlined silhouettes comprised of small-mill fabrics from Japan felt humble and effortless. Perfect for the Brooklyn artist.

Charlotte Ronson

True to her spirit, Charlotte Ronson once again unleashed a floral galore of sweet dresses and separates, this time in a darker palette. While the pieces had a slight hint of the Sixties, the knitwear felt modern and very wearable. A ribbed military green sweater dress didn’t necessarily jive with the collection, but it looked so easy and wearable that the oddball status is forgivable.

Mark and Estel

Edginess and confidence took front and center at Mark and Estel’s show. Wide brim hates were tied around the base with a menswear tie, while a long flowing silk dress suddenly turned into a pantsuit as the model stopped and struck a pose. Several of the separates hinted at a young and reckless vampire, looking both Gothic Victorian and modern at the same time.
Nataliya Ogle

Founder

Nataliya Ogle likes making sure others live to their full potential. She publishes articles on her primary website styletomes.com and works as a freelance writer for other women's interest sites. Her physical body is in New York but her presence can almost always be found online. The internet is her first love.

No Comments Yet

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Get inspired