Fall/Winter’08 

If things go according to what we’ve been seeing on the runway, fashion devotees will be stocking up on a whole lot of plaid, belts and purple clothing when fall makes its way around again.  Those three trends were extremely prevalent during fashion week, making their appearance at practically every show.  Menswear got into the act as well, mainly by sending enough plaid down the runway to give attendees vertigo.  All those criss-crossing stripes moving around can be a dizzying experience for observers.  Read on to see how your favorite designer approached the fashions of fall/winter 2008.

Scotland:  A nation with a long history of wearing plaid fashions; no wonder designers were looking to them for inspiration.  Akiko Ogawa channeled the country’s traditional plaid patterns, a bit of military design, as well as a cool rock and roll sensibility for a visually stunning collection.  Grantedly, this is not clothing for the faint of heart.   You will not see the “ladies who lunch” sporting this for their charity galas.  What the collection is: downtown, edgy and chic.  She combines all these elements without taking things too far and making her clothing unwearable.  A truly fascinating amalgamation Scottish history with modern design.  Ports 1961also named Scotland as an inspiration for their collection, but they did it in a less “in your face” way.  While there were a few plaid outfits, the Scottish influence could be seen more in the knitted details of some of the pieces and the knitted accessories that accompanied many of the looks.  It was a pretty and feminine collection that also featured many nature-inspired print dresses.  Ports 1961 capped off their Scottish theme with a parting gift for their guests.  A knitted traditional Scottish good luck charm that can be worn around the waist or perhaps even as a necklace.  Judging by the baffled looks on the show-goers faces, this particular piece of information did not make its way around the tent.  In all honesty, this writer too was in the dark as to what we had been given.  Luckily, designer Loris Diran was in the audience and was able to clue us in.

Diane Von Furstenberg:  The queen of wrap dresses presented a vast array of (yes, you guessed it) dresses in a variety of prints.  Along with that, she also showed you ways to accessorize or change the look of the DVF dress; which is useful, since practically every woman has at least one of Von Furstenberg’s dresses in her closet.  It was belts galore at this fashion show.  Girls were outfitted in dresses with belts or dresses with either jackets, cardigans or sleeveless long knit sweaters and then belted on top.  So remember to make a note of this when shopping, this season’s dresses + layers, definitely = a belt.

Douglas Hannant:  Here is a designer that is often a bit too conservative and mature for my taste, so this collection was pleasantly surprising.  By no means was it risky or avante guarde, but dress after dress seemed that it would be just as flattering on a young woman as it would be on her mother.  That is a difficult line to straddle.  Overall the collection felt more youthful than previous ones seen from Hannant.  He sent out a large spectrum of dresses ranging from cocktail frocks to red-carpet ready gowns in practically every jewel tone imaginable.

Lacoste:  The brand and its designer brought the classic preppy look to life on a white faux fur accessorized runway.  The front row was also treated to fur covered seating.  Something that did catch my eye was some of the monochromatic looks (mostly grays and other neutrals) that featured sweaters draped over jackets on top of long sleeved shirts or turtlenecks.  Perhaps this is interesting to me because Lacoste is a brand known for lots of color.  Another amusing moment occurred when the school girl outfit came down the runway.  It looked almost exactly like the uniform I used to wear for school.  This could be an effort on Lacoste’s part to promote a new division in their brand: private school uniforms.

Nautica: Once again Nautica was responsible for kicking-off fashion week.  All the looks that came down the runway fit perfectly with what one would imagine that the Nautica man would look like and dress.  He is sporty, rugged, all-american, stylish but not too trendy and good-looking but not too pretty. 

Peter Som:  He always presents a good collection.  The two things that stand out in my mind about this particular one is rouching and asymmetry.  Proper fit after a dress or blouse has been rouched or pleated is difficult, but Peter Som rises to the challenge.  The asymmetrical necklines of some of the dresses are also very eye-catching.

Malan Breton:  Malan, of Project Runway, fame makes his debut in the tents with this collection.  Having shown for several seasons already, the designer is constantly striving to prove that it is not just reality tv exposure that has gotten him this far.  This time he sticks to simple, traditional and elegant silhouettes and cuts.  Prints and colors are kept to a minimum with many of the outfits consisting of a two color combo at most.  The collection seems very Audrey Hepburn with its simple cuts, gloves and little black dresses.

Vivienne Tam:  Vivienne Tam is a designer famous for constantly displaying her Chinese heritage in her clothing line.  Being proud of and feeling connected to your culture is a wonderful thing, but it has both helped and hurt her in the design business.  This connection to her roots has made her practically a household name back in Asia, but it can be a tad prohibitive when catering to a Western market.  We have witnessed Tam try to find a balance between her heritage and creating something that is ready to wear for all cultures these past few seasons.  She has steadily been moving away from where the theme of Chinese culture echoes loudly on every thing she touched to it beeing a subtle influence or interpretation in the collection.  It should also be noted that Tam too couldn’t resist sending out some purple and plaid.  She kept many of the silhouettes very simple and instead used stiching, cut-outs or layering patterns to create depth and interest.  She has included some very intricate floral and zen inspired patterns onto her clothing.  Here is a collection of dresses and looks that anyone would feel comfortable wearing to dance the night away in a trendy club.  

Zang Toi:  Zang Toi never fails to deliver a visual experience with his shows.  He is a designer that knows his clients well and knows exactly what they want to wear.  This time he has his socialite clients jetting off to a ski chalet, and he has their outfits planned for every occasion: on the slopes, relaxing by the fire, dinner with friends and even formal parties.  He was even thoughtful enough to throw in some ensembles for their male counterparts should any of these couples have a Beckham-ish fervor for his and hers matching outfits—Caren Kong.