New York Spring/Summer 2013: let the party begin!
Expectations were high of this year’s New York Fashion Week that animated the heart of the Big Apple from September 6th to 13th: the event marks the beginning of an intense period of fashion activity dedicated to the Spring/Summer 2013 collections that, start here, before moving to Europe, going from London to Milan and finally Paris. 
Tommy Hilfiger, Max Azria, Diane Von Furstenberg are just a few of the major names in this international fashion parade, accompanied by a great number of young talents like Thakoon – Michelle Obama’s favorite designer who also has won accolades from the renowned American Vogue editor, Anna Wintour – Victoria Beckham, always a fashion devotee, and Rachel Zoe, the diva-designer.
Alongside the impeccable and inspiring catwalk shows, keeping up with the times, the fashion crowd was entertained with a series of glittering events, parties and openings, demonstrating the fashion world’s determination to survive the recession. After the Proenza-Schouler duo opened their new luxury Boutique, it was the turn of a new Emporio Armani flagship store on Madison Avenue, with the participation of Roberta Armani together with the Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin and the London Olympics’ gold medalist Ryan Lochte.
But let look in more detail at the most interesting and eye-catching new trends proposed by some of our favorite designers.
It was certainly a strong and experimental collection proposed by Alexander Wang, already known in the fashion world for his brave and innovative research and evolution. After last season’s austerity, this year he pulled garments apart, experimenting with volumes: clothes were deconstructed and the scalpel-sharp slices that separated the graphic fabric, from a white cotton shirtdress to a sand colored leather jacket, were sewn back together with suture-like stitches. The experiment reached its culmination in a series of sexy dresses that seemed to float over the body with the invisible fishing-line embroidery holding them together. We couldn’t help appreciating the final theatrical effect: the lights were switched off and the dresses sparkled in the dark like fantastic fluorescent creatures from space.
Transparency was a recurring motif for Custo Barcelona: for next spring/summer’s collection the fashion house went for its usual ultra-fluorescent colors and prints, playing with innovative textures and almost unique fabrics. Several girls had plastic trains floating from the back of their shorts, while various trimmings were patchworked together to make entire garments, which gave pieces a mesh effect.
Prints and colors are the real identity of the brand, so palm trees, hearts and flowers were reproduced on mini-skirts, shorts and dresses, in bright colors such as fuchsia, orange, turquoise and red.
“Some fairy tales end with the girl marrying the prince… some start there.” So reads the quote at the top of the program notes for Diane von Furstenberg’s spring show, which she and her creative director, Yvan Mispelaere, dubbed “Palazzo.”
Taking inspiration from the travels of a modern gipsy princess, the collection reflects all the bohemian personality of the designer who, although sitting at the head of a huge business enterprise and occupying an exalted position in the American and international fashion world, still maintains a free and curious spirit.
Mixing a sort of intriguing and eclectic exoticism from India and Morocco, in this year’s collection caftans outnumbered the wrap dresses with which she originally built her name: whether for day or evening wear, the dresses were paired with narrowly cut trousers, all showing very bright colors from turquoise to lime, coral red and pink, with lots of white and navy. The extraordinary energy of the designer resulted in a collection that enhances the rebellious but sophisticated femininity of an original woman who is always elegant.
Delicate and almost ethereal is Donna Karan’s woman, showing a palette all dusk and dawn, with fitted-on-top, full-below-the-waist silhouettes borrowed from the world of ballet, where the only signs of color appeared in the evening dresses. Viscose and chiffon with draped effects were the favorite fabrics used by the designer.
Brighter and more original was the younger line, DKNY showing monochrome or printed fabric in red, orange, fuchsia and electric blue.
For Spring/Summer 2013 Francisco Costa, designer for the Calvin Klein fashion house, closed New York fashion week with a collection that delivered a strong sexual charge, in a continuation of his last Fall collection. The Calvin Klein girl may be seen as a pinup next season, although maintaining her intellectual air, wearing black satin bustier dresses outlined in silver. Even though the bust was the main focus in the Calvin Klein collection, the designer didn’t ignore the waist or the legs, with peplums playing a starring role and narrow belts to accentuate most of the looks, while ivory dresses moved with effortless fluidity and were bordered with black, creating a linear, slim silhouette.
What made the Calvin Klein fashion show really interesting was the clever use of fabric and the fantastic experimentation with pattern, for example, by overlaying web-like layers of black over white creating a graphic effect; while a pair of black dresses – one shown with a jacket and the other dipping low in front to reveal the bra beneath – had skirts with curving seams in the front. A beautifully suggestive and emotive collection to celebrate next Spring/Summer 2013.
It’s official: stripes are back, especially with the Michael Kors collection where the designer presented plenty of stripes in black, red, green and blue, covering everything from tops, swimsuits and even dresses in 1960s style. In order to put across the idea of “geometric glamour” he also added pieces decorated with optical checks or saturated in primary hues. But for the evening, black is a must with long and floating dresses highlighted with triangular cutouts.
These were just a few details of the most interesting collections and proposals according to our tastes and preferences. Hope you enjoyed them and will share your opinions with us. And now…London is expecting us for another week full of catwalks and parades: keep following us!
