DAY FOUR: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2023

BY SHARON GRAUBARD & NICOLE FISCHELIS

BE MY VALENTINE

More edgy than red, more powerful than petal pink, the new fuchsia tones bring modern romance to all kinds of items. Dion Lee used a vivid hue for a pleat-detailed slip dress, styled with matching thigh-high sock-boots. Alejandra Alonso Rojas offered a tie-dyed blouse in shades of fuchsia, red and purple, worn over a draped pencil skirt, for versatile separates that can go from day into evening. Wes Gordon of Carolina Herrera was true to the label with a full-skirted party dress that exposed a bit of crinoline at the hemline. Christian Siriano’s hot pink satin suit toughened up with a sprinkling of golden grommets. Anna Sui’s little tweed jacket over a lace-trimmed slip was pure charm, all in shades of pink from pale to shocking.

LEATHER LOVE

Leather loses its rugged outerwear demeanor and becomes sensuous and supple for next fall. Brandon Maxwell tailored burnished skins into a plunge-neck maxi-dress, while Proenza Schouler gathered scarlet leather into an easy strapless number. Hanako Maeda of Adeam went for a soft-punk look with a harnessed camel leather frock over matching bandeau and flare-leg “chaps”. Coach’s Stuart Vevers was true to the house’s leather-craft history with body-skimming separates in a 70s-inflected patchwork. Bibhu Mohapatra used vegan leather for a midi-skirt that was emblazoned with crystal-studded embroidery, and Ulla Johnson enlivened an oversized leather shirt-jacket with big hand-painted flowers.

SILVER LINING

Silvery finishes reign as the metal of choice. LaQuan Smith, maintaining his commitment to high glamour, cut a crinkled metallic leather into a bra-plus-column-skirt ensemble. Anna Sui used a slightly greenish silver for her 60s-inspired mini-trench, worn over sparkly tights and silver cowboy boots. Bibhu Mohapatra’s sterling tweed pantsuit was shown with a pearly organza bow-blouse, perfect for special occasion dressing, and classic shearling outerwear at Coach got a fresh edge when awash in silver. A standout of the season so far was Proenza Schouler’s crinkled silver-plated sheath that was styled over a raw-edged underskirt, creating a look that managed to be opulent and subtle at once.

RUFFLED FEELINGS

Designers continue their love affair with ruffles, and so do their customers. Adeam brought structure to a pleated flounce look by topping it off with a sleek blazer, all in pristine white. Rodarte offered a shimmering pale green ruffle-edged tunic-and-pants set; the deep flounces at the pant-hems gave it a kicky Mod vibe. Aknvas designer Christian Juul Nielsen played with ruffles for many pieces this season, including an asymmetrical lilac dress under a matching lace-patterned coat. Ulla Johnson used dense mille-feuille ruffles for a jade green confection, and Coach added dimension to a wispy chiffon slip dress by trimming it with raw-edged strips of cascading self-ruffles.

SPONSORED BY

CURATORS

Founder/Creative Director of MintModa

Fashion/Art Forecasting and FGI Board Member

Hilldun Corporation’s CEO and FGI Board Member

DAY ONE

  • NYFW kicks off with a happy crafty vibe at Jahnkoy and Bulan, while tailoring gets an update at Terry Singh, Atelier Cillian and Libertine. Florals look right for fall at 3.1 Phillip Lim, Collina Strada and Christian Siriano, and head-to-toe black creates magic at APOTTs, Dion Lee and Jonathan Simkhai.

  • Victor De Souza’s vision is creative and unique. His collections are not affected by the passage of time, in fact they aim to harmonize the past and the present. In many respects, they are unique and unusual.

DAY TWO

  • Cargo gets elevated at Marc Jacobs, Rag & Bone and Heron Preston, lingerie looks come out from under at Dion Lee, Area and Anna Sui, denim goes artisanal at Derek Lam 10 Crosby and Sally Lapointe, and animal prints continue to evolve with butterfly markings at Prabal Gurung and zebra stripes at Alexander Wang.

  • I’ve only known about this brand for less than a year. The mother/daughter team of Cynthia and Najla Burt won me over on our first encounter. Such determination!

DAY THREE

  • Global culture is celebrated at Jahnkoy, Sea and Ulla Johnson, motorcycle jackets prove their iconic stature at Rag & Bone, Proenza Schouler and Sukiena, plaids mix mod, grunge and punk influences at Adeam, Vivienne Tam, Snow Xue Gao and Anna Sui, and dimensional sweaters rule at APOTTS, Alejandra Alonso Rojas, Melke and Eckhaus Latta.

  • Puppets and Puppets may be a cult brand at this point, but it’s drawing a lot of eyes to its thoroughly unique viewpoint. Elevated from last season's show, today I saw wearable and desirable clothing.

DAY FOUR

  • Valentine’s day gets an edge with shocking pink at Carolina Herrera and Christian Siriano, while leather goes supple and sensual at Brandon Maxwell, Proenza Schouler, Bibhu Mohapatra and Coach. Silver is the metal of choice at Laquan Smith and Anna Sui and ruffles complete the romantic mood at Aknvas and Ulla Johnson.

  • Sometimes what’s old is really new again. I’ve followed the career of Custo Barcelona for many decades and through many iterations, large and small. Now, Custo is back with the same spirit and verve that his past collections have always exhibited.

DAY FIVE

  • Minimalism offers a welcome calm with tailored neutrals from Michael Kors Collection, Brandon Maxwell and Tory Burch. Artisanal dyeing goes next level at Altuzarra, Proenza Schouler and Ulla Johnson. Silhouettes get voluminous at Bibhu Mohapatra, Marc Jacobs and emerging designer Kate Barton, while sensuous goddess drapery hugs the body at Hellessy, Jason Wu, Sally Lapointe and Dion Lee.

  • Bach Mai is not only one himself, but he designs for them! And stars of all statures. His clothing is impeccably made, dramatic, sexy, and elegant - qualities that are often hard to balance in any one garment. He does it well.

DAY SIX

  • Suitings get deconstructed at Ashlyn, Thom Browne and Luar. Fairytale characters come to life at Rentrayage, Victorian Maiden, Maison de Hoe and Ph5. Maxi-Coats stride down runways at Michael Kors Collection, Christian Cowan, Altuzarra, Proenza Schouler and FromWhere, and escapist fantasy reigns at Rodarte, Custo, Colin Locasio and La Fuori.

  • Erin Beatty has re-emerged as the designer behind the brand Rentrayage. Her former creative endeavor was the much-loved brand, SUNO. Though there is virtually no similarity between Suno and Rentrayage, Erin’s style and aesthetic permeates every piece.

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