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Spring 09 Trends

Better late than never - let's get to the Spring 09 trends:

Ruffles:
There were ruffles at the hem, ruffled skirts, ruffled blouses, ruffled dresses - even ruffles that were vertical.  A ruffled gown is where it's at.

Color:
We saw a lot of goldenrod yellow, rusty red, poppy red, and strong, clear blues.  These are not your same old, same old colors.  Check out the new aqua, too.

Cigarette Suits:
Is this like the YSL's classic "Le Smoking"?  Well - yes, and no.  You don't need to smoke to wear a cigarette suit. But you will be smoking hot in one this spring, instead of doing the Hillary Clinton baggy pantsuit thing.  Since leggings are DEAD (yes, we said DEAD) this is the new, simple chic way to wear pants - super skinny pants, in a fabric that is NOT denim, with a matching jacket that is usually long, belted, and while very sharply tailored, and also hangs in a soft, light way - nothing bulky about it.  Oscar de la Renta's tan belted cigarette suit is drop dead chic, as are Matthew Williamson's cigarette suits in bright colors.

Beading on Clothes:
Some of the necklace detail was already on the dress - beading is back, usually as a cluster at the neck, a la necklaces.  Vera Wang both beaded her thin stiff chiffon layers AND created fabulous jewelry to go with it. 

New Prints:
They're daring, different, a little hippie-like, and they are nothing like the new artists' prints we saw for spring 08, or the dark florals of fall 08.  They are smaller, have more infusion of color, and then seem to be washed out a little.  Matthew Williamson did it brilliantly, as did Jenni Kayne, and it showed up on Diane von Furstenburg, on Barbara Tfank's evening dresses, and on a top of Philosophy by Alberta Ferretti.  We even saw printed pants. 

Fit n' Flare Dresses:
This is one way to describe a dress with a tight bodice, and a full flared skirt - that is either short or just over the knee.   This spring, f n' f is a big look: very reminiscent of the fifties, and more innocent times - and lots of the best ones were strapless.  But they also came in one shoulder, round necks with no sleeves, or short sleeved versions, in solids or prints.  Oscar de la Renta did it best, as he always does: a floral f n' f is very chic.  We also liked Philosophy by Alberta Ferretti's tan chiffon ballerina f n' f dress, with one shoulder and a full chiffon tulle skirt.  Ballerina is also a trend - check out Jonathon Saunders beautiful tulle looks and Rodarte's punk ballerinas.  Are they meant to be ironic?  Are they influenced by Carrie Bradshaw?  Or are they just pretty - and slightly new looking?  We're not sure, but we get a kick out of them.  Wonder how long it will take Paris Hilton to score one.

NY Fashion Week kicks off September

Attention, shoppers!  You know it's really fall when New York Fashion Week arrives - even though Bryant Park was showing the collections of Spring 09.  But it DOES herald that it's time to shake off the summer doldrums and start thinking seriously about fashion once again.

One of the major points of visual interest, outside of what was on the runway, was what the editors and retailers were wearing to the tents.  It was warm in NY, with a tiny bit of fall briskness just blowing in - so what did the NY'ers wear to show off their best chic to other women trying just as hard?

Dresses - the new slim cut sheath dresses, worn over the knee, often belted.  Most NY'ers wore them in solids, like grey, black and dark green - but there were some, like Vogue's Anna Wintour, who ventured into the new floral prints we've seen so much of in the magazines.  The shoes were short boots, gladiator shoes with less strap and more leather, thicker heels, and lots of ankle detail.  Leggings were GONE.  But thin opaque tights were BACK.

Jackets were back - tailored and fitted, and sweaters seemed to be on hiatus.  Handbags were handle bags, not shoulder bags (too many chiropracters probably effected that trend), often in colors like grey, purple and dark green.  Despite the big lace trend of fall, we did not see much lace.  We did see a lot of belts, and while pencil skirts proliferated, a-line flare skirts are definitely on the comeback trail.  And large statement jewelry - costume or real or both - is definitely a MUST to complete a look.

In the next few posts, I will compile a list for TheFind shoppers of what new items they really MUST have for Fall...

NY Fashion Week - Ports 1961 and Morgane Le Fay

The palette at Ports 1961 was more earth tones. There was a series of coffee colored dresses that were very form fitting - only to be worn by gym goers, and consistent ones, at that. They were layered with fur pieces, and in one case, a floor length black opera coat - which seems to be a NY must have for fall. And why not? How many women do you know with a floor length black coat? Everyone will have to go out and buy one. Ports showed the dresses with flat hair bows that are another huge fall trend - and their new shoe line of Mary Janes with gold tipped heels and rubber bows - very modern. These dresses are mostly worn with gloves - and the good news, they aren't very winter-y: so you can wear them in the spring, too.

Ports 1961 Runway - Fall 08 MBFW (Getty Images)

Morgane Le Fay, best known for their filmy wedding and black tie fairy-tale style dresses, showed a fall collection that was trend-on, and reminded us why these clothes are not just for nighttime. In mostly blacks, whites and reds, the skirts did volume in a more Japanese wrapped and origami way. The jackets were military and fitted and buttoned and in longer lengths than at most designer's shows - and therefore, more flattering. And the cocktail and long dresses were spectacular in their crafsmanship - floating chiffon pieces, laser cut bodices, and shoulder ties of chiffon that are dramatic and sweet at the same time. And they cost a lot less than Oscar de la Renta gowns - and weigh less, too.

Morgane Le Fay Runway - Fall 08 (Getty Images)

 

NY Fashion Week - Marc Jacobs and Doo Ri

Marc Jacobs, always the rule breaker-and inevitable rule maker - made his Marc by Marc line almost all about dresses -but a rather newish, or at least, oldish but revived look: short, tight in the bodice, belted and waisted, and then poufy and a-line but still quite short. It's sort of a bubble dress -but the hem doesn't curve in as much. It's a sweet look worn over black tights and boots - and he did them in pink and black and orange and black giant houndstooth. But if you're over 30, you might want to think twice.

Marc Jacobs Runway - Fall 08 MBFW (Getty Images)

Doo Ri, a rising star in the N.Y. firmament, showed sheaths in black or white in all manner of lengths - but the one that looked best was the slightly over the knee look - even when it had batwing eighties kimono sleeves. The short short dresses, particularly when they're tight -look a little yesterday. Some people in NY this week have been talking about a comeback of "the Robert Palmer video girls": tough overly made up girls with ballerina buns in skin tight short dresses. Doo Ri nearly got there - but it looks a little camp for the normal working woman.

Doo Ri Runway - Fall 08 MBFW - Getty Images

NY Fashion Week - Halston sees mixed success

Halston's brand new designer, Marco Zanini, also showed a variety of dresses that fell fluidly over the knee, too. This was Zanini's very first outing with the brand, which has had a variety of designers at the helm over the years -with mixed success.

Because the name Halston has been purchased by Hollywood super mogul Harvey Weinstein (whose wife Georgina Chapman designs Marchesa, an upscale dress label from London) and Jimmy Choo's Tamara Mellon, expectations were high - but results were mixed.

Women's Wear Daily and the New York Times gave it a thumbs not doing anything. But a black satin fluid turtleneck dress looked good, and do did the long cashmere stone colored long sleeved monastic dresses, that reminded us of early Donna Karan. But he should stick to dresses - his pants were cut way too tight, almost obscenely so. In an era of pop stars who don't wear panties, we don't need trousers that are anatomical - particularly in orange satin. The major pants trend for fall is either a forties style boy-trouser - or skinny and soft and black.

Halston Runway - Fall 08 MBFW (Getty Images)

NY Fashion Week - Catherine Malandrino

One of the questions that inevitably gets asked in the midst of New York Fashion Week's showing of fall collections is: what will the skirt and dress lengths be? What will the silhouettes be? Will we want to wear short or long, wide or slim?

Well, one very strong look on the New York runways this week is a short-sleeved or sleeveless square-necked sheath dress that is clingy but not excruciatingly tight, and goes over the knees. It's often belted, but other versions in knit over softer and skim the body. Catherine Malandrino showed this look in grey, black and pale mint green, often with crunchy rosettes at the hem to create a kind of "fishtail" over the knee. The dresses were the basis of the Malandrino wardrobe, and then were layered with nipped jackets and woolly sweaters - again, often belted. The look was donned with pumps and short socks, so the leg look here had the effect of a bootie. They come in solids and in prints.

Catherine Malandrino Runway - Fall 08 MBFW (Getty Images)

NY Fashion Week - Best shows so far

Some of the younger, newer names were stealing the thunder of the established big guys early into NY fashion week.

The several-year-old line Costello Tagliapietra had one of the best shows I saw; over the knee, short-sleeved, belted dresses with just a touch of print - accessorized with little bow hats and grey, multi-strap gladiator shoes.

Costello Tagliapietra - Runway - Fall 08 MBFW (Getty Images)

Alexander Wang went ultra-boy; showing slouchy but slim trousers, vests and little ski hats. Trousers are another big trend - not skinny jeans, not leggings - but good old fashioned cuff trousers that would make Kate Hepburn happy and Lauren Hutton laugh.

Alexander Wang - Runway - Fall 08 MBFW (Getty Images)

NY Fashion Week - Carolina Herrera and Tuleh

Both Carolina Herrera and Tuleh showed rich luxurious clothes in specific palettes. Herrera did dresses and gowns in a deep burgundy rust. Then she worked in mustards, ecrus and browns. Plaid took a new form in a windowpane check of a straight wool skirt - how late seventies early eighties is that?

Carolina Herrera Runway - Fall 08 MBFW (Getty Images)

Tuleh - another line of luxe expensive Park Avenue princess looks - went for a deep dark fuschia. The most striking look there was a fuschia lace a-line skirt over the knee, with a matching cashmere cable turtleneck. Very reminscent of Ralph Lauren's romantic period. Ladies, don't toss away your skirts; they're back! Long ones, straight ones, full ones; solid or printed.

Tuleh Runway - Fall 08 MBFW (Getty Images)

NY Fashion Week - Diane Von Furstenberg

One of the biggest trends of the fall 2008 shows in New York this week is color. If you remember, last fall was was all monastic black and grey. Then spring was a wild rush of colors and florals and artist-paint prints. Next fall will be a lovely combo of both of those - the best of both worlds. Diane von Furstenberg's fall collection wasn't her usual collection of slinky dresses; DVF decided to go all out into Prada and Marni territory. From Marni, she borrowed the look of the belted slim coat that doesn't close except by belt, over a chiffon dress.

And most dresses, refreshingly long sleeved, were in light floral prints - and the coats were tweed. This is a look Prada did years ago - that eclectic mix of prints and tweeds, all shown over thick black tights. (Designer runway trick: for true opaque-ness, wear two pairs at once.) Some call it "granny's closet" - it's eclectic, pairing all kinds of disparate elements together.

Diane Von Furstenberg Runway Fall 08 MBFW - Getty Images   

DVF also showed some full over the knee a-line skirts - a new fall silhouette - in white prints, paired with little sweater sets of different shades. It was nice to see the "line" of the body broken up again in two shades, after seeing dresses for so many seasons.

 

 

NY Fashion Week - Nicole Miller, Erin Fetherston, Katy Rodriguez

Three interesting female designers - Nicole Miller, Erin Fetherston and Katy Rodriguez - showed on rainy Friday night in NY. Miller is the queen of the moderate priced dress, and this time, she showed brocade cocktail dresses, striped dresses, floral dresses with long sleeves, cobalt sweaters with black dresses, and a couple of eighties style coats - one in bumblebee yellow - with short dolman batwing sleeves, over black long sleeves underneath, paired with black tights - it's very Stephen Sprouse eighties.

Erin Fetherston has so far established herself as the princess of cutesy; tiered princess style short cocktail dresses for twenty somethings with their first taste of nightlife. She did frocks once again - in print chiffons, pop and op-art prints, but added more grownup peacoats and capes, so that the feathery weight dresses got slightly winterized. But who needs to stay warm in a nightclub?

Katy Rodriguez is an L.A. designer best known for her bubble dresses; but for fall, she went super eighties, doing black mini suits with peaked shoulder details (looking like a hanger problem), and showed all her black pieces with orange tights and matching orange pumps. Kids; don't try this at home. It was a nice try to inject some electric juice into all those hard edged eighties style; but it's best left to a runway. Colored tights for fall? Yes. Orange tights ever? Mais non.