The Great Manhattan Caper: NY Fall 2013

Yes, Capes! They are all over the runway in New York for the Fall '13 collections. Capes as chic dress covers seen at Zac Posen and Naeem Khan or as utilitarian outerwear presented by Vera Wang and Derek Lam to bejeweled boho versions at Oscar de la Renta. There is nothing quite like the movement from a long, flowing cape; it seems to add so much mystery and elegance. My favorite capes from the New York collections are the dynamic jersey versions from Donna Karan (see previous blog entry). So bold yet so feminine.

I can't help but think this trend was inspired by none other than the fabulous Tom Ford; his stunning white dress/cape ensemble worn by Gwyneth Paltrow at last Year's Oscars was at the tip of every fashion editor and fashionista's panting tongues - it was just a question of time before his vision would surface with an encore from his peers.

Now to find out what Paris, Milan and London have (or rather, don't have) up their sleeves for their Fall 2013 collections.

photos from style.com

Gwyneth Paltrow in Tom Ford

Donna Karan Fall 2013

I am so thrilled the Fall collections have kicked off today in New York! The first collection I had to review was that of one of my most favorite designers, the irreverent Donna Karan. Her brilliant silhouettes, drapery and color stories are always so inspiring and feminine.

Her collection for this fall is a sweeping orchestra of browns, charcoal grays and seductive blacks. The most powerful looks for me were the amazing draped dresses; the juxtaposition of sheer inserts, body hugging jersey drapery and the loose fluidity of the attached capes are at once wondrously lyrical, sexy and ultra-feminine. These pieces evoke to me an image of a mirage; a vision of a seductive woman traipsing through a torrid, dusty terrain, her cascading cape undulating against the wind. 

Now I want to sew capes into all of my clothes.

photos from style.com

lace, lace, baby.

Lace. Elegant, seductive and acutely feminine.   

The Pre Fall and Couture 2013 collections explored lace's ultimate elegance with a discernment for it's sexy, edgy side. Sheer lace and cutouts were seen from Michael Kors to Emilio Pucci to Valentino and back to Elie Saab; the playfulness between the alluring flashes of skin beneath the luxuriously intricate and traditional craftsmanship provided a feminine strength perhaps not typically associated with one's idea of lace.

Of course, the daring runway presentations will be mostly reinterpreted for the non-red-carpet-super-hero elite, with solid linings shielding unwitting citizens from the provocative bare flesh. Even Jennifer Lopez lined those infamous legs in her recent Golden Globe Elie Saab dress ... and it still harmonized with it's original, sexy runway version.

photos from style.com

Jennifer Lopez in Elie Saab at the 2013 Golden Globes 

I am waiting in quiet impatience for the Fall 2013 collections in the coming weeks. Hopefully, there'll be more lace.

... till then,

Mel