Amazing ‘Lace’, Part 2

If you remember, last week I predicted (or rather stated the obvious) that lace would indeed be ‘huge’ going forward, thanks in large part to Miuccia Prada’s admitted obsession with the age old fabric, which she used for fall 2008 in gutsy, unexpected ways, playing against its normally prissy, dainty, old fashioned associations. I also noted that lace was very much apart of two events I covered last Wednesday (one being Oscar de la Renta’s resort 2008 show).

Indeed, lace (lace hosiery, lace bags, and lace shoes) is on Neiman Marcus’s hit list for this coming fall and as such, figured prominently within last week’s Neiman Marcus Preview of the Best of Fall 2008 Fashion Accessories hosted by Gabrielle de Papp, Vice President Public Relations and Sandra Wilson, accessories Fashion Director 2008.

The duplex suite at the Chambers Hotel, which served once again as the venue of choice, was filled with the best of the best shoes, boots, bags, bracelets, necklaces, rings, earrings, and fur pieces from high end sought after labels such as Chanel, Valentino, Prada, Tory Burch, Gucci, Chloe, Vera Wang, Judith Leiber, Larisa Barerra, Jose Barerra, Jimmy Choo, YSL, Badgley Mischka, Manolo Blahnik, Givenchy, Adrienne Landau, Pologeorgis, 6267, Zanotti, Loeffler Randall, Christian Louboutin, David Yurman, Matthew Laurenza, Jude Frances, John Hardy, Ippolita, Emily Armenta (the last six of which have designed exclusive products for Neiman Marcus).

As Ms. Wilson explains it, the most important elements that define the coming season are: color, sophistication, feminine glamour, modern evening glamour. “You will want to feel glamorous, you will want to be sophisticated, and you will want color” she predicted. To set the stage and to set the mood, a video of “Breakfast at Tiffany” (with Audrey Hepburn in all her chic, bedecked and bejeweled glory) was playing on a screen downstairs and “To Catch a Thief” (starring the always elegant Cary Grant) was playing upstairs.

What does Sandra feel strongly about for fall?

All shades of deep reds (wines and berries)

Patent leather (especially “car paint patent”)

Metallics (gold never dies but newer still is copper and bronze);

Surface interest details on leather

‘Killer’ stiletto heels, open toes, open back, high vamps, platforms (Notwithstanding the fact that Ms. Hepburn was synonymous with ballet flats and elegant low heeled pumps, Ms. Wilson declared the ‘fierce’ stiletto heeled, open toed, open back, open sided shoe boot as the “shoe of the season”)

Medium sized day bags (forget lugging around back breaking oversized totes)

Evening bags in unique shapes

Art deco, vintage inspired paste jewelry (particularly large oversized costume jewelry in crystal)

Pearls (especially gumball sized pearls)

Lace (used in unexpected ways as illustrated by the black lace Manolo Blahnik stiletto shoe booties, Miuccia Prada’s gold lace handbag, Valentino’s bow and double handle lace bags.

-Marilyn Kirschner