It’s back! Here we are, deep in the throes of winter, and suddenly a bright beacon of forward-looking creativity has returned: New York Fashion Week. It kicked off this past week with a dizzying swirl, and so far anyway, to raucous applauses.
Since last week there’s already been a staggering (and staggeringly impressive) display of velvet, a bevy of ruffles, and a certain air of romance almost everywhere. Jay Godfrey’s show exploded with ‘70s-inspired glam (and a little bit of disco) with a punk edge, and beautiful jewel tones, in varying shades of forest green.
At Desigual, the mood was very heavily inspired by the Silk Road (Asia straight through to Mongolia), with embroidery, gorgeous Ottoman patterns, turban headbands, gold brocade, loaded with the aforementioned velvet, richly decorated with sumptuous prints.
The floaty ruffles, velvet and funky hippie chic-inspired looks continued on, while adding themes of autumn royalty and funky, attitude-laden loungewear.
Case in point: At Kye, unisex styles took center stage, with electric-bright colors and a fun mixing fabrics and textures—fuzzy sweatsuits and sumptuous outfits to lounge in. The overall effect made you want to both curl up by the fire and head out to a dance club—simultaneously.
A Detacher’s braids and ruffles accentuated the collection’s layered looks. The likes of chunky sweaters over tailored culottes, cardigans that complemented details on skirts (such as buttons down the front), and elements of sportswear with ribbing details at the hem.
Nicole Miller clearly had colder climes on her mind, taking inspiration from ‘frost and folklore’ and ‘ice queen’ themes. That showed up in beautiful and vibrant knit dresses, big wool sweaters, and fair aisle patterns shown with fur trapper hats (one of the best and most buzzed-about looks of the show was such).
Milly is always a hit for wearable, feminine looks, and this season was no different. A flurry of ruffles, brocade, and baby doll styles dominated the collection, with layering of organza shirts. The femininity continued at Christian Siriano, with flowy wraps and cinched-waist dresses in intricate patterns and maxi sheath dresses of peekaboo lace. Among them were plenty of bold colors, too—mustard yellow and tomato red pantsuits stood out among the darker colors of the rest of the collection like beacons, reminding the crowds that brighter fashion times are just around the corner from our current winter.
