Kudos to Oscar de la Renta, who continues to make his elegant chic designs somehow youthful enough to imagine they’re being worn by the younger set (well, okay, so the RICH younger set)…His studded motorcycle jacket worn with fitted pants and knitted cap are prime examples. But he also stays true to his signature and aesthetic, which is a nice change from many other designers. I must say, I also thought Lars Nilsson showed a strong collection – the day portion was for me, the strongest part of the line, and Behnaz Sarapfour put together a beautifully rendered group of day and evening clothes, all shown on elegant, beautiful models with their hair worn in a French Twist (that, and the high ponytail are the two big hair trends on the runways) with a flat pale pink ballet slipper like shoe. It was chic, dreamily refined, and of course, will be very pricey.
And Marc Jacobs and Jill Stuart continue to prove that one need only shop their local thrift shops, flea markets, and vintage stores, if they want to get the look for less. Many of their designs look like my closet! And is it just me, or am I already sick of the 60’s? Thank God then, for Narciso Rodriguez with his modern vision, which also proves that nothing packs more impact than black and white! One more observation, whatever Alek Wek wears catches my eye…she has such strong beauty and carries with her a most wonderful runway presence. -Marilyn Kirschner
The Daily Launch Party:
‘The Daily’ had their fashion week party Tuesday night. It was a crowded noisy affair with people standing outside in the cold for quite a while before being allowed in. Once in it was wall-to-wall people. Fairly young, self-conscious group many of whom were standing around smoking and posing. There were also a lot of burley guys – you know the type – big shoulders over developed from heavy weightlifting in tight suits puffing away at big fat cigars in their mouths. Nothing to eat at all. It looked like mostly low level advertising people – perhaps sponsors of ‘The Daily’ – but we could find no fashion people to speak of except for Fern Mallis and Robert Verde who made sure he was photographed standing next to her. It was not at all what we expected and after an hour we made a hasty retreat. -Ernest Schmatolla
