At NYFW, The Girls Are Back (And They’re Wearing Purple)
Velvet dumpling bags, flask necklaces, and the women shaping what we’ll actually wear.
I’m far from the first to say it, but I’ll reinforce everyone else’s reporting that purple is preordained this season. I’m calling it “The Purple Reign”.
Glimmers of the shade have been consistent across brands: in a swathe of shades at 6397, royal at Tory Burch, and downright gothic at Colleen Allen. Is it the new “pop of color” we’re relying on in lieu of reliable ol’ red?
Maybe. But I love when I can extract something this egalitarian from the runways — anyone can integrate a touch of the shade without a heavy credit card commitment, even if it’s just a single purple fingernail, a la Phoebe Philo.
Not that our bestie red was abandoned. At Proenza Schouler, Rachel Scott’s debut collection leaned heavily on a poppy-hued “pow!” of the shade — in shagadelic leather shoes with tassels that swished joyfully with the model’s stomps, in Esha Soni’s pieced leather handbag contributions, even in a painterly swish of lipstick left intentionally unfinished on the pout.
(As I’ve mentioned here many times, Esha also has her own handbag line that is quickly becoming one of those IYKYK brands that fashion girls clock and respect. She made me one of her muses recently, and I was honored!)
The highlight of my Wednesday, however, was a presentation I didn’t even make it to: OSSOU. (It conflicted with Proenza, I will see it in person next week.) Of all the clothes I saw yesterday, this was the stuff I truly wanted. Am I biased? A little. (Co-Founders) Talia and Nina are my friends.
But I think it counts for something that I bought two OSSOU shirts last weekend with my own money—I love this line! Talia's way of thinking about color is so inspiring to me. But do a bunch of pretty pictures mean much if the fit is off? Not really. And the fit is really where OSSOU has nailed it.
Can we take a moment for the PR girls? These are the people who make fashion week happen. Wednesday, I saw one black-clad PR tactfully talking down a gaggle of attitude-laden standing-room guests at the Proenza show while I was simultaneously firing emails back and forth with Kate, who is in-house at TWP—I appreciated how great her vibe is despite having to put out a series of small fires, including a dramatic front-row seating kerfuffle. The team at Khaite didn’t even flinch when I had the utter audacity to ask for a +1 to the show. Conti, KCD, Lucien Pages, Purple, Accent, VSJ… y’all really deserve your proverbial flowers, and I don’t think it’s said often enough.
On Thursday, I began the day with the rest of New York at the TWP show. Designer Trish Wescoat Pound continues to be inspired by her love of the country and showed another round of Le Chameau boot-clad models tromping through reedy grasses in flask necklaces (!) to the tune of Bonnie Raitt. It was like someone shot an arrow straight into my Southern heart.
(I got the show playlist for you, btw.)
Today, the brand releases bags from last season’s runway, inspired by what Wescoat Pound calls “the places that hold us”—again, with that wink to the outdoors. My favorite is an oversized, tarp-fabricated, waterproof style that riffs on a life spent straddling that line between town and country.
Colleen Allen also gave us cool bags yesterday: doughy, slouchy clutches meant to be cradled in the nook of your arm like a velvet dumpling. They’re adorned with cords that allow you to tie the bag around your waist, styling it almost as a bustle-ish fanny pack (three words I never thought I’d string together).
At Maria McManus, the vibe was cozy and upbeat — both the clothes and the crowd. Maria always shows salon-style, which allows us to interact with the clothes in a tactile way, chat with the models, and grab a (much-appreciated) delicious snack. Everyone is showing fuzzy and pettable pieces this season — fur is everywhere, both on the streets and on the runways. Maria’s imagining was extraordinarily soft, shaggy (dare I say poodle-y?) but draped in structural shapes that anchor her clothes in modernity.
I ended the day at The Twenty Two with a girlfriend, recapping what we saw and giggling over Hugo Spritzes before we walked upstairs to see what Ruadh (reminder, pronounced “roo-ah”) has been working on.
Jac, ever the coolest, was swanning around in an oversized tuxedo shirt of her own design. After laying her foundation in denim, I saw lots of interesting knits and argyles — a nod to her Scottish heritage — that excited me, including a chartreuse number that begged for inky jeans.
Have you sensed a theme in my reporting? If not, I’m delighted to clock it for you: every designer I’ve seen so far this week has been a WOMAN!
Female designers have taken the city back, which is why I think all of the clothes I’ve seen so far are very grounded. I talked about this in Faran Krentzil’s piece on the subject for the Financial Times: “Daniel Roseberry at Schiaparelli is incredible, but he’s creating a fantasy. Brands like Khaite and Kallmeyer make clothes for the lives that women actually have.”
The remainder of the week? More women, baby. FFORME, Heirlome, and Kallmeyer, followed Saturday by Khaite. My estrogen and I will check in with you again in a few days, along with a full backstage beauty report.
This one’s for the girls. (Martina)
The best thing about bein’ a woman / Is the prerogative to have a little fun. (Shania)
- Fellow Southern gal who loves fashion
The big TWP bags are amazing!