The Michael Kors S/S 2013 collection was quite minimalist as expected. The designer described the collection as having "geometric glamour" and I completely agree.
The show started with simple, long-sleeve tops with horizontal lines for both men and women.
Rounded, rectangular belts were seen on coats throughout the collection. the coats and the bags were definitely the focus of the show as Kors teaches us how to do jackets throughout the summer.
As you can see, the small satchel bags have metal panels on the side which is quite unique. There's no detailing on the front but rather on the side, to maintain the simplicity perhaps?
The look below is really cute and perfect for S/S evening-wear. Thin, metal belts are everywhere...
Lovely A-line, pleated skirt with a sheen and a short-sleeved blouse with gold button details, accompanied by a white satchel, a white belt and white shoes.
Towards the end, there were a couple of black dresses which were quite nice to finish off the collection with as you can really see the geometric theme with the cuts around the hem on the first and the neckline on the second.
Oscar de la Renta's highly anticipated S/S 2013 collection has hit the NYC runway.
Admittedly, when I saw the first few outfits, I wasn't sure whether I would see the same works of art this designer can produce time after time, it worried me slightly. However, the show definitely reached its peak during the mid-point and onwards.
At the begining, we saw many workplace looks as pencil skirts and suits were apparent and I must say, I was particularly taken by the white blazer and trouser with a plunging neckline.
The theme of crochet lace was evident afterwards with its appearance on jackets and tops paired with pencil skirts. As we saw this, the colours popped out of nowhere, lots of yellows and bright pinks, very summery.
Romantic and elegant are words that came to mind by this point of the show.
We saw flashes of statement jewellery with large, black floral necklaces and earrings.
Then, I saw Oscar de la Renta shine as it should. We saw pastel blue dresses with crystal bow belts that screamed "girly" and a gorgeous jacket with fabric roses all over combined with a structured skirt.
I couldn't take my eyes off the black gown which glittered down the runway as the detail on it was exquisite.
Then we had the shimmering silver tops and skirts accentuated with a metallic waist-cinching belt and a small clutch.
The strapless, floor-length dress was probably one of the best looks of the night, in my opinion, the look is simple, the belt is simple but it's SO elegant and it would make anyone look like a million dollars with the way the dress trailed off at the back.
In hot pink and baby pink, I loved these two playsuits, especially the peplum detail on the pastel pink one.
Overall, I think de la Renta did a wonderful job with this collection. The colour scheme worked nicely together, the looks were sophisticated, sexy and elegant, and you weren't able to undermine the femininity of the looks which show off the female figure.
This S/S 2013 show was beyond beautiful, with the focus on gowns and some shorter looks.
Naomi Campbell modelling a knee-length, floral dress. Very 1940s.
A rich shade of fuchsia seen on a peplum jacket and mid-length lace skirt.
A simple but sophisticated ballgown-style dress. Notice the detail on the mid-section of the dress, love the subtlety.
I think the top part of this look is absolutely gorgeous, the sweetheart neckline and the net frills really define this bustier. I think the trousers are a nice break from the dresses but perhaps if they were slightly less loose, the outfit would be a bit more fluent?
What to say about this dress, it screams Oscars! I adore how this dress is so bodycon until the trail where it flows off the runway.
Now this is a killer closing dress. Coco Rocha models this extravagent wedding-style gown which has a plunging corset and three layers of gorgeous white fabric which plummet down the model's tiny figure.
I think it's safe to say Zac Posen outdid himself with this RTW collection.
Initially, I tried to do this post last night but my live stream for the DVF S/S show kept freezing so here is a brief summary of what I thought from last night, which by the way, was packed with everyone from Andy Cohen to Joe Zee to Sarah Jessica Parker.
To say I loved this collection would certainly be an understatement because I just simply adored it.
Metallic lips were everywhere to capture DVF as they should.
Electric, bold and fun prints were everywhere on this runway with colours that really popped, vibrant reds, blues, pinks and a lot less black and white than we've seen so far which was a pretty nice change.
This cut-out nude, shift dress is one of my favourites:
DVF does maxi dresses elegantly and this dress is gorgeous with the deep orange colour and the light, chiffon material.
Sequins and shimmer were used tastefully, as seen below in this long, loose dress covered in shimmering embroidery.
I really like this combination of the colours here and maybe I'm saying this because it's on a stunning model but the blue actually works quite well with the deep orange/red colour on the bottom. Cute, jewelled clutches were also seen during the show.
The signature trouser suit was also displayed in an edgy, modern way with an all-over polka dot look and a slouchy shoulder bag.
I was particularly fascinated to see some of the models wearing the Google Glass glasses, a device that is worn like glasses and is able to take pictures, record videos, send messages etc. The next big thing basically. Even DVF was wearing a pair when she made an appearance at the end and pulled up Sergey Brin, Google's co-founder to join her on the runway.
My eyes were glued to my screen as I was watching the Alexander Wang S/S 2013 collection.
Literally glued.
Even the soundtrack was amazing.
The runway was a cleverly formed masterpiece with markings and scratches on the surface to capture the feel of the show; downtown NYC, street style.
Blacks, whites, nudes and silvers were the colours of the night but what Wang did with these colours was just beautiful. Clean edges, frontal zips and net fabrics, the collection was edgy to say the least.
Light leather was seen once again and I must give credit to Wang for making this trend work here, throw-on jackets were seen as well as leather shorts with a snakeskin-print look.
Even peter-pan collars were seen in a modern, innovative way:
I am in love with the look below, look how artistic it looks and the way the fabric flows down the model is stunning.
The set-up of the show was nothing I've ever seen before. The models wearing white strutted down the runway and took their spots at different, spaced-out sections. When the lights went off we saw their looks transform into glow-in-the-dark, colourful pieces. Fab.
As the models walked down the BCBG Maxazria catwalk, we saw leather harnesses on light, flowy fabrics. This contrast works really well especially for a S/S collection as light leather seems to be a huge hit. For instance, here we see a light, leather cape jacket paired with sheer lace, another trend that's bound to big next year.
Blacks, nudes and whites were the main colours of the show and although these shades don't exactly pop, they fit BCBG really well and I would say the collection was pretty elegant.
Structured and refined are words I would use to describe this collection as we see every look polished off with bold shapes and cut-outs.
I'm not too sure about the weird ankle pieces though...
Large, statement envelope clutches were seen on the runway which I LOVE and I'm so relieved that they will still be staple fashion items.
Lastly, as we look at the necklines of the dresses, I notice that there are plunging looks with a covered-up twist, which I admire. The look above has a lace insert which is sexy but still classy. "I don't think you need to show a lot of skin to be sexy", says the designer herself and I couldn't agree more with this collection as S/S is the time you would expect to see the most flesh but this could change it all.
During my last post, I briefly reviewed See By Chloé's S/S 2013 collection and it got me thinking about the use of virtual runways...
I think I understand why designers like Ralph Lauren and Dolce and Gabanna are opting for a virtual runway experience, yet for those who are invited to view these screenings, I don't think anyone can say it's the same as getting the atmosphere of being next to the models walking down a runway right in front of your eyes.
Nevertheless, it does give designers the option to live-stream the shows to the public, thus allowing them to collect thousands of viewers onto their websites and social media pages which is profitably viable. Viewers could share the runway looks on Facebook, tweet their opinions, pin their favourite looks. The spread of information just increases and increases and the brand is out there everywhere. Many are also drawn to purchase runway looks directly on the sites as options are given for the viewers to purchase straight after or whilst the show is aired. This is a great marketing strategy in itself. Convergence of new media technology has made the purchase and transaction of exclusively released pieces so incredibly easy, it'd be hard for fashion devotees to think about resisting. In 2009, David Lauren, Polo Ralph Lauren's marketing chief told Time: "The cost of a fashion show has become prohibitive, and because of the economy, fewer members of the press and buyers are making the trip to New York to see the show." Naturally, designers are going to be saving a hell of a lot of money if they choose to use e-media to debut their collections but for some shows, I think we need to keep the original format. I mean, I could never see designers like Chanel doing anything like this and I think it should stay that way. After all, we need the sensational locations and the details of everything, including who's there and who's not!
