New York Fashion Week: Coming this fall: a season of versatility
- Filed under: Alternative Lifestyle, Beauty, Fashion, Fashion Week, Fendi, Kiss Bloggs, kissfendi
- Date: Feb 17,2008
Early on during Fashion Week, mass retailer Gap presented its fall collection by new designer Patrick Robinson on models posed on a raised platform.
The press, buyers and stylists walked around the staged area to get a close look at the anorak jackets, slim-fit cargo pants, chunky sweaters and henleys the Bay Area-based company plans to offer six months from now.
It wasn’t high fashion, and the prices are sure to be far, far less than the average cost of a skirt offered by most of the 100-plus designers who showed this season.
But after a week’s worth of ready-to-wear collections, the significance of the Gap’s presentation became apparent: It underscored the intersection of fashion and economic reality, reflecting the current mood among most of us wondering if a recession is about to hit and whether we should save instead of spend.
It’s also another example of the pairing of accessible fashion with established designers.
For the Gap, the show introduced Robinson, who was the designer behind Perry Ellis, Anne Klein and most recently, Paco Rabanne.
His name alone will bring in style-savvy customers who now think of the Gap only for casual wear and basics.
There wasn’t a specific direction that emerged from the fall collections this season. The message was one of individuality for the woman who wants to look sleek.
With jackets, vests, skirts and trousers overtaking the runways, next fall will mean versatility for those confident enough to mix up proportions and try new shapes.
“There’s definitely more of a sportswear than a couture influence this fall,” says Tom Julian, longtime fashion analyst and director of trends for McCann Erickson, a global advertising agency.
Women are less inclined to be ostentatious and more willing to buy if something looks like a good investment, has versatility and might do for more than a season or two.
While certain luxury goods are still selling well, according to retail analysts, the willy-nilly spending on It bags and high-end labels of the moment has slowed, adding pressure on designers to offer just the right items for fall. /origin.mercurynews.com
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