On Retro runways with Monique Lhuillier
- Filed under: Dresses, Famous, Fashion, Fashion Week, Magazine
- Date: Feb 7,2008
Fashion Week, which determines what retailers will be selling this year, ends tomorrow. Here’s a preview of what’s hot on the catwalk:
DKNY
Karan showed off her handiwork with the theme of “eclectic glamour.” There was a ’70s vibe to the bow blouses, slouchy wide-leg pants and floaty peasant dresses, but what really stood out were the knits, especially fringed sweater dresses. A silk georgette fringed skirt looked like individual pieces of yarn - camel, purple, gold and red. The DKNY collection targets a younger and trendier customer than her signature - and more expensive - Donna Karan label.
Oscar de la Renta
It’s the curse of being consistent: There wasn’t much to debate or discuss after de la Renta’s fashion show because the designer turned out one lovely outfit after another. “All the components were there that give his collection its signature elegance and sophistication,” said Harper’s Bazaar executive fashion editor Avril Graham.
De la Renta followed his formula of chic daywear, with the occasional touch of fur and metallic flash, but he added a twist by using tulle in unexpected places, like over a purple leather skirt. He followed other designers who used feathers with a black embroidered cocktail dress.
Carolina Herrera
When Herrera does country, only an English countryside manor will do. The fall collection she presented was full of brown, blue, mustard yellow and a lot of feathers. Models donned Peter Pan hats with windowpane coats, riding pants and even taffeta cocktail dresses.
Many of the outfits also featured ornithology-inspired prints - one was a delicate wing print, and the other was a more colorful bird print. The bird print was stunning on a chiffon embroidered gown dotted all over with ostrich feathers.
Marc by Marc Jacobs
Jacobs’ second label - Marc by Marc Jacobs - is probably in more closets than his signature collection. (The cost of a Marc by Marc Jacobs dress is about half that of his more exclusive label.) For the fall, he’s offering schoolgirl skirts and mini-shift dresses with the increasingly popular exposed zipper detail.
The zipper looked great - and rebellious enough for urban trendsetters - against black, hot pink and yellow. Only the young, slim and confident can pull off leather dresses, satin gaucho pants and an exaggerated and oversized houndstooth pattern - in neon, no less. Men also got their turn at Jacobs’ show, and the key look for them was short pants and long cardigan sweaters.
Monique Lhuillier
A flapper, one with a smoldering, smoky look, served as the inspiration for Lhuillier’s fall collection. The clothes weren’t an exact copy of 1920s styles, but they had the right spirit: fun and sexy. The daytime looks were also luxe, thanks to fur trim and metallic fabrics. Art deco influences were evident in mirrored beads, and feathers had a strong presence here. Stylist Mary Alice Stephenson said after the show that as Lhuillier continues to develop, she has the potential to be the next generation’s de la Renta or Herrera.
AP
