NYFW Fall 2013: Steven Alan

If I had to describe the Steven Alan Fall 2013 collection in a sentence it would be, "Wearable comfortable basics done right with just a hint of quirk". This is a collection that I could see a thousand New Yorkers wearing on my daily commute.

When it comes to the womenswear component there was a still small voice that took basics and styled them in a every signature Steven Alan kind of way. A shirtdress is layered over slim trousers with a turtleneck on top. A leather skirt is layered over a striped shirtdress with the shirttail peeking out at the bottom. A baggy shirt is only half tucked in to trousers with an elastic hem and topped with a jaunty scarf.




None of these pieces in their individual components would be so stand out, although very nice wardrobe building pieces. However when skillfully combined, you can see the Steven Alan woman emerge in the velvet, the nubby knits, the plaid, the windowpane and oxford shirting and in the leather.

My favorite looks are the leather skirt over striped shirtdress and the windowpane trousers and dress with trench.

While I am no menswear expert, I thought the men's presentation was very strong. Interesting subtle details like twisted plackets give a flair to the collection while soft wool, textured knits and fine wale corduroy give a lot of warmth.

Colors are muted in a range of greys, camel, olives and black with hits of burgundy and soft blue. Blazers and pants are cut on the shorter side for a informal look that is anything but sloppy. Layering throughout the collection reflected the womenswear and in a city like New York, just makes sense.

NYFW Fall 2013: Katya Leonovich

The Russian designer Katya Leonovich presented her runway show at The Studio at Lincoln Center on Saturday morning with the strong beats of Led Zeppelin's Kashmir pounding the models hit the catwalk with vigor.

The designer best known for her love of beautiful garbage and use of couture techniques presented a collection that had a deep sea feel to it - the colors were primarily swirling shades of blue and black. The black elements relied heavily on texture while the blue swirling prints were most likely created as a direct result of the designer's paintings. Some dresses were carefully edged in faux fur while on other pieces origami draping and the addition of python added visual interest. Mongolian goat fur trim was used on some of the leather pieces for dramatic and luxe effect.

My personal favorite pieces were the belted tunic, the great printed blue jacket, the black leather mini dress and the multi colored blue dress.

As for the beauty looks they were very down to earth - a sort of humble beauty with nude lips, soft smoky eyes and the hair styles of disheveled crowns of hair on each model.

Compared to previous collections this one came across to me as more down to earth and wearable. There is a softness to the shoulders, fabrications seem more tactile and the warrior-like harshness has toned back to be sharp and more comfortable. It is really nice to see the new level of sophistication that in a few short seasons I've had the chance to witness. As the designer continues to evolve it will be really interesting to see where she will go from here.

NYFW Fall 2013: Rafael Cennamo

Rafael Cennamo is not a name I had heard much about before but after Saturday's presentation at The Box at Lincoln Center, he is a name I will remember. Too often people attach the word couture to there names when the reality of the brand has very little to do with couture but for Mr. Cennamo, he understood the word completely. His eveningwear line first launched in 2006 and he has since become a celebrity favorite. With looks like these, you really don't even have to question why.

The collection entitled 21 Shades of Gold was gilded art inspired by "the passage of time with the ornate and golden aura of The Hall of Mirrors" there was a very strong baroque influence of over the top opulence and grandeur in each and every single one of the dresses. And as the title implied gold was the dominating factor creating the opportunity to showcase an abundance of texture - from gold foil to textural knit yarns to guipure lace to mesh to fortuny pleated lamé and beyond.

Dresses were molded into sculptural shapes that complemented the woman's body by adding volume to just the right places.  The draping felt a little heavy handed in the ivory/gold tiger stripe dress but for most part was well balanced and beautiful. Glittering gold beadwork created intricate style lines that led the eye around the body and made for a powerful graphic quality to some of the designs. Some of my favorite pieces from the collection included the gorgeous leggings, and dress with the warrior like shoulders and the gold v-neck dress with sunburst beading. I also was a big fan of the chunky knit gold foiled wrap shawl that had a very glamorous look to it.

Beauty was interesting with the use of sultry eyes, perfect red lips and the use of gold in the form of wrapped ribbon, cloth and even golden eyebrows around. The headpieces were fanciful and delightful in the form of giant gears reminiscent of oversized clock pieces.

I have to thank Mr. Cennamo for delighting my sense with this artful collection. It was a great way to bounce back into fashion week the day after snowstorm Nemo whipped my face raw the previous day.