Best of New York Fashion Week 2

Halston was the designer that defined American 70's fashion. Elegant, luxurious, with a Studio 54 edge, it was definitely the brand to be seen in. However, after the designer's death, it became one of those houses that lack a solid creative identity and a solid clientele, until...now? There has been a lot of talk about Sarah Jessica Parker taking part in the creative direction of the brand. The designer, however, is Marios Schwab, and he has reworked the brand's heritage into a contemporary collection. Some of the dresses are quite ladylike; looking closely at them, though, it's easy to identify some of the typical Halston details.

Remember the time when Marc Jacobs' clothes were cute, playful and feminine and celebrities like Victoria Beckham didn't come into the picture? Those were the golden days, and Marc's latest collection seems to bring us back then. His new "no celebrity policy", Sofia Coppola-lookalike models and simple but perfectly cut clothes are very refreshing.

Monique Lhuillier's show was a (very fast) succession of fitted minidresses in juicy colours and sensual textures. No brainy or obscure concepts behind the dresses that looked nice for a night out. It was just fashion for the sake of fun, and that's cool.

Donna Karan was celebrating the 25th anniversary of her company. That's 25 years of her contributing to define the essence of New York's urban spirit. Her clothes somehow remind me of Woody Allen's films, working girls and intellectually stimulating parties. Her latest collection was amazingly built with precious materials like structured organza and velvet. Cocooning dresses, jackets and coats were everywhere. It was a covetable collection for women of all ages. Happy anniversary Ms. Karan!

There was a sophisticated concept of sexyness at Alexander Wang. The fastly growing brand, which is earning more and more devoted fans, was inspired by power-dressing in Wall Street. But, of course, there had to be a twist. Wang's girls are not into sobriety. Luscious minidresses and transparent tops were mixed with masculine trousers and blazers. Except for some draped dresses, which are a trademark of his, the whole show was evidently evolving towards a new direction.

Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while now probably know how much I like Canadian designer Rad Hourani. Not only because he is a lovely, talented person I've been lucky enough to meet, but also because his creative concept is a very unique one: unisex, out-of-time clothes compose each one of his collections, which are very far from being boring though. This time, there was exclusively black and navy blue during the whole show: the trick is to play with proportions and textures, and this is something Rad knows very well. The pieces were flattering and very avant-garde. We can all get ready to hear a lot about Rad; all eyes in the industry are focused on him.

Thakoon indulged in several types of fur, sometimes patchworking them in savagely chic coats. Maybe not very easy to wear, but combined with the minimal, straight-cut layerings of the collection they looked just lovely.
All in all it was an OK Fashion Week... not unforgettable nor outrageous. But as I said in my previous post, NY Fashion Week rarely is. I am now really looking forward to London Fashion Week. My contacts in the city are telling me it's simply fabulous! So I'll keep you updated about it.
Have a lovely weekend!