Five years ago I was going to get my hair done. It was my birthday and I was treating myself. The first plane had already hit the World Trade Centre when I entered the salon. By the time I left, the towers had fallen and a cloud of ash had risen over lower Manhattan. At the corner of Avenue of the Americas and 42nd Street, I ran into some buyers from Saks. The fashion shows had been cancelled, and, indeed, for a number of struggling designers the season was over.
Since then I've been surprised at how quickly the fashion industry has recovered, though I shouldn't be. Fashion exists for change and anyone who doesn't act on the words "carpe diem" will be, in every respect, out of fashion.
Youthful and sexy
Nevertheless, as another season arrives, I've been surprised at the direction of the change. Everyone seems trained on luxury, on the look of luxury, on the idea of luxury, and if that's not the kind of business they operate, they are, like Diane Von Furstenberg and Tracy Reese, busily upgrading. Though youthful and sexy, there were moments in Von Furstenberg's show during New York Fashion Week when the clothes seemed to reach for the grandness of Oscar de la Renta, and in spite of the smiles in the audience I'm not sure the decision to play royal processional music for Von Furstenberg's obligatory runway walk was all the joke it was meant to be.
Not every designer sees fashion as a series of golden steppingstones, but the fact that so many do is remarkable. It presents a narrow view not only of women's lives and interests but also of the city itself. Undeniably women love to shop and dress up and feel pretty but to look at the dearth of rich female personalities being represented on the runways -- intellectual, artistic, athletic -- is to imagine that's all they can do. The upshot is to make New York, the most cosmopolitan of cities, seem a provincial place.
At least Bryan Bradley, the designer of Tuleh, made some effort to inject deviant wit into his collection. Continuing the vaguely film noir style of last season, Bradley offered beautiful tailored blouses with belled or fluttery sleeves, wide trousers and suits in linen and bias-cut plaid with long belted jackets that looked handsome and relaxed. One of his oddest, most appealing looks was a slim navy wool coat with blocks of densely patterned flowers; they almost appeared abstract.
Although tailoring seemed to engage Bradley more than frills, he had some over-the-top numbers that evoked Shanghai. And just for the fun of it, he made a strapless evening dress from a nylon shower curtain painted by the artist Lisa Yuskavitch.
Tunic finesse
Von Furstenberg displayed finesse with shapely plaid miniskirts and loose girlish tops. Tunic dresses with wide straps were a fresh take on minimalist summer dressing and will seem a better option to many women than another cutesy-pie tent dress. Prints were abstract and bold, with shots of hot pink, and while there were a few hints of early Yves Saint Laurent in the colors and tunics, Von Furstenberg managed to make them look fresh.
After opening her show with an energetic pair of tango dancers, Reese sent out polished sportswear with rather predictable luxury effects. There were charming dresses in abstract palm prints, a tunic in chocolate brown cotton lace over snug leather pants, and some filmy print dresses that looked sexy. Reese believes in making joyful feminine clothes, but some of the natural charm gets lost in the upgrading.
Without overreaching, Lela Rose caught the mood for floaty volumes, showing minidresses and teacup skirts in white and pale colors. Blouses came with lantern sleeves, a trend this season. De la Renta can afford to hold a view of luxury, if only because he has never deviated from it. Yet in a strong hit-parade collection, de la Renta did something smart: By putting the models in flats, teasing their hair into a messy froth and concentrating on relatively soft, simple shapes, he made the clothes seems youthful and casual. Short, floaty skirts in poppy prints were the story for day, with some terrific shift dresses in white cotton piqué. There were also slim skirts in rough taupe linen with white blouses, and two-piece dresses in black and white floral prints.
Make a statement
A number of tops and dresses were gathered loosely at the back, for a more sophisticated take on volume, and instead of piling on the beads and bows, de la Renta used cream chiffon to embroider a chocolate brown silk column or to whipstitch through the grommets of a navy wool jacket. All this added lightness to the collection. A long yellow dress with a hem of black flowers made a statement, as de la Renta can do, but a plain V-neck dress in navy silk jersey was a standout.
New York Times