Our greatest hits from New York Fashion Week. By Christene Barberich & Piera GelardiFashion Week in fall is always a little jarring. Most of us are still re-programming ourselves out of the slower pace of summer, and then the Tents go up, taxis disappear, and fashion is once again in session. Perhaps in keeping with the frenetic pace, the recent spring/summer shows conjured a lot of strong opinions. Critics, buyers, and enthusiasts loved or hated them. And many called the collections a disappointment. We don't agree. Even though the economy is in the shitter and loads of designers are being a tad more conservative with their output, we discovered several shows that revealed vitality and risk in good measure. In particular, we loved the pattern of opposing forces at work: Some designers went soft and feminine, while others embraced sexy, hard-edged, and angular; some went with black or inky winter shades as the other side adopted powdery pastels. The yin-yang excited us, and as a result there were a lot of top moments to choose from. Here we go…again—our top 16 trends of NYFW…get 'em while they're hot.
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1. The Malibu Palette—Warm, sun-kissed shades of melon and hot-pink had a Miami Vice feel in a good way. From left: Alexander Wang, DKNY, Shipley & Halmos, Alexander Wang
2. More Elegant Jumpsuits—We were on the one-piece track a few seasons ago…and we still are. Thankfully, these designers are, too. From left: BCBG, Derek Lam, Catherine Holstein, 3.1 Phillip Lim
3. Peek-a-boo Sheers—Instead of looking tacky, these sheers felt avant garde, revealing just a hint of skin through abstract designs and burnout shapes. From left: Alexander Wang, Preen, Alexander Wang, Juan Carlos Obando
4. Sculptural Ruffles—We'd even call it the Season of the Ruffle, but these artful waves and curves were our favorite fantastical interpretation. From left: Preen, Karen Walker, Preen, Yigal Azrouël
5. Short Suits—Want 'em. All. From left: Alexander Wang, Daughters by Obedient Sons, Karen Walker, United Bamboo
6. Modern Harem Pants—The zoave trend has evolved into a series of full, sensual, totally grown-up trousers, some long, some ankle length, and we love them all.From left: Yigal Azrouë, Proenza Schouler, Phi, Ralph Lauren
7. The Jimi Hendrix Experience—Lace-up legs…we want to see more of them! From left: Preen, Preen
8. Obi Belts & Waist Ties—It was interesting to see everyone's obsession with belts turn to more organic knots and ties. We're into it. From left: Chris Benz, Marc Jacobs, Karen Walker, DKNY
9. Zipper Detailing—Again, we thought it was daring to use zippers in so many unusual ways. We even liked them in the less unusual ways, too. From left: 3.1 Phillip Lim, Preen, Rag & Bone, Preen
10. All-over Ruffles—If you're going for a lot of ruffles, we say Go For It. From left: Yigal Azrouël, Preen, DKNY, Zac Posen
11. Still Loving Sequins—Can't stop wanting them and wearing them. And these new spring styles were spot on. From left: 3.1 Phillip Lim, Vena Cava, Proenza Schouler, 3.1 Phillip Lim
12. One Shoulder—The more formal shoulder-baring looks were loads more interesting than the casual one-shoulder T-shirts we saw. From left: Calvin Klein, Rag & Bone, Marc Jacobs, Derek Lam
13. Shine On—It was interesting to see so much experimentation with iridescent shades. It was a fresh switch from metallics. From left: Derek Lam, Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren, Derek Lam
14. In the Nude—Even more interesting than spring/summer's ode to black was the infinitely sexy use of nude. We loved it. From left: Catherine Holstein, Karen Walker, Narciso Rodriguez, Yigal Azrouël
15. Courreges Shoulders—Did anyone else spot a lot of these? Sort of 60s, very Courreges. From left: Proenza Schouler, Narciso Rodriguez, Proenza Schouler
16. Invisi-Skirts —On the heels of peek-a-boo sheers, invisible dropped hems had a subtle seductiveness that was majorly sexy. From left: Preen, Frank Tell, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Alexander Wang
Our greatest hits from New York Fashion Week.
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