Runway Report: LA Takes NYC, Part 3

The last set of shows this week seemed to reference a more subdued form of glamour than the earlier ones - not as much sparkle, more practical fabrics, yet still referencing the Old Hollywood silhouettes of the '40s that seem to have been the main focus for most designers. From Jenni Kayne's little black dresses to Rami's little jade ones, the ladylike look is apparently here to stay for fall...

1. Tadeshi Shoji

If you read Us Weekly at all, Shoji's name probably sounds familiar - he's best known for his sexy, slinky red carpet wear. So it came as a bit of a surprise to me that there was hardly an evening gown in sight in his fall collection. Shirtdresses in shades of chocolate brown and grey were mixed in with canary-yellow chiffon blouses and emerald silk sheaths, items that would look more at home at a board meeting than at the Kodak. Not to say I didn't like it, however - his tailoring is always spot on, and I loved the way he played with splashes of color, like these yellow leather gloves against the grey wool dress.

2. Jenni Kayne

It's not that I have anything against Jenni Kayne - she definitely has a way with the basics, proving season after season that she can make a solid pair of pants, shift dress and fitted jacket. But for me, there's nothing that particularly stands out about her work - I mean, you can walk into any Banana Republic or Nordstrom and find equally solid pants, shift dresses and fitted jackets any day of the week. I'm probably not alone when I say that I'll choose to save a bit of money on the basics to put towards one of her contemporaries who are doing something a little more spectacular, like..

3. Rami Kashou

If Rami doesn't end up winning for this collection, I'll be more than a little shocked. I've been a huge fan of his since before he appeared on Project Runway, and this collection embodies the reason why. Every little pleat and drape of every piece appears to have been scrutinized, with a result more polished and flattering than quite a few of the New York veterans we've seen this week.

4. Sweet P

Even though there were a few promising pieces in Sweet P's collection, I was a little perplexed by the fact that there was no continuity whatsoever between all of its different elements. Jumping from a punky flannel cocktail dress to a minimalistic sheath jacket to a richly embellished silk frock was confusing, at best - had she stuck to just one of these themes, her collection would have made a much stronger statement.

Runway Report: Paris Couture (Part 1)

One of my main goals in life is to make it to the Paris couture shows one day - even in photos, the artistry of couture pieces is enough to render me awestruck, so I can only imagine what the effect would be in person.



Even though most of us won't be forking over thousands of dollars for a feathered and fringed gown any time soon, we can still take away some ideas from the couture shows - after all, couture is kind of a lab for generating ideas that will one day be modified for ready-to-wear, so those who pay attention to the trends now are sure to be ahead of the curve before they hit Forever 21.



The main lessons from the first two days of the show:


The New Skirt Shape: Armani Prive's "Crater"

First we had the bubble, then the tulip - and then, probably sensing an impending weird-skirt-shape-fatigue among the masses, designers returned to a more traditional pencil for winter and full a-line for spring. But if Giorgio Armani has his way, we might be back in the throes of sartorial confusion come fall, as his couture presentation was filled with "Crater" skirts. I'm not a designer, so am not sure how easy the shape would be to recreate for RTW, but I, for one, am all for it - is an interesting interpretation of the dropped waist look for day.






The New Proportion: Chanel's Micro-minis & Little Girl Shoes

The mini-and-flats combination isn't exactly new, but am very much digging the combination of sexy draped minis with kindergarden-style flat mary janes and white tights - again, great way of making a mini appropriate for day, and a really refreshing means of styling the traditional Chanel tweed jacket, which tends to look grandmotherly when worn on its own.










The New Decadance: Christian Lacroix's Grey Gardens Print Mixing

The fashion world is obsessed with the eccentric ladies of Grey Gardens, with just about every major glossy running a spread based on the theme in their fall issues. Lacroix's couture show immediately brought those spreads to mind, but with a luxurious twist, with models parading down the runways in layer upon layer of garments in every color, shape and print. Sailor stripes juxtaposed with Scottish tartans, leopard prints worn over painterly brushstrokes - the end effect was one of extreme decadence bordering on mild insanity, a woman who has seen and done it all and is reliving the memories of her rich life through fashion.



The Not-So-New Color: Dior's Jewel Box Brights

Again, jewel tones are nothing new, but John Galliano's show for Dior just reinforced why we love them so - despite the gorgeous hand-painted detailing on his gowns, it's the vibrant amethyst, ruby and sapphire color scheme that catches your eye - and your breath - before anything else.










The New Focal Point: Anne Valerie Hash's Shoulders

Yeah, I know, this one's not so new either (guess that says something about this year's shows, no?), but I do love a big shoulder, and Hash's collection at least sort of moves the trend forward - from volume to geometric, architectural structure.









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runway report: new york

so the shows have started once again - although, doesn't it seem like they JUST ended?? - and my lunch hours for the next month will be once again spent at my desk browsing through the style.com reports and adding to my ever-growing lookbook. will try to condense my highlights of the day (or, more realistically, week) here, but will say in advance that i tend to look for interesting styling ideas more than for massive new trends.

so, on that note, the best of yesterday's shows, the first set of the week. nothing massively groundbreaking to report - seems as though menswear and exaggerated layering aren't going anywhere - but there were a couple of clever touches that made me smile:

coccoon-shaped cable cardi at yigal azrouel - i am slightly obsessed with oversized cardigans, and would wear this with leggings and a plain vest top. and am loooving the geek glasses the models all wore in this show! definitely could see this becoming a more mainstream eyewear look.

leather button-up 'legwarmers' at rag and bone - am sure there is a proper name for these, but it's escaping me at the moment...anyone?