WOMEN COLLECTIONS A/W 2018.19

The New York Times rightly spoke about this being a “quieter” New York Fashion Week. By the way, lots of parties made up for it, like the one put on by Philipp Plein, a rave held in a giant hangar with artificial snow and UFOs, which also featured in his earlier runway show. With the post-show parties taking up more space than the collections themselves,” and a sense of “” caused by various factors. In addition to many designers leaving the Big Apple for more commercially attractive cities like Paris and London, NY Fashion Week is also in the throes of a two-pronged , both because the founders of the brands that made it big are getting on in years and because social media has placed the focus squarely on a generation that sees taste different from its predecessors. Take street looks for example. Many of those outfits are, absurdly, posted on the internet before they even get to the street and are based on that is not always good taste, but they have taken designers banking on their brand of by surprise. Michael Kors used to be a clear exponent of that ‘American sportswear’ that is sporty yet comfortable, casual yet refined. However, his latest collection bowed to the diktat of Millennials, influencers and bloggers, including a and of and pieces with or bon-ton and a very combination of slip dresses and biker boots, which is not at all new. Ralph Lauren Collection also lost its hallmark aesthetic, with its ‘see now, buy now’ collection even putting an twist on evening wear, with long dresses in primary colours inspired by yacht sails. Where has the brand’s unattainable upper class charm gone? Now it seems it only takes sundresses and to keep a privileged girl on holiday in some exotic resort happy. Above all, it seems that all you need to make a look eye-catching is to add a , whether it’s a , a on any kind of trouser or , as Victoria Beckham did, making them in leather to add a chic touch. went crazy; with or without stirrups, covered with and , as seen at Alexander Wang, or in gaudy colours and/or animal patterns, as seen at Tom Ford, another designer who sacrificed a bit of his customary glamour for , even though they were glittery, and psychedelic . 3.1 Phillip Lim also offered assemblies but they were for luxury nomads that mixed , neck scarf silk and . So where will the New York Fashion Week vessel come ashore in these choppy conditions? Perhaps Raf Simons has the answer. At the creative helm of Calvin Klein 205W39NYC, he explored American history and its fashion, from (a sexy version) to work uniforms, to and gloves fit for a Moon landing, reminding us all that fashion must look to its pillars if it wants to move forward to the future.