10. RED VALENTINO
Leather toggle coats, jacquard capes, full petticoat skirts, knit dresses, knee highs, and hand-painted gingerbread and marzipan prints made the sister line of Valentino's collection both dreamy and whimsical.
9. JASON WU
Focusing on monochromatic hues with pops of red and violet made it easy for Wu to concentrate fully on shape and form. Sharply tailored outerwear with strong shoulders and small waists played key to his collection, adding along with sexily short hems. "Extreme femininity" said the show notes, made apparent by the structure and fabrics used in his collection: sheer stripes, flirty filmy skirts, exaggerated white collared button up shirts, peplum and leather detailing, and lace-printed clear plastic trenches.
8. MARC BY MARC JACOBS
Keeping the collection fun and youthful with pops of color and colorful clashing prints, the diffusion line seemed to take more of a "grown up" approach for its Fall/Winter collection. With strong influences from the 70s, Jacobs managed to show the elegant side of the genre using tailored separates, covered up dresses, and clean silhouettes.
7. BELSTAFF
With images of Francoise Hardy wearing leather on a motorcycle being on Belstaff's chief creative officer, Martin Cooper's mood board, there was no surprise that the collection would be anything short of "cool". Being strongly influenced by a babe on a motorcycle, the collection revealed desirable, waxed cotton pieces, leather must-haves, both ankle and knee high leather boots, camel hued knits, and short swinging skirts made of bounded gabardine.
6. PROENZA SCHOULER
Subtly curved and molded silhouettes were the main theme in Proenza Schouler's Fall/Winter collection, making the models look soft, sophisticated, and feminine. Using a minimalistic color palette (black, white, grey, and rare use of pastel neutrals), it would make sense that the collection was inspired by the work of photographer John Divola, who had a series in the late 70s named Zuma, which "captured the slow decay of beachside structures". The boys behind the label created impersonalized tweed using woven leathers and woven tulle and used simple shapes giving the collection a twist on today's 60s modern.
5. ALEXANDER WANG
Dramatic and plunging v-necks made a sexy statement at Alexander Wang's Fall/Winter show. After noticing that "everyone is kind of looking at the same things right now" (mentioned Wang during a preview of his fall collection talking about the fabric market), he strayed far away from Neoprene materials that now exemplify "modern" in materials technology. Wang kept with his theme of using minimal color and leather, but tried for something new using drop waist-line silhouettes and wide pleats. Though Wang stated he had his eyes on the 30s, 40s, and 50s, his collection was still edgy and aggressive with unexpected texture and proportions. Iridescent shine and woolen sweaters, knit skirts, fur, and ankle hemmed trousers kept the collection elegant.
4. RAG & BONE
Fitted and flared mini skirts, rubberized tweed jackets, short sweater dresses, graphic a-line dresses, and quilted pants were just a few of the must-have and lustworthy items Rag & Bone had in their Fall/Winter collection. Using traditional english tailoring, the collection was clean, sleek, and modern showing very minimal layering. Modern shift dresses were worn over lovely ribbed knits, while menswear-inspired oversized and rugged jackets were paired with ultra minis. Plums, blues, and oranges played part of the collection, being balanced between black and olive hues making it easy on the eye and non-distracting.
3. 3.1 PHILLIP LIM
It comes as no surprise that Phillip Lim is a genius when it comes to mixing materials together and layering the unthinkable. Lim named his collection Sono Mama, meaning "as you are" in Japanese, and was loosely inspired by the European Cafe Racer Culture, which was an underground sub-culture in the 60s. The phrase "cafe racer" was used describe racers parked outside of cafes and coffee shops. Cafe racers were into adjusting their rides into something more simple and minimal- the smaller the means of transportation, the better. Layering cognac leather, racer-back dresses, roomy shorts, long and oversized sweaters, and fur parkas, Lim achieved the ultimate neo-bohemian look that made every girl dream to become a road-tripping heroine. Each look had the right amount of structure and boldness without looking weighed down. Don't forget the unlined biker jacket and cross-body bags. *Swoon*
2. ANNA SUI
Fellow Michigander, Anna Sui, went with a psychedelic approach for her Fall/Winter collection. Sui paired together a skirt, waistcoat, and jacket for her first look worn by Karlie Kloss, and many were surprised to find out that the whole outfit was actually a one piece that zipped up the back- just like in the 70s when girls who didn't have enough funds for separate pieces had to settle for the all-in-one cost-effective solution. Influenced and inspired by Anna Karina and Godard's films, Sui mixed textures, patterns, colors, and prints creating a French new wave feel. Graphic a-line dresses were layered over collared shirts and patterned sweaters while fun stockings were paired with printed frocks. Sui finished off her looks by pairing them with beaded neckties giving the feminine looks an androgynous touch.
1. MARC JACOBS
"It's very simple, very straightforward, beautiful, and nice... Glamourous, but with a kind of sadness and melancholy. There's a romance to it." Marc Jacobs said about his Fall/Winter collection. Jacobs New York apartment was taken by Hurricane Sandy, influencing his collection on the forces of nature. The models walked not once, but twice down the runway. Inspired by Olafur Eliasson's "The Weather Project", Jacobs had the models first walk down the runway under a huge, fiery sun hanging from the ceiling. The sun's muddled and dim light removed all color, leaving the eye to only see in grays, blacks, and sepia tones. The second time around, the light changed to normal, this time leaving the eye to see the collection in full color. Sequins, mohair, sparkles, double-faced cashmeres and alpacas, and fur were some of the materials Jacobs used in his 40s meets 70s, yet modern looking collection. Layered sequins changed from navy to burgundy and from rose to gold, and slinky gowns were shown in liquid silver and gold and bronze. A-line jackets, high-waisted hot pants, and a soft and neutral color palette played a huge factor into the femininity of each look, while tailored and square-like jackets gave it just enough edge for the collection to be just perfect.
BEACH FOSSILS
