NYFW FW13 Highlights

Alexander Wang

3.1 Phillip Lim

3.1 Phillip Lim

Alexander Wang 

Alexander Wang

BCBG Max Azria

Band of Outsiders

Band of Outsiders

Behnaz Sarafpour

Calla

Billy Reid

Chadwick Bell

Creatures of Comfort

Creatures of Comfort

DKNY

DKNY

DKNY

DKNY

Karen Walker

Karen Walker

Karen Walker

Lacoste

Lacoste

Lacoste

Lacoste

Lacos

Milly

Milly

Milly

Milly

Patrik Ervell

Patrik Ervell

Proenza Schouler

Proenza Schouler

Proenza Schouler

The Row

The Row

A shit ton of black, a shit ton of leather, and a shit ton of fur...I wouldn't have my New York Fashion Week any other way. Although my entire wardrobe only consists of these three things, many collections were repetitive, and overall, designers lacked originality and creativity during this year's fall/winter collections. This season was all about the structured overcoat. Of course statement outerwear is an essential for any fall/winter collection, but these coats were dramatic, oversized, and done in a wide array of fabrics (often times mixing fabrics) and shapes. I was also very happy to see vibrant splashes of color this week. Many designers successfully transitioned spring and summer color palettes (pastels, yellow, cobalt), into the fall and winter seasons. And to contrast all of the black that is oh so famous on New York runways, white was very prevalent this season, as it was in spring/summer 2013 collections. 

One collection that pleasantly surprised me this season was Lacoste. Judging by their tennis, preppy vibe that they've become famous for, I expected nothing more than this this year, but that wasn't the case. The collection was modern, featuring pops of tangerine under monochromatic looks, glacial graphic prints, and perfectly structured pieces that gave NYFW the sporty and cool breath of fresh air that was desperately needed. 

I was also really impressed with DKNY, Proenza Schouler, and 3.1 Phillip Lim. Lim's entire collection looked head-to-toe lux, mixing punchy, saturated tones, with some of the most beautifully worked leather of the past week. Honorable mention goes to The Row, Creatures of Comfort, and Milly. Although Wang had a few stand out looks, overall, the collection wasn't as strong as I anticipated, considering how powerful the spring/summer collection was. Wang is, and has been one of my favorite designers because of his downtown, cool, effortless design aesthetic. I hope that him becoming the head of Balenciaga won't lead to the downfall of what we love so much that makes Alexander Wang Alexander Wang. Other disappointments of the season were Marc by Marc (vintage collegiate cool...I get it), Jeremy Scott (how is he even still relevant...Betsy Johnson falls in this category as well), Michael Kors (this collection looked like how you would picture the future if you were living in 1983), and Rodarte (like wtf). 

NYFW has lost it's excitement, attitude, and New York grit over the past few years, and definitely isn't my favorite. I am waiting patiently for the Paris and Milan shows...that's when we'll see everything we live for during fashion week.

***I do not own any of these photos. They were all taken from Style.com