True Blue: Thoughts on NY Fashion week

It's that time of year again: New York Fashion week.

Christian Siriano, Fall 2013 RTW

From Feb. 7 to Feb. 14, the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts was once again home to thousands of fashion connoisseurs and couturiers for New York’s annual Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. This week-long industry event allows designers the opportunity to showcase their Fall 2013 collections to the public for the first time.

February is the first of two major fashion seasons throughout the year; Fall/Winter clothes debut in February while Spring/Summer clothes are shown in September to allow designers the opportunity to market their collection in the following months. These week-long industry events, beginning in New York, are also hosted by three other major fashion capitals: London, Milan and Paris.

While each of the runway shows is an impressive display of sartorial pageantry, “Fashion Week” at its core is about defining what is en vogue. So, what trends can you expect this fall?

In many of the collections, there was a profound sense of retromania with many designers drawing inspiration from previous decades. There was also no shortage of glitz and glamour as many collections featured opulent metallic detailing a la Gatsby. Beading and golden embroidery permeated many different collections. Also prominent was the cosmopolitan influence on the Fall collections. While there were the traditional English and French influences, many designers found unorthodox inspiration in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, from the extravagance of the Russian ballet costumes and the textiles patterns of Istanbul and Marrakech.

Christian Siriano Fall 2013 RTW

BCBG Max Azria, Fall 2013 RTW

While many collections that walked the runway showcased tasteful, innovating designs, the Tory Burch Fall collection fell short of expectations. It was uninspired and deemed by New York Magazine to be “outfits for when you just want to blend into the furniture.” Burch drew inspiration from Art Nouveau silhouettes with lots of floral patterns that would seem more at home on salon upholstery rather than on the runway. The collection felt scattered and surprisingly dowdy with a parade of frumpy, below-the knee hemlines, awkward boxy jackets and odd color combinations. Furthermore, the amount of patterns and embellishments on the pieces was somewhat overwhelming. For a designer who has built a reputation on effortless elegance, Tory Burch left much to be desired with her Fall collection.

I am not impressed, Tory Burch.

Whereas Tory Burch’s collection was positively passé, Anna Sui managed to produce a line that was evocative of the mod 1960s, yet tailored to a contemporary audience. Each model, sporting cat eyes and a nude lip , wore psychedelic patterns that were fun and bold. New York Magazine hailed Sui’s collection as “such a perfect recreation of swinging London style that it’s beginning to appear Sui has a time machine synced with 60’s Carnaby Street.” The collection, with a color palette ranging from hot pink to electric blue, featured a series of shift dresses and Peter-Pan collars—two iconic pieces of mod London style. The jewelry showcased in Sui’s collection was minimal, mostly consisting of heavy jeweled pendants on long chains and nothing more. While the clothes may be considered by some to be loud for everyday wear, one could certainly imagine them gracing the streets of Manhattan later this year.

Anna Sui Fall 2013 RTW

Although menswear is more standardized, there were still several exceptional shows. Tommy Hilfiger debuted a collection described by the designer as “Savile Road meets Ivy League.” It was a nod to the brand’s traditional American style, although this time paired with mod London influences. A parade of impeccably tailored blazers dominated the runway with classic patterns such as argyle, herringbone and houndstooth. The Park Avenue Armory runway was converted to emulate the ambience not unlike that of Harvard’s library. The aesthetic was quintessentially preppy with a navy, red and white palette that is indicative of the brand. There were a few unexpected twists in pattern and texture that remind audiences that classic style does not necessarily mean cliche.

Looks like an Ivy library

I SPY AN ASIAN MODEL(he looks bored).

Most notably, the New York Fall 2013 runway shows signal a change in perspective within the fashion industry. American Express’s fashion ambassador Lottie Oakley remarked, “It's not so passe to wear clothes from last season. It used to be that it did matter if what you were wearing was from a few years ago, but now, if it's a statement piece, you can keep it going for a long time." Evocative of decades past, these shows make it so you can delve into your mother’s or grandmother’s closets and still be relevant. This kind of longevity and practicality is not usually associated with the fashion industry, but this change is not an unwelcome one, especially in the wake of a struggling economy.