Running Through The Fashion Gauntlet
A closer look at New York's Fall 2010 Fashion Week
By Allison Daniels

Classic Hollywood glamour with bold, retro statements characterized Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week.  Fall 2010 fashions will embody Carolina Herrera and Monique Lhuillier’s refined elegance with Phillip Lim’s retro looks.  This fall, fashion will hit a new level: think Grace Kelly meets Charlie’s Angels.

Black on Black
Sequins and tulle enveloped Vera Wang’s ethereal evening dresses paired with platform leather boots and opaque black tights. Models’ necks and wrists of models dripped with thick ropes of pearls.  They wore bouffant hairstyles reminiscent of Brigitte Bardot.

Wang showed creamy silk one-shoulder blouses and soft dinner jackets with trousers and elbow-length gloves.  Throughout the collection was the trend piece du jour: the fur chubby.   Black on black, sequins, tulle, soft dinner jackets, with each season, Vera takes style to the next level while always remaining an individual.

Brushstroke Prints meet Floral Embroidery
Carolina Herrera’s name is synonymous with elegance and style; this season was no exception. Her fall collection was both visionary and classic. She showed highly structured cocktail and evening dresses in grays, whites, and blacks, with punches of crimson and the occasional robin’s-egg blue.


The models wore heavily-lined eyes with little other makeup and sleek, straight, side-parted hair. All the looks were paired with sheer black tights and strappy, heeled sandals. Many of her gowns boasted bold, solid colors - but the collection was punctuated by brushstroke prints and floral embroidery that lent a tinge of whimsy to the reserved glamour of her collection. While Herrera always ups-the-ante of fashion with her shows, the breathtaking structure and impeccable tailoring of each one-of-a-kind piece that hit the runway set this collection ahead of many at fashion week.

Rebel with a Fashion Sense
The Proenza Schouler femme this season was a naughty school-girl with a punk-rock attitude. Cropped, tailored blazers and bomber jackets were paired with black cigarette pants splattered with white acrylic in a manner reminiscent of Jackson Pollack.

High-waisted skirts and jumpers were worn with light turtlenecks and tailored blouses. Grey, black, and white were the main color palette, but sprays of faded yellows and pinks, as well as kicks of royal blue and sea green added a youthful nostalgia to the decidedly stark collection. The lips were dark and matte; the hair was straight and dirty. From head to toe, the Proenza Schouler model exuded a rebellious style for daring fashionistas.

Farewell Bryant Park…Farewell Nathan Jenden
The DvF girl exudes glamour; in an industry swooning over androgyny, this label manages to stay current without sacrificing its inherently feminine nature. This season, was Nathan Jenden’s (creative director) last.

Jenden sent models down a slick runway that reflected light prismatically, evoking carefree hippie elegance. Dresses owned the collection – from forest-green, gypsy-inspired velvet tunics to midnight-colored, paillette-adorned evening gowns. Pairing sparking pastel mini-skirts and loose-fitting dresses with dark, structured blazers created a flirty, but subdued and modern look perfect to go from office to evening. DvF hits another one out of the park.

Fairytale meets Fashion
Marchesa – oh, Marchesa. Ask for a fairytale and I’ll give you Marchesa. This fall, the designers were inspired by performer and courtesan Lola Montez and her travels. The dream-like quality of these gowns serves to transport the viewer (or lucky wearer) to a place beyond reality.

From incredible, impeccably-placed ruffled detailing to mini-dresses entirely covered with tulle – this collection is fit for a princess. Bows and feathers adorned some gowns, while spiraling explosions of transparent fabric extended from bodices of short and full-length dresses. The color scheme included magenta, black, white, gold, blood red, blush pink, and baby blue. If Lola could not find love in one of these dresses, the poor girl was not meant to find it.

Disco meets Punk
Phillip Lim’s collection embodied funky and retro with an air of polish and refinement. Lim paired billowy sequined tunics in electric brights with black minis. Pastel-colored dresses in soft jerseys and satins featured sheer, metal-studded long sleeves.

Lim’s color palette consisted largely of neutrals – soft greys, beiges, and whites – as well as pastel pinks and purples. While his pieces evoked a frisky playfulness, they were also urbane and chic. These pieces could be worn by an ingénue for a night out or an executive on her way to the office.

Tarzan and Tracy Reese
Tracy Reese created an urban jungle ambience with her cropped sweaters with black-lace tanks, neon-colored, draped blouses, and sassy wide-collared jackets. Leopard print and cyan-blue mini-dresses were some of her boldest statements. Reese played with unfamiliar combinations of texture and print– as well as pairing many looks with heavy wool tights an aviator shades. Cyan blue, black, tan, blush pink, and grey made up the color scheme. 

Cosmo meets BOHO
Peter Som’s fall collection was eclectic and experimental – he showed rich colors and textures redolent of whimsy. Som has a gift for mixing seemingly random pieces to create unexpected - yet perfectly chic - looks. He showed decadent metallics, swirling florals, and luscious velvets. Hair was bone straight; lips, dark and serious to avoid competition with the scene-stealing clothes.

Som’s dresses were stunning confections in rich metallic solids as well as bright, flower-spattered chiffons and cottons. His cosmopolitan, structured pieces mixed with flowing skirts and beatnik-style, fur-collared coats create a unique modern-bohemian aesthetic.

On target for Target
Zac Posen fall collection consisted largely of daywear and cocktail attire. Earth-toned skirts, turtlenecks, and blazers brought the focus to daily life instead of the sporadic glamorous occasion. He showed a few flirty, floral-print cocktail frocks, but had the clear intention of turning away from that side of his personality. With a capsule line debuting for Target on April 25, Posen is ready to conquer new territory; this collection was a beacon for that conquest.

Lady Warrior Elegance
Monique Lhuillier’s fall collection was a departure from her preceding, pretty collections. Her clothes had an Asian warrior theme, featuring strong shoulders, long sleeves, and ballerina buns. Floral motifs also made a strong showing, with cascading rosettes delicately placed on many of the gowns. In all 37 looks, not a single pair of pants hit the runway. But the silhouettes of her dresses were strong, and proudly boasted high necks and short skirts.  While she clearly stepped outside her comfort zone, Lhuillier still managed to do what she does best – create stunning, red-carpet worthy gowns fit for an Asian warrior, or a movie star.

February at New York Fashion Week, we saw the future of retro. Designers took risks with new directions and reinvigorated bygone trends. The style statement to live by for fall (for haute couture and your own wardrobe) is simple: something old, something new. Mix timeless, classic pieces from your own wardrobe with new, trendy ones OR pair your staple pieces with vintage finds from the 60’s and 70’s. Always remember: less is more. Stick to one statement/trend piece, and you’re safe from looking more out-of-date than current.