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(NEW YORK) Tory Burch
A resolutely ladylike and demure showing in mostly muted tones hues ruled at Tory Burch, cast again an appropriately stately venue, the Pierre hotel. The collection included ensembles thick with embellishment (namely, sequins and beading) plus textures like fur, velvet, and laser-cut leather. There were lots of allover prints—most notably, a black-and-white floral print that recurred throughout, which Burch herself wore in the form of a tidy V-neck shift to take her bow. Hems hit just below the knee. Many of the dresses were underlaid with turtleneck sweaters—a zeitgeist-y ’90s touch and a practical layering trick for fall.
Narciso Rodriguez
It’s a truism of fashion that everything comes back into style eventually, and it seems right now that ’90s minimalism is (finally!) getting its due. Jil is back in charge at Jil Sander, Raf is manning the fort at Dior, and Narciso—New York’s great minimalist—is on top of his game. Rodriguez showed unfussy, sexy bias-cut dresses in black, white, and jewel tones, picking up the chevron shapes of the bias-pattern pieces in the angles of jackets and separates. Hunter orange—having a moment in its own right this season—made a strong showing here. The runway flood was like a parade of pumpkin hues. For a finale, Rodriguez showed a series of evening looks (three dresses and a pants-and-a-top combo) done in black fabrics embellished with black beading. Just the right touch of glam, non?
Perry Ellis by Duckie Brown
Duckie Brown’s Steven Cox and Daniel Silver today had their second outing as creative directors of the high-end Perry Ellis line for which they’re now responsible. For Fall, it was all about restrained tailoring—two-button and double-breasted suits, and a gorgeous double-breasted unbelted trench coat in chocolate wool—and a few kickier items, like leather bomber jackets and several ensembles done in an allover paisley. Subtle military references, in that trench coat and in the use of camouflage print, ran throughout. As for accessories, it’s a shame that the blizzard kept Cox and Silver from showing the luscious-sounding alligator gloves they designed (which were still stuck in Paris at showtime, alas), but the male models did look sharp in their Duckie Brown for Florsheim monkstrap shoes.
