kimair
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from wwd...
Designers played dress up for fall — and retailers were happy.
Many houses turned to sharply tailored suits, pencil shirts and glamorous, body-clinging dresses as an antidote to the prevailing bohemian influences seen in recent collections. "What looks new in New York when ubiquitous cropped jackets, deflated volume skirts, shiny black tights and black patent pumps are available at every price point? Dressing up!" said Michael Fink, Saks Fifth Avenue's vice president and women's fashion director.
The styles were a relief to retailers, who used words such as "ladylike," "refinement," "simplicity" and "straightforward" to describe a rich but not ostentatious sensibility. "Last season was more intellectually challenging," said Netaporter.com founder Nathalie Massenet. "We're getting excited about the product. It's stuff we all want to wear. Everything was eye candy."
If designers were prospecting for silver in the spring, they raised the ante for fall with liquid-gold treatments and mixed metallic looks such as gold, platinum and copper, often combined with black for a dramatic effect. One trend store executives weren't so sure about was the industrial zipper, which appeared in several collections, sometimes for utilitarian purposes and other times as useless embellishment. Fashion directors hailed the evolution of the covered leg, clad in opaque tights and tights with metallic sheen.
Here's what buyers had to say on the New York collections:
Jennifer Wheeler, vice president of women's designer apparel at Nordstrom:
Favorite shows: "Proenza Schouler's was their best collection ever, Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein was so gorgeous, also Marc Jacobs and Oscar de la Renta. I loved what Isabel [Toledo] has done with the Anne Klein collection. The coats, dresses and knits were really beautiful. The Michael Kors customer is going to love what he did. He was at his best. We were happy with how Phillip Lim's collection is continuing to develop. The season is much more sophisticated and has a simple refinement to it. It's cleaner, very straightforward but with a romance in all the details."
Top trends: "Sleeveless or short-sleeved dresses layered over tops, cozy cardigan coats — the reason they looked so good was because it was so darn cold— hosiery, metallics mixed with black and footwear with chunkier heels and lace-up details."
Julie Gilhart, senior vice president and fashion director of Barneys New York:
Favorite shows: "Isabel Toledo's collection for Anne Klein was a great debut. Rodarte was brilliantly imaginative. Narciso Rodriguez and Proenza Schouler looked very strong. Both Doo.Ri and Thakoon have come into their own, and 3.1 Phillip Lim, too. Presentations from Isabel Tonchi, Lutz + Patmos and Alexander Wang were all great. Edun looked very cool in a performance at The Box."
Top trends: "I loved all the new knitwear, from oversized cardigans to sweater dresses. The longer, leaner silhouette balanced with fuller cocoon shapes is superchic. You can really feel the influence of the upcoming Costume Institute's exhibit on Poiret in the air."
Michael Fink, vice president and women's fashion director, Saks Fifth Avenue:
Favorite shows: "Highlights include the simplicity of great American sportswear at Marc Jacobs, a Connecticut-eccentric attitude at Michael Kors, clean-line tailoring and va-voom dresses at Zac Posen, the oddly hypnotic onion-dome hems at Vera Wang, any black dress at Ralph Lauren and the coolest, geekiest girls at Chris Benz."
Top trends: "Dramatically shaped jackets and coats with lantern sleeves, rounded shoulders or voluminous backs paired with slimmer pants, pencil skirts or body-conscious dresses. Burnished gold and copper metallic accents for daytime, lurex-shot tweeds, pailette or sequin underpinnings often veiled under black chiffon. Also, chunky, clunky stitch knits ranging in shape from bolero-like peacoats to ankle-grazing cardigan coats. Feminine pleating and smocking details and feather trims, which add just the right amount of tongue-in-cheek chic to an overly serious palette of black, gray and chocolate. Pumps and the bootie-pump are the only shoes to own."
Linda Fargo, senior vice president, fashion office and store presentation, Bergdorf Goodman:
Favorite shows: "Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta, Thakoon, Proenza Schouler, Narciso Rodriguez, Calvin Klein and Donna Karan."
Top trends: "A leaner, longer narrow silhouette, men's wear, knit dressing, shine, fur, fur, fur, fur. What's interesting is the innovative ways it is being used. Isaac [Mizrahi] used it as the hem of a skirt as though it was a slip peeking out of the bottom of a skirt, and Oscar used it peeking out as though it was a blouse."
Ann Watson, vice president and fashion director at Henri Bendel:
Favorite shows: "Jovovich-Hawk, Josh Goot, Alexander Wang, Doo.Ri, Rag & Bone and Chaiken."
Top trends: "We're excited about the opaque leg, moving away from the legging and into tights."
New discoveries: Chris Benz
Ken Downing, senior vice president and fashion director, Neiman Marcus:
Favorite collections: "Marc Jacobs, for having his finger on the pulse of fashion; Proenza Schouler for a polished look and just a hint of Art Deco; Oscar de la Renta for a superchic, superluxe collection; Phillip Lim, for a contemporary point of view, and Doo.Ri, for her use of jersey and her color sense."
Top Trends: "A return to more of a polished look, the introduction of the modern suit. We were pleased with the continuation of metallics. The dress continues to be very strong; it's looking newest as a dress and coat combo. The sequin is the embellishment of the season as well as feathers and fur trim."
Nathalie Massenet, founder, Net-a-Porter.com:
Favorite shows: "Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Proenza Schouler and Narciso Rodriguez's supercool and sharp collection. Oscar de la Renta was beautiful. We loved Luella Bartley for the juxtaposition of party dresses with riding boots, and Matthew Williamson for his use of color. Also, Marchesa and Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti."
Top trends: "We're loving the return to chic and pretty and elegant."
Meital Grantz, owner of Talulah G in Las Vegas and Newport Beach, Calif.:
Favorite shows: "Yigal Azrouël, Zac Posen, Vera Wang for day dresses and Michael Kors, which was better than it has been."
Disappointments: "Designers ripping off Rick Owens' androgenous yet sexy feel, which could get a little bit boring. Jill Stuart was not as feminine as it usually is, and Peter Som's dresses were too serious."
Discoveries: "Sue Stemp. She's my new favorite little emerging designer."
Lance Lawson and Jim Wetzel, owners of Jake in Chicago:
Favorite shows: Behnaz Sarafpour and Doo.Ri, who pushed herself forward, giving her signature jersey an edgy glamour."
Top trends: "Fur, fur and more fur, the wide leg pant, layering."
Nicole Fischelis, vice president and fashion director for Macy's East:
Favorite shows: "Marc Jacobs, Isaac Mizrahi, Proenza Schouler, Naum, Calvin Klein Collection, Ralph Lauren, Vera Wang, Rag & Bone and Doo.Ri."
Top trends: "I love the idea of activewear infusing daywear. Also, there were knits with substance, not just for sweaters but also jackets, coats and dresses. Shine, particularly white gold."
Jennafer Loporchio, Dighton-Rhode, Greenwich, Conn.:
Favorite shows: "Proenza Schouler for the beading and their use of color. I loved Peter Som's chunky cashmere sweater with pouf skirt, and he had the most stunning broadtailed trapeze coat, which we'll be buying. I loved Sari Gueron's coats with leather piping and her cap-sleeve dresses with French knot embroidery. Bruce's short-sleeved, heavy Indian embroidery dress was amazing."
Disappointments: "I loved Thakoon's bubble skirts and the way he used volume, but a lot of it looked like Lanvin, which was really sad. Michon Shur was a disappointment. The dresses looked like they'd been done before. Vena Cava looked like spring. I didn't see any growth there."
Barbara Atkin, fashion director, Holt Renfrew:
Favorite shows: "Marc Jacobs for swinging the pendulum of fashion into a new direction, away from multilayers and into a long, lean structured silhouette. Proenza Schouler for beautiful, modern sportswear with impeccable details, Vera Wang for pure art. Oscar de la Renta taking over-the-top luxury and embellishment and making it look modern, easy and not pretentious, and Zac Posen for his best collection, with beautiful, sexy cocktail dresses and all-out glamour gowns."
Thanks so much for posting, kimair 
And I was surprised to see Phillip Lim praised. I guess they don't care if it's a complete ripoff and throwback, they're convinced it will sell ...
