Forget about techno this or minimalist that. Michael Kors has always gone his own way and why would his latest collection be any different? His spring 2014 collection was full of surprises, all of them pleasant.
There’s a reason why you can’t walk down a street these days without seeing someone carrying a Kors bag or wearing something from one of his other eponymous collections. Michael Kors knows what real people want to wear when it comes to American sportswear. It’s glamorous but attainable fashion.
For his spring 2014 collection, Kors focused on clothes that can really take you through the work week, from a meeting in the conference room to an evening out at the theater. Notes distributed with the run of show described the collection as, “A softer attitude … the juxtaposition of sportif and romantic…sharply tailored meets soft and fluid.” That translated to clothes that were a happy melding of two eras—the ‘40s and the late ‘70s. The feel was polished preppy with an emphasis on elegant wardrobe staples, particularly the office sophisticate go-to—khaki. But this never devolved into a full-on retro parade.
Yes, there was almost every imaginable iteration of khaki-trench coats, suits, separates, trousers. But these were combined with other pieces for a fresh take—a snakeskin tee shirt, for example, gave a simple navy skirt with a slit an extra va-va-voom.
Images courtesy of style.com
Kors clearly conceived a good deal of this collection for those colder spring days with an overall darker than expected color palate and a profusion of cozy sweaters and even fur shrugs. But a leaf print in combinations of tan, lawn green, navy and white were summer chic perfection in sleeveless swingy dresses and high waisted bikinis. Solid white confections, such as a show-stopping white trench coat and pearl grey crochet lace pieces completed the story.
—Karyn D. Collins
One thing that can be said of Cesar Galindo, regardless of the season his collections are always colorful and never without show stopping moments. This fact hold true for Czar by Cesar Galindo’s spring 2014 collection. Though there was no runway show to hot club music and Cesar Galindo presented at Lincoln Center in the Box, there was still lots of punch to this collection.
As always with Galindo there are references to 70s nightlife with garments that shimmer and have lots of moment; however, in this collection Galindo really vamped his aesthetic with bold splashes of color and a nod to sci-fi, virtual travel and technology. This collection is for that woman who wants to make a bold statement and daring enough to wear garments that speak to what is next in fashion.
With a color palette that ranged from A to Z, what stood out most in this collection was Galindo’s focus on clothes that worked for the athletic woman who wanted some pop and sizzle to her active lifestyle. Jogging suits, rompers and active gear that gave a clear nod to the 1970s were not just for the consumer looking for clothes to work out in, these garments had enough glitz and glam that certain pieces could easily transition to a futuristic night out on the town. And Galindo still demonstrated that he can dress a woman at every jointure of her day, from some looks that might be functional in the workplace, particularly if you have a glamorous day job, to active wear to garment that could easily transition to a glitzy night life.
Clearly, Rowley was in a mood to send her fans off to party Hawaiian style.
Rucci is still among the few American designers that create collections that employ couture and demi-couture techniques and detailing on ready-to wear collections with each garment designed as though it was made for a very specific client, but in truth a lot of women can and want to have in their wardrobes. Where some of the collections shown at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week have unfortunately become a combination of expected trends and safe points of view for the American consumer who doesn’t want to think too much, Rucci’s runway shows are an actual event for the savvy, discerning, fashion aficionado, and not just a social media opportunity for celebrity stalkers looking for a quick glimpse of their favorite pop star.
This season Rucci outdid himself. In past spring/summer collections a good portion of garments worked mostly for early spring due to Rucci’s detailing and double layering and/or lining of fabrics. In contrast, this season there was lightness and buoyancy that expanded this spring 2014 collection past March, April and early May. Still, Rucci didn’t skimp on the detailing.
“There was a tremendous shift this season, the clothes are light as air. I challenged myself to do things that I would normally be self-conscious about,” explains Ralph Rucci. “There is this concept of shadow and weightlessness in this collection … In my pursuit of making clothes a certain way the integrity and make is still there, and I believe I achieved another level of dressmaking.”
Rucci indeed evolved his aesthetic to not only include more lightweight spring/summer garments but also he presented fabrications that are closely associated with colder temperatures in ways that worked in warmer climates. Python, a favorite of Rucci, combined with organza or black leather worked ingeniously into a crepe jacket. Rucci also broke new ground by incorporating trends in his own special unique way. Only Rucci would take the continuing trend of cutouts and exposed midriffs by taking a crepe jacket and making the exposed midriff a see-through lattice of black leather.
Rucci takes the layered apron trend—a concept he has used before—and infused this collection with aprons in ways that are uniquely Ralph Rucci. “There are aprons throughout the entire collection. There are two black velvet aprons, bugle-beaded aprons, cotton aprons, and chiffon aprons,” details Rucci. Only Ralph Rucci would expand the apron trend for spring/summer to include fabrications of black velvet and bugle beads.
Though Rucci’s color palette this season is more muted, the color combinations work perfectly for spring/summer. “There is black, shades of different petrols, coral, spice, bronze, beige, nude … After last spring where I used lots of neon, I was frankly neoned out. So, I had to get a creamy palette going [this season] that satisfied where I was with the proportions,” explains Rucci.
Sensuality, energy and optimism; those were the three themes Tracy Reese used to frame her spring 2014 collection. But there was an extra accent on the sensuality this time around, a hot note that Reese fans will find totally appealing even as the designer found a way to stay true to her brand of the classy, urban sophisticate.
Reese’s pretty city girls were sent on a jaunt to Cuba this time around. Plantain chips, Cuban candy, a trio of live drummers accompanying a mambo soundtrack, and a cadre of fedora-wearing ushers added to the ambiance.
But Reese never forgets that the real story is in the clothes. Her spring 2014 collection was equally bold and romantic, a celebration of the duality of Cuban culture without ever delving into clichés. Of course, there were some standard, expected pieces here, chiefly, a multitude of white outfits that opened and closed the show. But, these were anything but ordinary. White lace was given a sexy edge in winning looks like a white lace mambo-inspired dress and another white lace frock that had the sporty lines of a tennis dress.
In between the white, the temptress side of Reese’s creative muse came out to play. Black lace teased the eye in eye-catchers like a black lace bomber jacket over a white embroidered shirt and white and black windowpane narrow pants. And this was one of several looks that revealed an edgy masculinity and was presented with its feminine counterpart.
Mexican-born designer, Rolando Santana returned to the runway during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week with a spring 2014 collection that was inspired by artist icon Frida Kahlo. Kahlo was known for her vivid self-portraits. Santana channeled the powerful elements of the famed artist into his own artistic vision for his latest ready-to-wear collection that was infused with body-conscious feminine silhouettes adorned with graceful floral patterns that can be found in Frida Kahlo’s famous paintings.
Have you ever dreamed of what it will be like to be the girlfriend of a famous rock star? Can you picture yourself vacationing with him in the South of France in between his international sold-out world tour? Every woman fantasizes about the bad boy rocker that will sweep her off of he feet. And while you may not be able to have the rock star of your dreams, this season Jill Stuart has the perfect fashion solution that can have you look like rock star eye candy or even the girlfriend of a rocker.
Jill Stuart presented her rock-influenced 60s-inspired spring 2014 runway show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and the fashion elite got to experience the edgy styles of high-end fashionistas vacationing in the French Rivera. Stuart described her inspiration for the collection as a “rock star girlfriends on holiday” using the classic Rolling Stones album ‘Exile on Main Street’ as the theme.
The metropolis of Shanghai is a bustling urban city that is a hub for culture, arts, and high-end fashion for the Asian market. With an array of colorful trends clashed against traditional Chinese art is blended a visionary masterpiece for the international fashion jetsetter, giving Asian designers a global platform for chic, fashion-forward designs. It’s no wonder Shanghai is sometimes called the ‘Paris of the East’ by fashion industry professionals and culture critics.
Vivienne Tam channeled the enticing beauty of China’s biggest city into a trendy collection filled with a color assortment of jade and blue tones meshed against classic neutral tones of black and white, a vibrant pieces assemblage that captivates you immediately. Inspired by a nostalgic look back at the 1930s Shanghai calendar girl, Tam described her muse as the “the new Shanghai girl—a woman who travels a lot, is comfortable and free, and whose wardrobe must take her from day to evening.”
The Mary Flagler Hall in the Dimenna Center is a vast, modern architectural space often used for classical music rehearsals and performances. Its sleek, red oak walls, and vaulted ceiling wasthe perfect backdrop to the Sukeina spring 2014 runway show. The collection was full of contrasts: angles with softness, black and white color palettes, fitted, yet billowing silhouettes. Sukeina’s creative director Omar Salaam, is originally from Senegal, infused a sophisticated, but modern point of view into his designs. His clothes have a je ne sais quoi quality that allows you to envision his clothing on any international fashionista, regardless of the fashion capital.
As the show begins, the specific walk of the models fascinates me. In contrast to the walk that I have seen most of the time, it is slow and deliberate, with an almost stalking quality. The walk is evocative of the regal sophistication of the collection and I imagine reflects the Sukeina customer. The models walked in a triangle formation, again, lending an individualism and uniqueness to the show.
Diane von Furstenberg aptly named her spring 2014 collection Oasis, as a cue to women to, as Furstenberg wrote in her show notes, “be your own oasis … an unexpected source of renewal, serenity and beauty.”
But the Furstenberg collection was also an oasis in other ways, most especially an oasis from watching a lot of collections that looked the same or tried too hard to look different. Furstenberg’s collection is the happy result of a designer confident in her own skin and style. And the appearances by some of the top walkers in the industry including the legendary Naomi Campbell amped up the wow factor.
Yes, there were literal stylistic references to an oasis that one might find in the African desert, but things never bordered into kitsch. The closest the collection got to overworking the theme was a royal-topped shift dress that featured a lion landscape against an orange background on the skirt. But a sandscape print in alternating waves of white, royal, orange, black and sand found just the right balance between vibrancy and peacefulness. And a black and white zebra print looked chic and fun.
