Dressing and the City
NEW YORK — After a bout of escapism, American fashion has come back to the reality of city dressing. Although the sportswear that once ruled the closets is in retreat, both established and newer designers are trying to make sense of spring 2010.
So it was good to see sportswear at Proenza Schouler, the designer duo that has given a youthful edge to an uptown sensibility.
The first outfits were deliberately casual: leather blouson jackets above skirts that wrapped around the hips like tied jersey gym wear. These pieces gave a new dynamism to the collection, banishing any prissiness and letting in a gust of air.
“We wanted youth, something fresh — we wanted it to be young,” said Lazaro Hernandez.
But it quickly transpired that Mr. Hernandez and his partner, Jack McCollough, were thinking of young Hollywood, as Tinseltown dresses were made in bright tie-dye patterns and literally decorated with tinsel. The look was quite cute, but it seemed to have nothing to do with the sportier pieces. The same was true of the sudden introduction of bra tops, followed by high-waist dresses with skirts as fluffy as Easter chicks.
Like a dish where the ingredients are good but never quite come together, Proenza Schouler presented fine things — but a collection without direction.
“Whatever happened to spring clothes?” asked Michael Kors, as he and the actor Michael Douglas posed for photographers backstage.
The designer had the answer in his sleek, sporty looks, in which pastel shades had taken over from primary colors. Even when the streamlined dresses — perhaps with sneaky cutouts or inserted zippers — had switched from powder blue, lilac and pale turquoise to a sheen of sequins, Mr. Kors still counted simplicity as his primary fashion tool.
“We’ve taken the collection to Capri, Miami and Saint-Tropez, and I really wanted to renew urban clothes,” said the designer, whose slim dresses, worn with silvered shoes and with the models carrying clutch bags, were direct descendants of the “Jackie O” look. When the chalky pale sweaters were worn with shiny skirts or when the dresses had narrow inserts of transparent plastic, they were the epitome of the uptown girl.
There was not much depth to the Michael Kors look, just a sense that he can get himself on trend with a draped dress or a shiny coat. But at a time when so many collections seem convoluted, here is a designer who makes a clear, clean statement.
Oscar de la Renta has been king of uptown for so long that it is impressive to see how subtly and seductively he revitalizes his look. This season the story was in couture folklore, with broderie anglaise jackets, puffy peasant-sleeve blouses or a richly embroidered jumper dress over a white cotton shirt and petticoat. All this was set off with thick braids around the head.
The artful innocence was created in fine materials, but even a more “basic” denim jacket was elegantly cut for the city. With safari jackets worn over the season’s ubiquitous shorts, Mr. de la Renta offered a genuine wardrobe to celebrate the urban rites of spring.
More conventional cocktail dresses, often cut just over the knee, had that impeccable drape and finish of a master. And for high drama, black lace over the face added a Spanish touch.
It is hard to imagine who, from the new generation, will have the social class and technical skill to replace the old masters of uptown chic.
3.1 Philip Lim has a classy aesthetic and the designer did a neat riffs on bows — as a button substitute for a knitted cardigan or as decoration down the back of a dress. But when less in fashion is almost always more, Mr. Lim offered accordion-pleated dresses with inserts of varied materials from sequins to eyelet chiffon. They just seemed too complicated for the casual glamour the designer was seeking. But he did come up with a sparkling look that is a favorite for the next season: silvered summer sequins.
The New York season, which closes Friday, has been exceptionally colorful — especially for a city where black is so often the choice of working women.
“I wanted to do a collection almost of madcap optimism — to knock people over the head with ‘happy,”’ announced Peter Som as he gave a studio presentation of his clothes. They included dresses that looked ready for the seashore and the boardwalk, the most striking in a Japanese block print that was both decorative and graphic.
Tory Burch was also focused on a spring break, with sportswear set off by metallic jewelry inspired by the work of Alexander Calder. Tulip-patterned dresses and tie-dye prints were done, the designer said, to capture a “free spirit.”
Unlike the European shows, where the celebrity circus seems passé, New York is still in thrall to the red carpet. Marchesa is a house that can genuinely claim to aim at Hollywood. This season, alongside the grand gowns with appliqués of lace, there was a more wistful and romantic note. The designer Georgina Chapman was inspired by “Madama Butterfly” to create Japanese flower tracery and origami shapes for the season’s favorite bows.
NEW YORK — After a bout of escapism, American fashion has come back to the reality of city dressing. Although the sportswear that once ruled the closets is in retreat, both established and newer designers are trying to make sense of spring 2010.
So it was good to see sportswear at Proenza Schouler, the designer duo that has given a youthful edge to an uptown sensibility.
The first outfits were deliberately casual: leather blouson jackets above skirts that wrapped around the hips like tied jersey gym wear. These pieces gave a new dynamism to the collection, banishing any prissiness and letting in a gust of air.
“We wanted youth, something fresh — we wanted it to be young,” said Lazaro Hernandez.
But it quickly transpired that Mr. Hernandez and his partner, Jack McCollough, were thinking of young Hollywood, as Tinseltown dresses were made in bright tie-dye patterns and literally decorated with tinsel. The look was quite cute, but it seemed to have nothing to do with the sportier pieces. The same was true of the sudden introduction of bra tops, followed by high-waist dresses with skirts as fluffy as Easter chicks.
Like a dish where the ingredients are good but never quite come together, Proenza Schouler presented fine things — but a collection without direction.
“Whatever happened to spring clothes?” asked Michael Kors, as he and the actor Michael Douglas posed for photographers backstage.
The designer had the answer in his sleek, sporty looks, in which pastel shades had taken over from primary colors. Even when the streamlined dresses — perhaps with sneaky cutouts or inserted zippers — had switched from powder blue, lilac and pale turquoise to a sheen of sequins, Mr. Kors still counted simplicity as his primary fashion tool.
“We’ve taken the collection to Capri, Miami and Saint-Tropez, and I really wanted to renew urban clothes,” said the designer, whose slim dresses, worn with silvered shoes and with the models carrying clutch bags, were direct descendants of the “Jackie O” look. When the chalky pale sweaters were worn with shiny skirts or when the dresses had narrow inserts of transparent plastic, they were the epitome of the uptown girl.
There was not much depth to the Michael Kors look, just a sense that he can get himself on trend with a draped dress or a shiny coat. But at a time when so many collections seem convoluted, here is a designer who makes a clear, clean statement.
Oscar de la Renta has been king of uptown for so long that it is impressive to see how subtly and seductively he revitalizes his look. This season the story was in couture folklore, with broderie anglaise jackets, puffy peasant-sleeve blouses or a richly embroidered jumper dress over a white cotton shirt and petticoat. All this was set off with thick braids around the head.
The artful innocence was created in fine materials, but even a more “basic” denim jacket was elegantly cut for the city. With safari jackets worn over the season’s ubiquitous shorts, Mr. de la Renta offered a genuine wardrobe to celebrate the urban rites of spring.
More conventional cocktail dresses, often cut just over the knee, had that impeccable drape and finish of a master. And for high drama, black lace over the face added a Spanish touch.
It is hard to imagine who, from the new generation, will have the social class and technical skill to replace the old masters of uptown chic.
3.1 Philip Lim has a classy aesthetic and the designer did a neat riffs on bows — as a button substitute for a knitted cardigan or as decoration down the back of a dress. But when less in fashion is almost always more, Mr. Lim offered accordion-pleated dresses with inserts of varied materials from sequins to eyelet chiffon. They just seemed too complicated for the casual glamour the designer was seeking. But he did come up with a sparkling look that is a favorite for the next season: silvered summer sequins.
The New York season, which closes Friday, has been exceptionally colorful — especially for a city where black is so often the choice of working women.
“I wanted to do a collection almost of madcap optimism — to knock people over the head with ‘happy,”’ announced Peter Som as he gave a studio presentation of his clothes. They included dresses that looked ready for the seashore and the boardwalk, the most striking in a Japanese block print that was both decorative and graphic.
Tory Burch was also focused on a spring break, with sportswear set off by metallic jewelry inspired by the work of Alexander Calder. Tulip-patterned dresses and tie-dye prints were done, the designer said, to capture a “free spirit.”
Unlike the European shows, where the celebrity circus seems passé, New York is still in thrall to the red carpet. Marchesa is a house that can genuinely claim to aim at Hollywood. This season, alongside the grand gowns with appliqués of lace, there was a more wistful and romantic note. The designer Georgina Chapman was inspired by “Madama Butterfly” to create Japanese flower tracery and origami shapes for the season’s favorite bows.
Source: New York Times
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