NYFW Fall 2013: Creatures of the Wind, Timo Weiland, Kimberly Ovitz, BCBGMAXAZRIA

by The Daily Front Row

(NEW YORK) Creatures of the Wind
Sophisticated layered separates was the general M.O. for Creatures of the Wind this season, comprised of boxy jackets, tailored pants, kicky little skirts with inverted box pleats, and lots of leather. The inspirations ranged from fifties Teddy Boys to eighties post-modern furniture design collective the Memphis Group, whose influence showed perhaps most strongly in a brightly colored jacquard that bore a kind of broken-looking pattern. There were athletic touches, too, evident in stripes on the sleeve of a jacket, front zipper closures on several collared shirts, and contrasting white trim of a deep V-neck top. Backstage, label co-founder Chris Peters explained to The Daily that he had set about exploring “artificiality and its appeal.” The thoughtful treatment of kitsch territory recalled, in tone if not in any specific design, Proenza Schouler’s Spring 2012 collection, which explored the mid-century genericism of Googie architecture. Another outstanding outing for these Chicago boys! 

Timo Weiland
Themed around an American girl—a New Yorker, to be precise—on the weekend, head designer Donna Kang told The Daily backstage. Sportswear was a strong theme, with lots of tailored separates; a pair of low-slung red trousers, shown with a red chiffon shirt, was a stand out ensemble. The outerwear and sweaters also looked appropriately cozy. As the weekend day turned into evening, a selection of hip party dresses came down the runway—rather like the sparkly, Swarovski crystal-embellished one worn by Tracy Antonopoulous, the lead singer of the band Cable, which performed live during the show. They opened with a tripped-out cover of One Direction’s “One Thing.” Let the party begin! 

Kimberly Ovitz
Choosing Café Rouge on West 32nd Street as venue, Ovitz’s Fall vision yielded winning results. Ovitz turned to animals’ and insects’ natural defense mechanisms, namely the intricacies of their innate, built-in protection systems, for inspiration. (Any designer want to top that on the inspiration front?) Stepping outside of her solid zone, Ovitz showed a collection with print and color. Stand outs include new variations on the ponte dress that’s been a big seller for the L.A.-based designer, and the kaine woven blazer. Besides haute items already in Ovitz’s bag of tricks, the designer scored a first-time front row guest of serious note: Anna Wintour. 

BCBGMAXAZRIA
The history of Istanbul’s architecture, plus the stylings of southern European gypsies, lent lots to work with at BCBGMAXAZRIA for Fall, with a bit of Phil Frost‘s artwork thrown in. The palette on the runway was filled with rich blues, burgundies, and soft neutrals, anchored by black. But it wasn’t a somber, overcast showing, to be clear: a healthy dose of white kept things modern, while offsetting the darker tones. 

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