Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week is the first event in the fashion calendar. The following week is time for London to showcase its best designers, followed by Milan and closing with the spectacular fashion shows in Paris from February 25 to March 5th. New Yorkers take great pride in the responsibility of opening the fashion season.
This edition brings some changes such as a reduction in the capacity of the main venues. The reason behind this decision is to encourage the public to view and monitor the shows through improved social networks and accredited websites. Therefore, attendance was limited to international fashion magazines, news agencies, buyers, and of course, celebrities.
The 2014 fall collections are presented while the last snowfalls of the year still whiten the sky, and all the brands have put forth their greatest efforts to surprise the public.
On opening night, Max Azria presented his collection for BCBG. The Tunisian designer opted for a bohemian look, loose garments that did not give up on feminine sensuality. His color palette for fall is predominantly white, camel and black in layered skirts with pronounced slits. Azria celebrated his 25 years in fashion with a renewed design vocabulary that featured pieces suitable for business meetings, lunches and evening wear.
Donna Karan also celebrated her 30 years in fashion. For the joyous occasion, she invited celebrity clients and friends such as Katie Holmes and Hugh Jackman, who praised her trajectory as one of America’s greatest designers. The color of the season, for Karan, is black in different textures and diverse materials like leather, fur or lace. In contrast, she also offered a selection of dresses in jewel tones: purple, bright ruby and mustard.
Carolina Herrera´s masterful new collection features somber evening dresses and lots of color for daywear. The Venezuelan designer is not afraid to use prints for the cooler months. Some of her pieces feature geometric and floral patterns, spectacular low back evening dresses, elegant front loops and very feminine silhouettes. For the day, we found influences of the sixties and seventies in her pants and coats.
Sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy presented a collection for Rodarte that made us smile, given the profusion of bright colors, overlays and impossible combinations with berets as the main accessory. Wide legged pants tied at the waist were seen in different colors, combined with turtleneck knit sweaters. Some of the most striking proposals were sleeveless three-quarter coats, brightly colored and influenced by the disco era. For evening, they chose elaborate muslin dresses with crystal-embroidered bodices.
Oscar de la Renta’s presentation was definitely eclectic and varied. Elegant and sophisticated, it highlighted the female body with pencil and sometimes flared skirts printed with Middle Eastern motifs, combined with bodices made with completely different fabrics, perfectly harmonious.
Some of the most attractive dresses showed tight waists and flared skirts in chiffon and silk. Another trend mixes long mohair sweaters with delicate skirts. The models set the mood wearing their hair short, and covered their necks with small mink stoles. This lovely collection is defined by color, texture and elegant patterns.
After leaving his post as artistic director at Louis Vuitton to concentrate in his own firm, Marc Jacobs presented a futuristic collection with particular retro touches, stylish, yet comfortable. The fashion show featured chunky knit leggings paired with dresses made of the same fabric, pants with Amazon influences, big jackets, silk soft bodices and skinny jeans.
Kim Basinger was the celebrity guest at the Ralph Lauren presentation. True to his elegant style, the American designer displayed two distinct lines: one for the day, with versatile skirts and simple black dresses, and the second with sophisticated evening gowns. Lauren’s signature evening wear featured satin dresses in soft tones, or palazzo pants in different shades of gray, matching shirts and embroidered tops. His daughter Dylan and his inseparable wife Ricky Lauren were also in attendance.
The actress of the moment, Lupita Nyong’o, alongside Naomi Watts, watched, from the front row, Calvin Klein‘s new collection, which introduced dresses and skirts that went below the knee. Francisco Acosta, Klein‘s creative director has maintained the label’s clean, minimalist lines with slight additions. In short, dresses and coats in soft but lively colors with innovative patterns, respectful of the brand’s DNA. ■
