Goodbye to Bryant Park – Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

[highlight_text] Yet the biggest trend of the week was the return to easy and modest American sportswear, encapsulated by its classic form, clean lines, and sexy confidence. [/highlight_text]

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week concluded on Feb. 18, 2010 after presenting a flurry of Fall Ready-to-Wear collections to live audiences in the Bryant Park tents. And while fashion was the main news of the week, one of the supporting stories that earned almost as many headlines was the role of social media at the presentations. Live streaming shows, front-row bloggers, and constant tweets made the designers and their Fall lines more accessible than ever before to those spending the week outside of New York’s fashion frenzy.

It was indeed a revolutionary communicative experience, bringing fashion from the New York runways straight to the consumer. And though celebrities have long been a staple for fashion week gawkers, some designers, like Marc Jacobs, banned them from their shows altogether this year so that the focus could return to the clothes. That said, there was still plenty of eye candy from actresses Naomi Watts, Kirsten Dunst, Susan Sarandon, Demi Moore, Kerry Washington, Jessica Biel, Brooke Shields, Zoë Saldana, and a bevy of celebrity stylists and fashion editors.

Certainly, the death of designer Alexander McQueen cast a shadow over the proceedings, but there existed a sense of cautious optimism that was displayed throughout many of the week’s collections in everything from glamorous gala gowns to sportswear lines. There appeared to be a rebuff of trends, with designers forgoing previous notions of postmodern style and instead returning to subdued elegance and sophistication, with several nods to 80s flair. Muted shades consisting mainly of gray, taupe, and cream dominated the Fall color palette, along with an obsessive exploration of black in various textures.

Trends included layering, heavy knitwear, and military- and menswear-inspired suits. This was also a season of strong outerwear collections, revealing a spectacular abundance of fur and glamour. Yet the biggest trend of the week was the return to easy and modest American sportswear, encapsulated by its classic form, clean lines, and sexy confidence.

Oscar and Carolina

One cannot discuss New York fashion without mentioning the magnificent beauty of Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Herrera. Once again, Oscar dreamed up a stunning Fall line of exquisite luxury that was as rich with vivid colors as it was loaded with luxe fabric and fur like astrakhan, fisher, fox, and chinchilla. It was unapologetic in its opulence, which made the clothes come off as that much more inspirational and dramatic. De la Renta demonstrated that he is still dictating the trends, with structured suit ensembles, and coats and day skirts cut at a new length for the season, hitting below the knee. And then, oh yes, there was the finale of the red-carpet-ready eveningwear gowns, topped with fur stoles, seemingly reminiscent of a decadent and romantic era of the past.

Carolina Herrera, too, has long been recognized as a discriminating-yet-elegant tastemaker, so her equally lavish Fall collection continued to provide her particular brand of splendor. From chic daywear to dramatic evening gowns. Herrera unveiled multiple looks of luxury, using materials such as cashmere, jacquard, eel, blue silver fox, silk, and wool crepe. Exceptional pieces that earned oohs and ahhs from the front rows included ensembles where her use of intricate embroidery, beading, and appliqué took center stage. And of course it wouldn’t be signature Carolina without those sleeves. For this collection they were voluminous and regal. If you are looking for dazzling grace and glamour this fall, look no further than Carolina Herrera and Oscar de la Renta.

[highlight_text] Yet there was nothing bland on display here, it was just gorgeous in its simplicity. [/highlight_text]

The Protégé

Perhaps the most talked about show of the week was from Marc Jacobs, as he delivered the beauty of a nostalgic collection. Gone were his usual subversive theatrics. The Wintour favorite went back to the basics, focusing solely on the clothes while presenting a refined collection with classic message. It was a successful strategy that resonated with buyers and editors alike. Jacobs created head-to-toe elegant and wearable pieces, from tailored pantsuits, to 1930s-inspired silk dresses and sheaths, to fur-laden swing coats, all predominantly in a taupe-and-gray color scheme. Yet there was nothing bland on display here, it was just gorgeous in its simplicity.

Getting Sporty

Michael Kors had similar success in simplicity, as he continued to do what he does best by designing sophisticated sportswear that is refreshingly free of complication in its structure and fabrication, yet still maintains a sense of relaxed luxury. Even Elie Tahari opted for sportier pieces over his usual barrage of cocktail numbers, as did collections from ADAM and Ports 1961, both of which excelled in their respective layered knitwear.

The Classic Faves

Other New York favorites also presented classic standards to represent their labels. Donna Karan, who celebrated 25 years of design this season, reworked her signature black silhouette, producing feminine-yet-sculptured dresses constructed from various textures like stretch wool, or mixing matte with shine. Calvin Klein showed stylized simplicity, using modern fabrication and architectural structure to deliver the chic minimalism that his followers covet. Diane von Furstenberg and Ralph Lauren both celebrated prints, although in drastically different visions. Lauren’s collection was for the wholly romantic with floral prints, lush velvet-embroidered tops, and long flowing sleeves. DVF remained playful, inspired by her idea of living a man’s life in a woman’s body. Designing under the influence of the menswear trend this year, she unveiled a tailored, energetic, and print-filled collection that ran the gamut of pinstripe blazers, felted wool, and jacquard-tiered skirts, as well as organza and georgette dresses.

Some of the Standouts

There was a great show of individuality from designers Ralph Rucci and Altuzarra, both of whom produced triumphant collections, ranking high in quality and style. After a successful showing for Spring, Rucci returned to create a look of rock-star glamour with exquisitely executed detailing on everything from chiffon dresses to sable horsehair coats. At at the Ecco Domani Fashion Show, designer Joseph Altuzarra also offered exceptional fashion, particularly by way of his form-fitting leathers and shiny goat fur coats. Investing in pieces from these collections is sure to bring an element of sleek-and-sexy femme fatale to your fall wardrobe. Similarly, there was a wealth of ingenuity from Thakoon, Alexander Wang, Derek Lam, Phillip Lim, and Helmut Lang, whom all continued to push the boundaries of fit and form through various urban themes, offering a cool edge through layered separates.

Of course, fall is a season full of special occasions and there was no shortage of beautiful dresses, whether a cocktail mini (Narciso Rodriguez, Jason Wu) or a red-carpet gown (Monique Lhuillier, Vera Wang, Badgley Mischka), all of which had front-row socialites clamoring for more.

In a fitting end to New York Fashion Week, Tommy Hilfiger, a quintessential American designer, closed with his latest collection as almost two decades of fashion under the tents in Bryant Park came to an end. The shows will be moving to a new home at Lincoln Center next season. To quote Vogue editor Anna Wintour: “Bryant Park became the beacon of what New York fashion stands for—an industry that’s fearless, tireless, and always moving forward.”