Fashion Corner
September 16, 2009
It’s that time of year again, folks – New York Fashion Week is upon us. While we can’t really revel in celebrity sightings and free swag the way kids living in Manhattan might, we can still take advantage of a preview of what we’ll all be wearing next spring. Sure, it’s not really even fall yet. But it never hurts to plan ahead, right?
The big designers forecast a pretty neutral color palette for next spring, and the most popular shapes for bottoms will be big and blousy, not slim and skintight.
Perennial It-boy Alexander Wang showed big billowy pieces in oatmeal, heathergrey and nudes contrasted with tighter corset-inspired pieces and body-conscious silhouettes. Think big when it comes to pants. Too-big harem pants and pleated trousers ruled on his runway.
At BCBG, Max Azria helped forecast which party tops you’ll be wearing come NovaFest. Think blue watercolor prints juxtaposed with black bandage dresses; though it sounds crazy, it actually ends up looking pretty cool. Wide V-shaped necklines dominated, too. And don’t expect the one-shouldered dress trend to die out anytime soon.
Project Runway darling Christian Siriano kept with the neutrals and blues in his collection, but he played it up dramatically. Think high-necked blouses and trench coats, both of which you can wear on those summer internship interviews without looking inappropriate.
Lacoste kept to its typical tennis-inspired fare but updated a lot of the looks.
Rompers made an appearance or two, and they’ve been around for so many seasons now that it might be time to finally give them a try. The collection featured deep teals and seafoam greens; by now you’ve likely noticed a pattern, so stock up on ocean-esque colors next spring.
Philadelphia’s own Nicole Miller showed gorgeous ripple-inspired prints and sharp, skinny black pants. Her models also rocked strong-shouldered jackets and sheer tops. Be careful when you translate the style for real life, though. A see-through shirt likely isn’t typical classroom fare, so throwing on a black camisole underneath will make your look slightly less risqué.
Yigal Azrouel (the guy who supposedly broke up Katie Lee and Billy Joel, if you’re not familiar) featured a perfect combo of downtown chic and deconstructed cool. His pieces were all big and blousy on top and skinny on the bottom, with trendy cutouts scattered throughout the collection.