Category: Supermodels

Kristy Hume! That was the first thing I thought flipping through this collection. The legendary model hasn’t done a runway show in years and it was like seeing an old friend. Then I thought – wow, once again, designers Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough delivered a solid collection and nailed it. Many of the printed dresses, pant-suits, and coats had super interesting patterns with thoughtful metal details. While some of the fabrics seemed a bit heavy for spring, the clothes had a modern and chic vibe. And the use of silver and bronze metallic detailing on the long pleated skirts was so good looking and fresh I thought they were some of the best pieces this season – and will totally be copied. This was for sure one of my favourite collections of NYFW. These guys understand their craft – and bring a new take on classic wearable looks.

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Leave it to Marc Jacobs to do something different from almost everyone else at NYFW for spring 2014. While we saw 90s minimalism over and over, Marc comes along and brings something totally different to table. In typical Jacobs fashion (no pun intended), he used the runway to help tell the story of his inspiration (which I didn’t really get – like the whole collection). Most of the clothes were embroidered, heavy and tasselled. The shoulders of the blazers were extra wide and the shorts kind of looked like skater shorts made for skinny teenage boys. But Marc does whatever he wants – sometimes it’s great and sometimes it’s just odd. This collection did include a few pieces that are going to be sought after, like a few of the embroidered jackets and sweaters and the interesting beaded dresses that closed the show. And as if the sweatshirt-over-the-evening-dress look (the one that looked like a coke can and could be purchased at Urban Outfitters) isn’t going to be super popular with the fashiony New York kids that populate the Lower East Side.

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Very Michael Kors. And very wearable. It’s collections like this that demonstrate why his line is so hugely successful and worth more than a billion. He doesn’t necessarily think far outside the box – but that’s not his thing and it never has been. He designs good looking clothes women want to wear. And buyers are going to love what Kors showed for spring. It was a fresh and flattering collection – and it’s going to sell well. Some of my favourites – the soft white linen pieces that opened the show, the suede and leather tops and skirts, the 40s inspired blouses, the wide pants and the short light weight white fur jacket. While some fashion insiders may deem his line too mainstream now due to the success of his secondary line in stores across North America, it’s hard to deny the appeal of what he showed this season. Good looking clothes women want. And it was nice to see some of Michael’s favourite late 90s/early 2000s models back on the runway like Karen Elson, Frankie Rayder and Karolina Kurkova.

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Sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy know how to push it. Their line Rodarte has been growing in popularity the last few seasons as they’re considered a pretty hip brand among the in-the-know cool kids. While one gets the influence of a collection like this (80s rock bands I’m thinking), you wonder if women are actually going to embrace some of these looks. For sure there are some cool pieces – the leather studded belts, the biased fringe skirts, the 80s inspired blazers, the pointy toed metallic loafers – but as a collection as a whole, it didn’t seem particularly sellable.

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I went to this fashion conference in New York at the end of June and two very pretty twin sisters spoke on a panel about the business. They were super cool, smart and both super well dressed. When I left the hotel that day, they were outside getting a cab so I went and introduced myself and told them how great they both looked – and they were both in Thakoon. Since then, I knew this was a line to watch. The spring collection was more toned down and didn’t contain the combination of as many different elements as we’ve seen from Thakoon before but it was full of well made pieces with subtle details. The jeweled accents on blouses and dresses featured throughout the show were well thought-out. Also, loved the well cut slouchy pants and the open-toed over the knee boots. And the long pearl chains on the cross-body bags are for sure going to sell well.

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A 70s inspired collection showcasing much of what we’ve come to expect from Von Furstenberg over the years. The show definitely had the most supermodels that we’ve seen at New York Fashion Week in years and it’s likely to be what people remember most about the collection. Modeling legends like Karen Elson and Naomi Campbell and the new crop of supers like Karlie Kloss and Joan Smalls all seemed pleased to walk the DVF runway. While there were some interesting dessert scene pattens and some strong individual looks, there wasn’t anything that pushed the boundaries or felt particularly new. But that’s OK. DVF understands her clientele and what they want. She’s also a legend in the industry who’s turned her business into one of the most successful and recognisable fashion brands today.

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A solid collection full of some really chic looks with very wearable clothes. Some of the best items included layered pleated mini skirts, cropped pants, vests, beautifully cut shear blouses and good looking super short dresses. The colours were soft, mostly black and white, with some grey and a few pink and red accented pieces. And the shear bomber jackets couldn’t be any cooler. The simple streamlined designs were reminiscent of Céline a few years ago. You can totally see Beckham wear every single one of these looks – which apparently was what she had in mind when designing the spring collection. We’re going to be seeing a lot of these pieces on Victoria, her friends and the well dressed Hollywood crowd. Check out the whole collection here.

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The designer who now brings us Balenciaga hasn’t lost his identity with his signature line. His spring collection was young and very New York. The collection had a casual street vibe while still being well made and interesting. The at-times overt and at-times subtle (and clever) branding on many of the pieces with his name is a departure for Wang but it’s likely to go over well with his many hip fans. So will the exposed midriffs, short skirts and “Explicit Content” shirts. These are clothes one will for sure see on the painfully cool fashion lovers at art galleries in Soho – and Wang knows it.

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White and black will remain popular throughout the spring, especially according to Helmut Lang. The collection was typical Helmut Lang – which is a good thing. Designers Nicole and Michael Covolos do justice with the brand’s unique and modern aesthetic. And this collection in particular was heavily influenced by the mid 90s. Predominantly black and white, it featured some beautifully cut pieces that are sure to be super popular with Helmut Lang fans. There were also some really cool bags and shoes that will undoubtedly be big sellers. Check out a few more looks below.

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And interesting and different collection for Gurung. Featuring more colours and complex patterns than usual, the collection had some really unique and wearable pieces. It was also fun and didn’t seem to take itself too seriously. Many of these pieces are going to be super popular with the fashion crowd. And the sunglasses rocked – they’re going to be hot items next spring. A few more of my favourite looks from the collection below.

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