new york fashion week, day two, part two

Koi Suwannagate
Koi Suwannagate really does do knit and cashmere well. Her Fall 09 collection offered up some of her (in my opinion) best work. Oversized boyfriend sweaters and cardigans are what held my eye, and the addition of vintage buttons showed off well in the natural light of the Morgans Hotel where Koi showcased her collection. The cigarette pants turned out well, especially given that they were made of lycra, but they could have been just a tad skinny at the ankle. And, of course, Koi’s signature rosettes were everywhere in her collection.


Lacoste
Ah, American sportswear. That’s the definition of Lacoste. Or, rather, Lacoste is the definition to American sportswear. The collection for Fall 09 was a much more comfort cozy feel, with a lot of layering and really soothing colours (there was a lot of cream, plae blues, greys and yellows). The Lacoste house always creates pieces that are very wearable and exemplify the entire “ready-to-wear” label, rather than something much more trend setting or fashion forward. This type of casual doesn’t do much for me, even though I can appreciate some of the individual pieces, specifically in the menswear, but it’s not just me who is the target audience. I’m not even American!

Ohne Titel
This is one serious black attack. Like many other designers, the duo, Alexa Adams and Flora Gill of Ohne Titel, decided to darken things up a little more than usual. While many of the structuring and styling details of their Fall 09 collection are similar to previous, the entire mood shifted from something much more airy to this eerie sense of dark and beautiful. Some of my favourite pieces include the zipper cut trousers, the fur blazer, the gorgeous ruffle topped over the knee leather boots, and the body-con minidresses.

Ruffian

Ruffian is back to what they do best: dressing a lady like a lady. Or, rather your typical definition of a lady, you know, the whole glam’d up evening wear complete with lace, frills, sleek tailoring, and everything from beaded dresses to silk ruffles. Brian Walk and Claude Morais of Ruffian pulled together a thirty three look collection that sort of made me wish I was invited to events that I could dress this well. Or, this put together, at least. While there was a sea of dark tones for fall making their way down the red carpeted catwalk, my absolute favourite look was the final cocktail dress: a mini, just as red as the carpet with this gorgeous gathered taffeta bust, with a one piece sheer polka-dot leotard underneath. Stunning.

Threeasfour
Here is my deal with Threeasfour: I used to love them. I really, really did. And then the Spring 09 collection was just a total let down, filled with far too many neon colours, and I feel as if this season’s Fall 09 collection is just a revamp of colour palette from spring, to fall. The same shapes that came down the spring runway last September are just the same as those that walked last week. The dresses seem as if they are simply hanging on the models, and, while I am sure they are made of some of the most exquisite materials and the finest tailoring goes into each piece, I just can’t get over the fact that there is not one single piece that I’ll be remembering. Well, aside from the bandaged heads.

Much love,
s.

Images c/o Style