Global Warming? What Global Warming?
 |
| Michael Kors Fall 2012 Collection All photos: firstView.com |
I would say that Michael Kors (and company) will be praying for a reversal of what seems an unavoidable trend towards global warming, and hoping against hope that the winter of 2012 will be a cold one, based on the collection he presented yesterday morning. Called “Rugged Elegance” (nobody does “Town & Country” as well as MK), the run of show promised cozy textures, gutsy knits and furs, sleek leathers, bold plaids, buffalo checks, graphic stripes, checks, easy blanket coats, ponchos, and warm tones of saddle, chocolate , and camel. In other words, vintage Michael.
Quite frankly, Michael is really one of the few designers whose collection really looked like autumn/winter; whose clothes reflect the lives of smart, chic, busy woman on the go — as opposed to being dreamlike precious designs fit for a princess with a car and driver at her disposal. On many other runways this past week, I felt like I was looking at a pre fall collection (or maybe even a spring collection) because of the rather flat, almost one dimensional fabrics that read ‘seasonless’. Not at Michael, and it was refreshing to see.
Shrunken, skimpy, and fitted goes only so far and there is an enormous appeal to be found in the roomy, generous, elongated, and apologetically over sized. Of course, Michael’s models can carry anything off, but this is not true for the rest of us. Almost everything seemed wonderfully exaggerated, including the over scaled bags and hats made of fur. Speaking of furs, Michael was also one of the few designers who actually sent out full blown fur coats and didn’t just use furs sparingly as trims. His were in your face fluffy pelts (not thin ones like broad tail which resemble fabric): coyote, fox, and Mongolian lamb. The only downside to all this is, if the wearer does not die of heat exhaustion, should the weather be balmy, then PETA will eventually get her. In any case, it all looked luxurious and appealing, down to the chunky heeled boots, sandals, and t straps, that seemed perfect for pounding the pavement.
Of course, thankfully not everything was heavy, overly warm, and fuzzy. There were sleek black glove leathers – a narrow sleeveless dress trimmed with black lace, a short sleeved collarless blouse, and a belted trench with a black fox cape stood out; there was Melton, wool jersey, stretch flannel, cashmere, and an ivory/black herringbone mohair that formed the basis for fitted two piece suits that would be perfect for the workplace. Coats of course, were all covetable, many had luxurious fur collars, and were show for day and night. And then there were the evening dresses and gowns: art deco 20’s inspired mid calf dresses in gold and black paillette, and floor length paillette and crystal beaded stretch jersey halter, goddess, and turtleneck gowns closed the show.
-Marilyn Kirschner
(Correction: Yesterday we mistakenly used an Alexander Wang photo for one that was supposed to be the lead photo for Vera Wang. We regret the error.)
Better Bets by Rhonda Erb
Coby Attitudz
Are you daring or mysterious, charming or the ultimate diva? Match these colorful earphones to your unique personality. The in-ear isolation design is comfortable and delivers high-performance sound.
Available at: http://www.amazon.com/ , $5.95
The Logitech Cube
Here is the perfect computer accessory for your pocket or purse. This tiny computer mouse fits in the palm of your hand, but it isn’t just a mouse, it also switches effortlessly to a PowerPoint clicker in presentation mode.
Available at: http://www.logitech.com/, $69.99
