Not only that but the simple fact that they sort of dictate what will be popular in 6 months time also seems like an odd concept with the modern age of fast fashion and blogging. It sort of goes against the instant culture we have. Some brand have adopted the See Now, Buy Now method of runways like Burberry, Topshop and Tom Ford but they tend to end up going back to the traditional model of items being available in 6 months time, after they have gotten a feel for the demand of each piece. Personally I like this sense of tradition after so many aspects of fashion have already changed.
Even though I could never afford a piece of runway in my wardrobe, I still eagerly await Fashion Week to inspire me and my wardrobe. I try to look for common themes within runways to see if I can tell what I am going to see a lot of on the high street. Fashion Week gives an indication of what the high street is also going to bring out as they are given 6 months to prepare with the themes of the runway.
I do enjoy the S/S runways but I find less inspiration as it is a lot of bright colours and a lot of showing skin which isn't for me but A/W brings darker colours and more styling which is something I look forward to seeing. Not only do I know my favourite seasons but there are also designers I look out for such as Tom Ford who always puts on a incredible display of the Boss Girl styling with a rich luxury that only Tom Ford could create. Today I thought I would compile a list of the brands that I always look at during New York Fashion Week and some of the trends we are seeing not only during their runways but also across the entire week.
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| Picture from Vogue |
Alexander Wang
There is something so defiant about Alexander Wang in the design and the style of the clothes. His defiance is also shown by doing his show mid-season in December instead of during the usual week. This seasons collection contains those statement pieces that Alexander Wang is known for. A lot of the pieces you could imagine wearing to a high class party to add a bit of a fashionable edge but still look put together. A lot of jewel colours feature within the range and very rich textures: satin, a lot of leather and tweed but this is juxtaposed with knitwear and netting. I really like this combination as it gives a modern take to some more classic materials and shaping.One of my first designer bags was my Alexander Wang Rockie Bag and ever since I have taken a keen interest in the brand. I have to say this season's runway was not my favourite, I am still in love with the Spring/Summer 18 runway and I don't think another show will be able to compare. I think it will potentially be one of my favourite shows I have seen, online of course, not in person.
Mainly from this season I will be taking away that leather and tweed are still big and the trend of the oversized jacket is back, something that seems to be a common theme throughout NYFW. There is also a lot of splits in skirts and asymmetric hem lines which is something I will be looking to add to my wardrobe. Last season I added an asymmetric satin leopard print skirt to my wardrobe and it has become a staple so I'm glad to see that it is still on the runway.
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| Picture from Vogue |
Tom Ford
The next show which peaked my interest was of course, Tom Ford. If you are looking for a luxe runway to truly inspire you to be your sexy, best dressed self then you should be looking at the Tom Ford collection. No one can actually afford anything from Tom Ford but it will give you the guidance you need.Much like Alexander Wang, Tom Ford uses rich textures but it is even more exquisite: the satins are thick and provide a sheen which matches perfected with some of the fur and velvet jackets in the show. As well as the rich fabrics, the collection is also rich in colour. Tom Ford uses a lot of jewel colours with purples, emerald, deep blues paired with black.
There is so much beautiful tailoring when it comes to Tom Ford and this season is no different. One of my favourite pieces is a gorgeous satin trench coat with large lapels and sharp lines, stunning. One thing I did notice was that the models did not take their hats off as they went down the runway, something my dad would be entire opposed to as he always says you should take your hat off when you are inside. They matched large fur hats and scarves with the most perfectly pieced together outfits. I'm not a massive fan of hats but I really want one of the Tom Ford ones.
The fit of the clothes is slightly oversized. There were a couple of dresses towards the end made of a light chiffon-esque material that just draped over the models but it wasn't the usual form fitting style that Tom Ford goes for. As well as draping dresses with a slight edge due to the chain detail (that also drapes around the collarbone,) the jackets are all oversized. All of the jackets are very statement and big: there are bomber jackets, long trench coats and blazers with incredible lapels that provide sophistication. All of the women wore peep show shoes with a subtle platform which added to the boss vibes of the outfits.
As well as the fashion I do like to look at the beauty aspects of a runway and Tom Ford had a very sleek look which emphasised the sophistication of the clothes. The hairstyle is basically the sleek bun I would love to be able to recreate for my job but alas my messy bun will have to do and the bold eyes with chiseled cheeks look is something that I love. The base for the makeup was very fresh but the eyes were bold, signature Tom Ford. Tom Ford Beauty are all about bold looks and this is shown within the eyes on the runway.
Every season with Tom Ford you know you are going to see clothes that are well tailored to look effortless yet immaculate. They are classic pieces that are going to carry you through life but they do have a touch of something modern within the fabrics and the overall design. When I think of Tom Ford, I think luxe and that was what we were given this season. The styling piece that all of us should be taking away from his runway is you need a boss ass satin trench coat and some sharp tailoring.
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| Picture from Vogue |
Coach 1941
The Coach runway this season was the reason I ended up doing this post because I thought it was absolutely gorgeous. I wanted to talk about it and somehow it managed to get me out of my writing funk which is a miracle. This was one of the shows that I watched live on Instagram and instantly I felt an affinity to the collection.The designs and the colour palette are stunning and make up the style of clothing I wish I was cool enough to pull off. This season Coach have gone for a very bohemian vibe which is definitely not my usual style but the collection makes me wish I could pull it off. Some of the hair styling also built on this look as some of the models had their long hair in soft beach waves to look casual and effortless, even though we all know how difficult the tousled beach wave is to achieve.
The colour palette is almost very grunge with a lot of dark greens, navy, deep purple, burnt red and of course black. This colour scheme paired with mixed patterns creates that soft bohemian look which becomes juxtaposed against a sort of baby punk vibe. However even with the floral patterns; there is disoragansiation, different patterns on one piece of clothing which gives them disorder and gives that almost punk rebellion but with such a feminine print. As well as these two contrasting themes you also have elements of western styling with the neck ties and the pointy lace up boots. The boots are quite slim line but they sort of look like a western take on the Doc Marten style which I actually really like. These boots pair perfectly with some of the more floaty dresses to give a bit of edge, my ideal styling.
The fabrics don't appear as rich and sumptuous as something like Tom Ford. There is no satin or velvet instead the dresses have a lot of frills and ruffles and tend to look chiffom-esque, in general everything seems less structured. One thing that did provide structure, much like on the Tom Ford and the Alexander Wang runways, oversized structured jackets. My favourite jacket was a red tartan blazer style coat that looks stunning.
I would happy add every single piece of the Coach runway to my wardrobe, if I had that sort of money! I just think the designs are stunning and the pieces are actually wearable. Stuart Vevers who is the current executive creative director (since 2013) has really turned the brands image around and this season he has been helped by Kaffe Fassett for some of the patterns and textures of the pieces which seems to have been a perfect pairing in my eyes.
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| Picture from Vogue |
Self-Portrait
Self-Portrait are now well known for their cocktail dresses due to every influencer wearing them to events. Self-Portrait are a perfect example of how influencers can make a product popular. Prior to people like Victoria from In The Frow wearing these dresses I hadn't even heard of them and now they are a brand that most people who have a mild interest in fashion will have heard of.After the rise of the Self-Portrait dress with it's exquisite craftsmanship with lace and paneling, I have found myself keeping an eye on their runway. I have to say I don't always like their runway as much as the pieces they stock in store but the runway still contains the classic shaping and construct that the stores have. The dresses that they did feature all have lace of different textures and sizes. There is a lot of high neck and one shoulder neck lines which can be seen on the shelves of Self-Portrait every season. Even though there are definitely elements of classic Self-Portrait, they do seem to be taking a step away from what they known for. There is a lot of bright colours but mainly the primary colours: blue, red and yellow are used throughout the collection.
Alongside dresses, there are a lot of short/blazer combos once again bringing that very structured style to the outerwear. That is of course aided by some eighties inspired shoulder pads. Instead of heels, which let's face it these models do not need, they have gone for lace up pumps reminiscent of the Aquazzura ones which were incredibly popular 2/3 years ago. The only difference being that the Self-Portrait ones aren't quite as dainty but it was great to see some wearable shoes on the catwalk.
The beauty in the runway once again was very sleek, all the hair had been pulled back, just like the Tom Ford show. However in the Tom Ford show this seemed to emphasis the power of the clothing whereas for Self-Portrait it allowed the clothes to stand out. The models all looked very fresh skinned with a pop of blush making it seem more youthful. There was a little bit of warm eye shadow lining the eyes but a lot of the time that was covered by sunglasses anyway.
To sum up Self-Portrait my notes say: collars, frills, lace, seasonal, conservative and I think there is no better way to sum up the show. With Self-Portrait you sort of know what to expect.
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| Picture from Vogue |
The Row
The Row is not a brand I look at very often but I happened upon their runway this season and I was instantly transported to Star Wars. Looking at it, it had that Jedi robe look about it. Big turtle necks which could potentially work as a hood, shapeless coats and jumpers which drown you with neutrals making up the colour scheme. Even though this makes it sound slightly negative, it just shows something you do not see on the runway very often, comfort. I rarely look at clothes and I can imagine myself actual wearing them and not feeling like I should be going out for posh meal. The Row makes clothes that you could actually wear. Just maybe one piece at a time because I know I was would look like a marshmallow if I copied an entire outfit as I am no where near as tall as the leggy models they use on the runway.The Row is created by Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen and you can certainly see their signature styling throughout each piece. Not only that but the models wore their hair tucked behind their eyes which you see the Olsen twins wear a lot. Perhaps not something I would suggest taking into your everyday life as lets face it, this look works on hardly anyone but thank god knitwear can still be cosy! I will definitely be holding on to knitwear but I might look to add some bigger turtle necks to my wardrobe.
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| Picture from Vogue |
Philipp Plein
I don't know why I always look at the Philipp Plein show because it is always far too out there for me but maybe somewhere inside of me there is an ambition to venture into the unknown, which for me would be bold patterns and bright colours. Philipp Plein always puts on a show. From what I have seen of the runways online it is booming music with models stomping the runway with the same attitude that I have at work, they don't want to be there. Of course I'm sure the models are thrilled to be on the catwalk but there is a fierceness that the models embody which matches the clothes.There is a complete mix of genres in the show, you've got cowboy boots with tassels bringing a western vibe but this is mixed with leather and sparkles. There is also an eclectic mix of prints which you wouldn't normally put together. Big belts with big buckles. Every trend that there has ever been was showed in this runway. Not only that but the casting is very diverse with no real theme to the beauty of the models which is quite refreshing.
My favourite elements of the outfits were the red tartan patterned clothes. I love that this is seeing its return. Burberry did a similar pattern last A/W and I loved it but I think it is a pattern that the high street cannot replicate in a quality way. There was one outfit on the runway that I would have actually worn which was a white tidied front crop top with a incredibly high-waisted red tartan skirt and white cowboy boots. To be honest the boots could go but the rest of the look I loved. This outfit alone was enough for me to write about Philipp Plein, even though I'm not sold on his entire vibe but one thing can be said is that he puts on an impressive runway.
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| Picture from Vogue |
Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs have two runway styles; either completely over the top or parred back so much that you barely recognise it as a runway for NYFW and it could instead be my local fashion show. This year is a return to the extravagant with massive collars, capes, frills and all encasing outerwear. The exact style of clothes I need after a big Christmas. Each outfit seems to double in size around the bottom which is truly incredible and on some of the dresses it works beautifully. There is a black feather dress which most people would not have occasion to wear but it is completely stunning. My personal favourite piece from the collection is the coat in the picture above: the print, the colour, the shape, everything about it is carefully crafted to perfection.I actually had no intention of talking about Marc Jacobs so this has been a bit of a last minute addition to this post but you should honestly look into this runway because it has been widely spoken about online and with good reason.
NYFW is the first week of the fashion month and I would say this has already given me enough inspiration to start changing up my wardrobe for A/W19. There has been a lot to take away from the shows however I want to try and keep this part quite short so I am going to limit this to bullet points:
- Oversized jackets are the way forward but as long as they have some form of structure and they are paired with a more feminine outfit underneath
- Flat shoes are in, who needs to be uncomfortable anyway?
- Florals for A/W but dark based florals with grungy shades
- A lot of volume, Marc Jacobs showed us that volume to the bottom of your outfit is a must and this style was also presented within Coach and Self-Portrait, just not to the same extreme.
- Mix your genres with subtle hints in your accessories
- Add more tartan and satin to my wardrobe
- I need a new pair of lace up boots
When I was young, I used to buy the occasional copy of Vogue but it all seemed very far removed from anything I could see in my lifetime but through social media we have all been given the ability to see shows as they happen. Even if you miss watching one of the shows, Vogue have an extensive rundown of most shows on their website. Clearly I have just picked out the shows that I tend to look at because they will be the brands I know the best but there were so many more shows which you can look at online. Another one which I have not spoken about but it is worth checking out is the Michael Kors show.
I hope this has given you a little insight into New York Fashion Week for anyone who may not take a massive interest in it. I am thinking about doing a post like this for each fashion week so please let me know what you think about this post and if you like it, I will continue to do this type of post. I love fashion but I think the runway can be very divisive and I will be the first to admit that my fashion knowledge is not as strong as others but I try. It can seem quite intimidating but the key is to look for elements of outfits that you could see yourself wearing.
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