Carolina Herrera

Carolina Herrera’s program notes explained that Spring was inspired by two things: the traditional clothes of Korea and botanical plates collected in the eighteenth century. For anybody who admired the elegant simplicity of her recent Resort show, that little bit of news sent up a red flag. The tall, wide-brimmed straw hats (customarily worn by men in Korea)…

Calvin Klein Collection

At his fashion show after-party at the Lion, Francisco Costa said, “Calvin once told me something brilliant; he said, ‘It’s not about right or wrong, it’s about the right time or the wrong time.’” Well, today was the right time for Costa. He’s been practicing his brand of architectural minimalism for seasons. Now that the fashion world…

Alexander Wang

“Did you notice anything?” asked Alexander Wang  at a preview earlier this week. He paused a beat. “There’s no black!” That’s right, New York’s prince of downtown darkness is turning toward the light. “I was looking for something optimistic,” he said, “something pure.”

The show began with a series of all-white looks that felt—for anyone who recalled his witchy…

Tommy Hilfiger

Tommy Hilfiger closed out not only the New York week but also an era in the tents at Bryant Park, a site that has seen him through a couple of incarnations. This Fall collection showed his latest evolution: the first time designer Peter Som is consulting on the line. Som’s involvement is surrounded by a bit of intrigue….

Marchesa

There will be lace. And sculpted organza, floaty feathers, beading, and draped tulle. For a few seasons now, queen of the red carpet Georgina Chapman has refined Marchesa’s signatures to a flawlessly executed fine point. That’s not to say that the label remains at a standstill, however. Fall was inspired by the performer and courtesan Lola Montez and her…

Calvin Klein

Today’s Calvin Klein Collection show began with a musical composition and light show by Alva Noto (a.k.a. Carsten Nicolai) specially conceived for the occasion. The room went dark and spotlights that looked vaguely like stacked vertebrae pulsated to the rhythm of the soundtrack. It was a fittingly conceptual beginning for Francisco Costa’s Fall lineup, which was pared down…

Carolina Herrera

In her last couple of outings, Carolina Herrera has explored the arty side of her oeuvre, getting baroque with her fabric combinations or heavily embellishing them. That’s been to the detriment of her refined, elegant message and, no doubt, to the quiet despair of the ladies who love it. So it was a positive development that she came…

Marc Jacobs

Just last week, Marc Jacobs president and recent Twitter convert Robert Duffy tweeted a request for set ideas for the label’s Fall show. That apparently spurred Jacobs himself into action, and he more than rose to the challenge: As the show began, spotlights picked out the designer and Duffy tearing the brown construction paper from a wood frame…

Herve Leger by Max Azria

It’s a wonder that Lubov and Max Azria didn’t turn to athletic inspirations for their Hervé Léger collection before today. The classic Léger bandage dress has a strongly sporty aspect all on its own, so adding a graphic, peak-performance element makes an awful lot of sense. “We realized that if you wear Hervé Léger, you have to be in…