Elegant Meets Casual at NY Fashion Week
February 9th, 2008, 2:43 am Teen Hobbies
NEW YORK - Day met night on the runway Friday as New York Fashion Week drew to a close.There were evening touches on daywear, such as a metallic sheen on a tweed suit or a turtleneck worn under a strapless dress, and daytime accents for evening, like a chunky knit cardigan or hunting jacket over a silk dress.At Ralph Lauren, a fisherman vest with all-over pockets was worn over slim cashmere-herringbone skirt suit, and a flannel plaid shirt was paired with a three-tiered embroidered black skirt.With Fashion Week winding down, the fashion flock will soon turn to London, Paris and Milan, Italy, to confirm next season’s trends that first made their debut in New York.RALPH LAURENEven with countryside touches, Ralph Lauren presented a fall collection that is still very much for the chic city woman.There probably aren’t many reasons to pack a sexy cowl-neck gown in bright orange velvet for a weekend at the hunting lodge, but there was a high-neck cocktail dress in green plaid that would be a good candidate for holiday parties whether you’re here or there.Lauren also was having a buffalo-check moment, using the bold square pattern in combinations of red and black, green and black and purple and black for all sorts of silhouettes, ranging from short jackets with exaggerated necklines to evening gowns.DONNA KARANIt’s not always what you see that makes a woman look sexy , it’s often what you don’t. Donna Karan played with the notions of mystery and seduction in her fall collection and the result was a smoldering success.This show hit on many of the themes that have emerged as trends , mixing casual with dressy, turning coats into the centerpiece of an outfit and finding inspiration in the days between World War I and II. She also used feathers, a surprising hot look, on her shoes.But somehow it all looked different here.The very best outfits put shiny pailettes and beads in just the right places on scarf-style tops while the rest was sheer tulle. Karan offered this look both as evening gowns in black and olive, as well as a sophisticated top paired with a languid pair of pajama trousers.ZAC POSENSpider-web, lattice and Little Miss Muffet dresses are the kinds of dramatic clothes that Zac Posen thrives on , and they were the highlight of his fall collection.For the ordinary woman , one with a slim figure and a fat wallet , there were schoolgirl (and schoolboy) suits, some beaded tuxedo-inspired looks and a lovely loop embroidery coat in navy duchess satin. But it’s the wild stuff that captured the attention of the crowd.Sitting in one of his strapless “fairy-tale gowns,” which likely had a hoop underneath, would be a challenge unable to be met by most mortals, as would wearing a truly nude (as in see-through) chiffon dress with a feathered cape.TOMMY HILFIGERTommy Hilfiger had Julianne Moore, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Helena Christensen in the front row of his fall-collection fashion show, but one wonders if he extended an invitation to Faye Dunaway or Ali McGraw?Hilfiger said in his notes that the line was done with a sexy Dunaway or fresh-faced McGraw from late 1960s and early ’70s in his mind.DisplayAds (’Middle’);The clothes certainly had references to that era but they weren’t the hippie styles that stylists and editors have gotten used to seeing during New York Fashion Week.There were jersey tops with wool trousers that were professional with just enough sex appeal, and it was the same story with a red jersey side-button sheath. Hilfiger’s collection will be sold exclusively in Macy’s stores.CYNTHIA ROWLEYIf you want a sense of Cynthia Rowley’s attitude, witness her descriptions of her fall ‘08 collection: Laissez-faire. One-line story. Free-range.And while she didn’t send the models down the runway on bicycles as she did for spring, Rowley, known to add a little kitsch, presented a loose and flowing collection with a nod toward Victorian times and Impressionist art.”My inspiration is the art of silhouette making and charm of delicate pop-up books that were most popular during Victorian times,” she said. “It’s a little bit romantic, a little bit story book.”PROJECT RUNWAYFor Victoria Beckham, there was a clear winner at the “Project Runway” show. But she wasn’t telling who.Beckham is a guest judge for the two-part finale, which airs Feb. 27 and March 5.”That one person really made me smile,” Beckham said. “Everything I saw, I would wear myself.”Five remaining contestants presented collections Friday to a celebrity-studded audience. Only three collections will be televised, but producers want to avoid giving a hint of who the finalists are.Christian Siriano, the contestant fans love to hate, was a tent favorite with an avant-garde collection playing with feathers, oversized ruffles and curvy blazers with wide shoulders and flared hips.Rami Kashou focused on beautiful dresses, using softly layered draping, ruffles and a checkerboard weave. Jillian Lewis showed standout coats , one with a wide collar in metallic herringbone, and another with cut-outs in the elbows and a ruffled hem showing a peek of red.Chris March went for high drama with velvet, beading and brocade. And Kathleen “Sweet P” Vaughn had a very wearable collection, playing with trends seen elsewhere this Fashion Week of mustard yellow, purple and exposed zippers.CARMEN MARC VALVOThose bra straps were supposed to be showing at Friday’s Carmen Marc Valvo show. Valvo, besides previewing his fall collection, used New York Fashion Week as a platform to launch his lingerie line being done in collaboration with Cosabella.On some outfits, undergarments peeked out , from the top of a strapless dress or underneath a suit jacket, for example. For other looks, Valvo was merely inspired by delicate underpinnings. A red-and-blue cocktail dress had a corset-style silhouette and a long, fluid gown made of gray cashmere flannel had a lace inset around the hips.Feathers had their place in this collection, as they’ve had in many others over the past eight days of seasonal previews. Valvo’s use of feathers, however, was more restrained, adding a hint of extra luxury instead of screaming it.,,,AP writers Megan K. Scott and Lisa Tolin contributed to this report.
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