And so it's almost Christmas, and we're ankle-deep in the collections of Autumn/Winter, reading up on the trends of Spring 2013, while editors are already requesting tickets to the Fall menswear shows in January, soon to be followed by the womenswear shows in February. Fashion is a never-ending cycle, full of fresh approaches, new faces and an insatiable desire to find the 'next big thing'. The Resort and Pre-Fall collections are a time for designers to present us with their less dramatic, more wearable pieces, the wardrobe staples and desirable basics, often hinting at what's to come. Here's a look at the Pre-Fall collections designers presented over the past week.
Since Alistair Carr's departure, Pringle of Scotland have been left with an editorial-shaped gap, with their Spring and now their Pre-Fall collections lacking a bit of pizzaz. Where knitwear was their statement before, outwear stood out as the most impressive, with luxurious cashmere-lined leather coats being the stand-out piece. An interesting, slightly Oriental-inspired, wrap-over belted jacket gave a look a cool edge, as did the layered styling in most of the looks. The in-house team's forays into colour was their downfall, with oddly draped shirtdresses in corals, featuring limp neckties.. If they keep their focus on fabrics and subtle design details for Fall, they should be on the right track.
Donna Karan has built her career on creating clothes that women not only want to wear, but do wear. Not one for conceptual design, this collection was slightly inspired by the white sands of a beach, but one has to think DKNY's customer is the main inspiration. Draped jersey dresses, stretch tailoring, classic stripes were all part of the mix but those urban knee-high gladiator heels added real punch to the collection- quite a clever pairing in a season dominated by stripes and monochrome. What sexier way to wear the trend? Leather jackets and pyjama-style tailoring (cleverly styled with matching prints rather than the now tiresome trend to clash every colour and print) were other desirables from DKNY's Pre-Fall.
Narciso Rodriguez's collection was one of subtleties, attention to cut and a focus on basics- something Pre-Fall and Resort collections are meant for. A leather tee constructed with clever seamlines and paired with tapered trousers in an unusual shade of terracotta is just one example of the designer's talent of turning simple design decisions into a unique, desirable look. Minimalist clutches with compartments that brought the clean lines of envelopes to mind stood out as must-have's, as did the genius reversible knitwear pieces and fitted shifts.
Like the stripes-galore Spring runway at Marc Jacob's New York's newer darling, Prabal Gurung, showed plenty of graphic and white- something he has continued for his Pre-Fall 13 collection. Structure replaced flounce this time, with clean cuts in modern fabrics featuring in sharp folds and sculptural silhouettes often emphasised by reflective and metallic fabrics. Inspirations of vintage Versace, Baz Luhrman's Romeo + Juliet and his homeland of Nepal lent to added texture on garments in woven and metallic trims, colourfully clashing patterns of checks and diamonds, imaginative florals, along with intricate embellishments of beading and delicate maribou feathers. Clean, slicked-back hair and chunky footwear with neon accents completed this accomplished collection that leaves us dying for the Fall show in February.
The opening look of Proenza Schouler's Pre-Fall collection harked back to their stellar Fall 2012 show, both starting off with cool boxy white biker jackets. Cool is integral to the brand's appeal, just look at how their downtown attitude makes their take on a logo desirable rather than tacky- graffiti-style splashes of the brand name, cleverly cut to spiral down the legs of graphic trousers that, no doubt, every editor will be sporting at NY Fashion Week. The assymetrical boxy shape came in a long coat version in flecked wools and a beautiful shimmering printed pool of blue inspired by the design duo's recent trip to Fiji. Fitted turtle necks and gently flouncing A-lines were other key pieces. Sharp accents of leather, graphic blocks of black and white [the colour combo of the upcoming season(s)], slightly futuristic footwear and a reinterpretation on their PS1 into a softer Courier bag make this a collection as covetable as all their previous.
Minimalism is no new trend for Francisco Costa and his Pre-Fall show for Calvin Klein Collection was another chance for him to show everyone how it's done. He brought something new, of course, in the form of innovative fabrics- rubberized vinyl for a trench coat, shorn mink for his turtlenecks, alongside creature comforts of double-faced cashmere alpaca and soft calf leathers. Although I disagree with the use of mink, his combinations and contrasts of textures is something that makes his simplicity work. That, and his ingenious cutting skills- shown off in elongated coats of leather with enormous lapels, both exaggerated and subdued by narrow shoulders and clean lines.
Being newly appointed Creative Director at Balenciaga, all eyes were on Alexander Wang to deliver at his Pre-Fall show for his own label. He didn't disappoint, and silenced some doubts by presenting us with a more mature Wang girl. But in silencing the doubts, he raised some concerns that he might be losing the edge that made him so popular in the beginning. Yes there were the luxe sweaters and slouchy trousers that harked back to his casual, ripped denim and streetwear look that got him attention in the first place, but it was all a bit, well, muted. His flattering, draped yet fitted dressed were beautiful, yes, but looked like the best-selling dresses the team at Helmut Lang sell season after season. Overall, it was almost a perfect collection, but since when did Wang glorify perfection? I've always thought of him as a 'seeing the beauty in the imperfections' kinda guy...
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