Fashion Week: Opposite attracts
Most people are taught from a young age that they want their outfits to match. The biggest group of offenders to the conventional wisdom, however, is probably fashion designers.
NEW YORK - Most people are taught from a young age that they want their outfits to match. The biggest group of offenders to the conventional wisdom, however, is probably fashion designers. In the styles they've been previewing at New York Fashion Week, which hit its midpoint yesterday, it's been "juxtaposition" this and "opposite" that.
"It's all in the mix: feminine with masculine, sexy and slouchy, tailored with sport, chic with street," according to notes for the DKNY show.
KENNETH COLE: Cole's sporty Anorak and track jackets, hoodies and drawstring pants weren't clothes to just throw on in the morning completely without care. The mix of snakeskin, calf-hair camo and leather elevated normally casual silhouettes.
VICTORIA BECKHAM: She stuck to her vision: a chic, no-fuss approach. The clean lines, looser shapes and affinity to mix-and-match opposites that have been popular during these previews, but all done with Beckham's stamp of clean sophistication.
MONIQUE LHUILLIER: She offered for the next fashion cycle - which would include the Hollywood awards season - looks that played with lace, sheerness, shape and a palette rooted in "corals, reds, fuchsias, nudes and chocolate brown. Those five colors. Just over and over . . . "
Most of the looks took the pretty and feminine route.
CYNTHIA ROWLEY: Fun and funky dresses and two-piece sets featured thick embroidery in swirly patterns of leaves and geometrics. New for spring was a two-piece, long skirt set with a flared, V-neck top. The skirt was done with horizontal stripes of denim on mesh.
HERVE LEGER: The best model for Leger's new spring collection was in the audience: Nicki Minaj clapped heartily for and took photos of each dress.
Leger has a look: second-skin silhouettes. What's new each season is the palette - black, blue and blush this time - and the embellishments, which included zippers and fringe. There also were flashes of skin on the bodice with strategic cutouts, a trend on other runways, too.