New York Fashion Week AW15

Assembly New York

Even if the idea is highly conceptual, the beauty of designer Greg Armas’ work is that it’s highly versatile and can be worn in many ways. Some of the pieces can even be worn in two ways (remove the belt from the coat and it’s a dress!) Functionality is taken to another level with velcro, leggings, and multilayered dresses. The turtleneck is also celebrated as a wardrobe staple.

Jonathan Simkhai 

The young and talented Simkhai challenged himself this season by taking the leap from presentation to the adrelinine-filled runway. In five years, the designer has managed to hone his craft, and grew as a strong commercial designer. This collection felt very Simkhai but was also presented a twist on some of his signature trademarks (mesh, bodycon, graphic). Bravo!

Creatures of The Wind

Many designers have looked at past decades for inspiration this season, including Creature of the Wind designers Shane Gabier and Christopher Peters, who looked at 20’s, 60’s, and 70’s. The three decades are couldn’t be more different in terms of the fashion each one offered but somehow the duo made the transition between each one very fluid. We love especially love the 60’s mod looks!

Coach

Stuart Vever’s menswear collection for Coach was such a hit that he decided to reinterpret it for womenswear. Think classic Americana motifs made modern. The worn-out yet luxe leather jackets lined with shearling will be on everyone’s wish list. Messages on garments is a trend that is still going strong this season. Vevers plastered the words “Nomad”, “Lucky”, and “Wanted” on the back of some of the pieces and accessories. The designer is definitely trying to target a younger demographic with these practical yet lust worthy collection and we would be surprised if it wasn’t working.

Ohne Titel 

Alexa Adams and Flora Gill’s latest AW15 collection was full of joy! Think knitwear in every shade and shape imaginable. We love the unpredictable ways the colors and silhouettes were paired together. The fantastic trench coat that popped up in the midst of it all was a delightful surprise!

 Ralph Lauren

Timeless is the perfect word to describe this collection. Even though it’s very much rooted in the present, this Ralph Lauren collection resembles the designer’s best work, and could be a contemporary replica of many of his past work. With it he shows us that he has nothing to prove, and of course, that he is an icon in American fashion. We love the vibrant shots of color!

Norma Kamali

This season, Kamali goes on a slightly different direction, and does strong industrial, architectural shapes. We love the marble print and the signature Norma Kamali body suits!

 Altuzzara 

The Altuzzara woman is strong, confident, powerful, but that doesn’t mean she can’t be romantically feminine too. Think slits-up-to-there, thigh-high boots, and fox fur in gorgeous shades of sand, baby blue, and cotton-candy pink. A lethal combination. Joseph Altuzzara has been one busy man as he will soon unveil his debut handbag collection.

Alexander Wang

Wang is constantly looking to expand to new territories in the most inventive of ways, but he’s skilled enough not to stray too far, as the young prodigy knows what his loyal clientele love. This season, the designer focused on the color black; sounds safe but it was anything but. The designer focused on the subcultures for whom the color is indispensable; Goths, Japanese Lolitas, and heavy metal bands. Everyone, and we mean everyone, was talking about those heavy boots! The modeled didn’t just walk the runway; the stomped!

Edun

Danielle Sherman travelled to Africa to source inspiration for the AW15 Edun collection. It is also, coincidentally, where a lot of the manufacturing is done. Sherman has visited Kenya, Madagascar, Tanzania, as well as Morocco. She was particularly taken by Tangier, a place that is a mixture of European and North African culture. The references were weaved into the clothes in the most subtle and beautiful ways; think handwoven star tapestry prints, frayed hems, Berber brooches, and handcrafted silver Moroccan ropes. Rather than making everything look too perfect, the pieces were roughed up and had a deconstructive feel to them, making them look ironically perfect.

Diane Von Furstenberg

“By day she commands her world; by night she inspires fantasy”. This is the phrase that inspired this seductive DVF collection. The designer, who is known for vibrant prints and vivid colors went on a different route and offered muted tons, monochrome looks, and even pinstripe suits (in the most feminine way possible). We love the polka-dot stripes that were inspired by a photo of Diane herself when she was spending her youth in Studio 54.

Public School 

If you’re the kind of woman that fell in love with the latest Public School collection for men, then you’re in luck, as the designers skillfully offered the same array of cool, hip-hop inspired, 90’s looks for their female consumer counterpart. It’s clear to see why the duo behind the edgy label, Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne, took him the Inaugural International Woolmark prize.

DKNY

The DKNY girl is always on the go, and designer Donna Karan knows what she wants, and most importantly what she needs. This season, it’s a whole functional wardrobe that is also extremely fashion forward, and timeless too. We love the encrusted jeweled pieces, the mixing of camel with teal and red, and the enveloping turtle necks.

Opening Ceremony

Carol Lim and Humberto Leon have a fantastic sense of humor as designers, but that doesn’t mean they don’t take fashion seriously. We love everything about this collection; from the classic camel jackets to the Kodak-inspired pieces. The duo presented their designs alongside photographs of friend and collaborator Spike Jonze.

Tommy Hilfiger 

The great American designer Tommy Hilfiger has always been in the spotlight, in one form or another, but this time it’s due to his spectacular NYFW show. Hilfiger is definitely celebrating the 30th anniversary of his label with a bang, transforming the Park Avenue Armory into a football stadium. After three decades, the designer is focusing on what he truly loves; iconic women, sportswear, and luxury. We love the Tommy jerseys! 

Zac Posen

The one drawback of closing a show with Naomi Campbell walking in a full-blown red gown is the possibility of the audience forgetting the previous looks of the show. However, that won’t be the case for Zac Posen, who always delivers. The red-carpet designer took a break from his trademark, structured, voluptuous silhouettes and offered an array of more understated, wearable, ultra-sophisticated looks. We love the reds and grays.

Thom Browne

For designers like Thom Browne, doing the mere catwalk is unthinkable, and the runway plays the role of a stage for a moving performance.  This collection felt like the second-part of the story he initiated during the menswear shows (Remember Death Becomes Her?). Death is a constant in his collection but Browne is always pushing it, presenting the notion in more romantic and unexpected ways. Although the collection was all-black, the details were exquisite! Of course, the tailoring always is too.

Rosie Assoulin

Nobody does volume quite like Rosie Assoulin. In a way, her clothes defy gravity! The designer is sticking to what she knows best, designing out-of-this-word gowns, but is also offering more tamed looks.

Rag & Bone

Designers David Neville and Marcus Wainwright took a trip down memory lane for this collection. Think 90′, hip-hop, and TLC and Salt-N-Pepa music videos. The mixture of tailoring and lace was done in a very interesting way. We particularly love the puffers!

Marc by Marc Jacobs

Luella Bartley and Katie Hiller always know how to best tap into the cultural zeitgeist, and this collection is no exception. The Marc by Marc Jacobs girl is strong, opinionated, but still girlie deep down. We love the mixture of colors, silhouettes, and powerful subliminal messages.

Carolina Herrera 

The designer explored water for this stunning collection and reinterpreted the element in many ways. Some looks felt literal while others, more abstract. The Carolina Herrera woman is always classic, chic, and likes to wear as well as look at art.

Ralph Lauren 

To many, Ralph Lauren can do no wrong, and it’s easy to understand why. The designer achieves the fine balance between classic luxury and urban functionality. The evening dresses were beautiful as well. There’s no reason to change your DNA when it’s this good!

Marchesa 

Of course, one expects to see florals in spring, but it’s always interesting to see how different designers interpret it. For this collection, Giorgina Chapman and Keren Craig didn’t hold back. Flowers were created in the most elaborate ways and adorned in the dresses beautifully. There was the subtle and the maximalist and everything in between. We especially love the dresses that had an incredible movement to them.

Jeremy Scott

Love him or hate him, Scott surely knows how to make an impact! It’s not like Scott holds back when designing for Moschino, but with his own label, he is free to do what he wants. In a way, one has to be thankful that there is a Jeremy Scott in the industry; someone who doesn’t take fashion too seriously!

Micheal Kors

Kors is another American icon who celebrated everything that defines him as a designer; sophisticated American glamour. Every look was more desirable than the one before. There was a coat for everyone and every occasion from red trench coats to structured blazer capes and a whole array of fur.

Marc Jacobs

Since he left Louis Vuitton, everyone has been anticipating to see what Marc Jacobs will come up with, as he’s able to focus solely on his namesake label. The collections have a wonderful and palpable energy in them. Everything in the show, from the backdrop to the details of the clothes have all been inspired by the legendary Diana Vreeland, a woman Jacobs himself calls a genius.