Fashion For Dummies: NYFW S/S ‘ 14 Part 4.

“Save the best for the last” they say. And indeed, New york Fashion Week Spring/ Summer 2014 hid their most priced possessions for the end.

Naeem khan’s intricate sequined, studded and embroidery gowns stole the night away along with gazillion onlookers’ hearts who watched his show, enthralled. Naeem Khan is not a new name in the fashion fraternity, and the amount of fame and respect he has gained over the years spoke through his clothes today. Ranging from mesmerizing silhouettes, floor length gowns fit for a starry Oscar night and vibrant summery-hued frock for a relaxing garden party – Naeem Khan did it all. His show closed off with a gorgeous all-white bride with crimson bunch of roses. L’amour!

Way past midnight (Pakistan-time), I waited anxiously for: Marc by Marc Jacobs. A show that stuck to 1980’s grunge roots, Marc started off with a plain white knee-length dress and went on showcasing gaudy, flashes of bright color coats, short dresses all fit for a disco night. A collection that was truly a celebration of its own, Marc Jacobs redefined punk. My lust-worthy list includes, the mini silk-printed frocks and monogrammed jackets for boys.

Tommy Hilfiger chose intelligent color palatte to display his Spring Summer collection. Consisting of diverse yet subtle hues, Tommy Hilfiger stuck to his sporty-yet-sexy signature style with british model Jordan Dunn, on board to walk the clothes with perfection!

A designer is an artist. And Carolina Herrera proved just that by putting on a truly mesmerizing showcase of her Spring/Summer collection. The audience watched enthralled as clothes presented an out-of-the-box surrealism and illusion. The intelligent use of geometrical lines and designs on well-tailored silhouette gowns and cocktail dresses, made her show one to be remembered!

Concept Korea too, put on a show one could possibly have nightmares about. The dolls and vibrant hued wigs exhibited creepiness and the dark color schemed fabrics, hung around the lines of being  too average and lacked originality.

Pamela Rolland

However, Pamela Rolland’s simplistic approach of designing gowns may not be the best way to be remembered by crowds, but it did deliver elegance.  She used subtle color palatte which were pleasing to the eye. Although her clothes may not be too high on the must-have list, buying the evening-wear for a low-profiled getaway can be contemplated over.

Danna Karan New York, managed to string a unique yet sartorial collection. Following the suburban theme, Danna Karen invented  brilliance of color blocking with an orange leather jacket over a brown knee-length dress. Her collection also included, voluminous brown hues dresses, held together with bulky leather belt and aztec printed pants. What made to my lust-worthy list was not her clothes but the accessories which included reptile-skin handbag and shoes.

A show where Joe Jonas (brand ambassador) was spotted in the front row, you know it would be none other than american apparel brand Diesel. Diesel’s grunge theme included plenty of crochet trousers and sleeves, along with excessive use of studs, mirror and leather. I think, it’s a brand that should be judged holistically, and for me, my childhood crush being in the front row was enough to push Diesel to a must-hae list!

KarenWalker played safe and stuck to her signature style this Spring/Summer ’14 collection, her choice of duffel, totes and shoulder bags were an absolute must-have on every fashionistas’ list. Using  mustard, brown, black and white hued fabrics for her frocks and dresses, the color-popping accessories wooed the crowd and won their hearts.

Like every day, Day 6 also had its fair-share of average to abysmal collections. Zero+Maria Conjeno stuck to simplicity and showcased a collection that would be fit for a workaholic business lady with a vague fashion sense. Although her clothes defined sophistication and edge, it proved to be one of such show that would be forgotten the minute the last model walks off stage.

Another one that SHOULD be forgotten was Libertine. I’m pretty sure like me, everyone would be wishing for a memory-swipe for this one! The overdone prints, floral, motifs and badges reverberated off the stage and into the onlookers’ eyes. Everything about the exhibit was excessively gaudy, alarmingly eye-soaring and definitely fashion’s worst!

As for Tory Burch, she watched from the pinnacle of her fame and stumbled upon inspiration in her own back garden for her Spring/Summer ’14 collection. Her unique and edgy cuts were like a breath of fresh air, consisting of summary frocks and short-shorts – enough to make Anna Wintour smile in the front row. Tony Burch should also be applauded over the great use of green, floral and metallic hues!

J,Crew’s showcase was again, the most anticipated by crowds. But I felt somehow the anticipation and expectations were not met. In all honesty, J.Crew recreated fun and perkiness but remained restricted in delivering above-average clothing. It all lacked fine cuts and an awe-inspiring silhouette.  Having said that, J.Crew would be noted with their commendable use of mixing neon-lime with green. Also, no matter what, this collection like the previous ones will sell like hot cakes due to their brand-loyal customers.

Moving to our bride-eque: Vera Wang  who surprised the crowds with breezy, flowy, summary gowns. Making use of colors-pop, S/S ‘ 14’s trendiest scarlet red, electric blue and soft golds, blacks, and whites; Wang showcased the perfect silhouettes for a temperate weather.

Oscar de La Renta, on the other hand delivered exquisiteness packed in his couture gowns. ranging from blacks, whites, pastels and floral, de La Renta did all with absolute perfection. It was however, the voluminous frilled dresses and his finale collection which were met with standing ovation and awed eyes. Definitely a piece for my lust-worthy list!

Fashion For Dummies: NYFW S/S ’14 Part 2.

The live stream crashes, standby-telecasts, and minor glitches continued. And so did New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer ’14.

Harvé Léger

The luxe leather made its dramatic comeback in Fall ’13 and seems like it’s here to stay. For the Spring/Summer ‘ 14, Max Azria for Harvé Léger incorporated fair share of leather into his designs. Although, I’m not too keen on excessive leather, this monochrome dress had quite its appeal on the runway. Its intricate zip and leather design seem to draw attention to the right curves and to the must-have list.

Monique Lhuillier

Metallics was one of the prominent themes followed by the majority of designers at Spring/Summer 2014. Monique Lhuillier being hot favorite among celebrities;  had A-listers from Emmy Rossum to Stacy Keibler and Jessica Lowndes, attend her show. As a famous bridal dress designer and couturier, the scarlet laced and sequined plums were fit for the upcoming Oscar. Howeverm, it was the metallic gold and silvers one that made it to the absolute lust-worthy list!

It was disappointing to see that a high-street brand like Lacosté left the audience high and dry. It seemed like the designers ached to play safe, and by all means, they did. The entire showcase exhibit shorts, tees and  high-school uniformed mini skirts which lacked innovation or a vibrant color regime. The only one that stood out, was the peek-a-boo short laced dress. One could be seen wearing this at the Wimbledon Open, in case of a last-minute wardrobe malfunction.

And adding to our US-open/Wimbledon wardrobe list would be fashion’s biggest: Alexander Wang, Joseph Altuzarra and Victoria Beckham. Where Alexander Wang used pastel colors to portray his tom-boy designs, Altuzarra’s monochrome cape wooed the crowd and gained massive cookie-points. Victoria Beckham’s ‘boy meets girl’ themed show however, remained within restricted hues – flashing this season pink-trend for only two pieces.

Apart from the A-list front row, supportive husband and daughter in tow, the only note-worthy thing about Victoria Beckham’s show was the bag. I can most definitely see this as the next-big-thing for fashionistas!

As a sheer comparison, Mara Hoffman’s runway showdown was everything an onlooker wanted: Charismatic, lively and absolutely enthralling. Ranging from floor-swiping gowns to the minis, her collection was the ‘ brightest and most bold’ collection as yet. She used chiffon cut-out dresses, tie and dye pieces and rainbow dashiki which made every single dress from her collection a lust-worthy one. I wish I had enough blog space to rant about them all, but till then, feast your eyes on four of her best pieces.

Boarding the hippie bandwagon, Katya Leonovich thankfully delivered something with a bit of class. For her Spring/Summer ‘ 14 collection, Katya managed to ‘spring’ together strips and pieces of raw fabric, digital printed silks in vibrant hues and materialize them into A-line skirts and wear-able evening dresses.  Three cheers to the notable effort made  by adding tinge of chic into hippie.

This is where all the boys need to start taking notes under: HOW NOT TO DRESS. EVER.

NYFW S/s ’14 was when “low-fi Southern-bred luxury” of Billy Reid just stopped working. In a 24 pieced collection, he gave us back-to-back fashion to remember. And NOT in a good way.  Some may feel his luxe menswear was rustic, I personally felt it was eyesoaring. A definite fashion no-no. Unless of course, you’re dressing up to repel the opposite sex, then by all means, please continue.

Nautica – an US clothing brand however, did the opposite and set the universe right. Their adrenaline pumping runway was everything men SHOULD and MUST dress like. From the killer abs to lust-worthy sunglasses, Nautica managed to define oomph and menswear in one go!

xx

More to follow FASHION FOR DUMMIES: NYFW S/S ’14 PT 3.