As Day 1 eased us into Autumn/Winter 2010, with a variety of easy to wear, basic collections and day 2 began in much the same way. Creative director of Cynthia Steffe, Shaun Kearney, took inspiration from modern Brooklyn style with military uniformity and a hint of romance, with a modest amount of puffed sleeves and sequins. Leather kilts, roll collared knits and chunky flying jackets seemed like a retrospective of London style, with over the knee socks and fur parkas giving it a youthful, if not St Trinians, edge.
Yigal Azrouel went for something a little more mature, with a collection of smart, but not strict, tailored pieces, with subtle details like faint pinstripes and leather inserts. His dresses were clean and architectual, and the stand out pieces were by far the seperates – neatly pleited trousers, leather jackets and a new range of handbags.
Suprisingly, Michael Angel followed Azrouel in this grown up and understated vein. Renowned for his digital prints, Angel looked like he was evolving his look, with mature draped mohair jackets, alpaca skirts and angora dresses. Virtually pattern free, the collection revolved around taupes, beiges and the occasional cobalt blue – while the stand out piece was a peek-a-boo cobweb style dress.
Project Runway’s Christian Siriano stuck to old fashion glamour, with pencil skirts and leather jackets, blouses and sixties-ish cocktail dresses, but without any flourishes or stand out features, it’s clear he’ll need to develop his niche beyond feminine staples.
In stark contrast, Nicole Miller went for a more edgy and street collection of knitted skullcaps, leg warmers and biker jackets. Pretty chiffon dresses were tucked under sporty leotards and wrapped up in shiny resin raincoats.
Doo.Ri was equally dark and moody – opting for navy and black as colours of choice. A daring trouser suit opened the show, draped in black netting, and was followed by flashes of burnt orange with eveningwear beading and a deep midnight blue trench coat. While individual pieces had moments of brilliant, the overall collection seemed to lack an immediate focus.
General consensus deemed that Preen’s show was the highlight of the day, with it’s cutesy bustier dresses, cropped turtle necks and oversized blazers. Sophisticated silks and cashmere coats finished this adult and polished collection off perfectly, and Preen cemented it’s place in the New York fashion psyche even more.
Citing their inspiration as ‘crazy English guys who used to climb Mount Everest in the twenties in tweed’, Rag & Bone opened with a snug fitting waistcoat over a checked shirt, followed by tweedy jackets layered over green hoodies and white shirtdresses. Accessories included legwarmers, backpacks and stack heel boots.
Venexiana was all about the dress – from full length gowns to cocktail dresses, silhouettes were form fitting and chic, or OTT and voluminous. The stand out piece was by far a gold strapless gown with black lace underlay that would look at home on any red carpet.
The day rounded off with Naomi Campbell’s Fashion for Relief Haiti show, which raised money for survivors and expectant mothers in the area. Joined by designers Donna Karan, Georgina Chapman, Diane von Furstenberg and Daphne Guinness, as well as models Sarah Ferguson, Helena Christensen and Kelly Osbourne – the biggest news of the night was Agyness Deyn’s double fall on the catwalk! Fortunately she took both of her falls well, and simply took off her vertiginous heels to complete her walk. What a professional!
