Here we go again, breathlessly zig-zagging through the latest updates of our tireless, self-reinventing muse – Fashion! In other words, the pre-fall collections are breaking through, some of which present themselves as ‘continuations of spring’, others as pure Sptember-through-November delights! Holidays are always the perfect excuse for wide-eyed wishes, optimistic plans for the year to come (yees, we cannot resist making the same mistake over again – I wonder how many of us actually even remember those New Year’s Eve plans and wishes, once life gets back to its boring course) and… gifts! Tons of gifts, I tell you. Even if most of them don’t get to be finger-tipped at all. The greatest gift for me is having the time and peace of mind to indulge in the latest fashion, so pre-fall has come right on time! Can’t imagine anything better than browsing through style.com near the Christmas tree and a plate of cake drowned in chocolate! (Well, forget the cake, the biggest nightmare would be not being able to slip into my party dress on New Year’s Eve:) )

Chanel

The more time passes by, the more I realise that Karl Lagerfeld’s outings for Chanel are summed up by meticulously crafted fantasy, based almost entirely on a distinguishable theme, rationally developed through very elaborated detailing and unexpected textures, while the clothes themselves are actually quite simple and classical – the signature Chanel smart skirt suit, the tweeds, the simple tops and dresses, the statement bags, the two-toned shoes – all done with a twist, here and there. This time Mr. Lagerfeld turned to India for inspiration, although, as he himself stated, he’s never been to India, which is quite funny because most of the designers who incorporate ethnical references in their collections are inspired by their trips. Still, most of the looks at Chanel were brilliant – I was especially wowed by the pant suit with layered blazers and by the (re)interpretation of the harem pants.

Carolina Ferrera

The slightly toned-down note of pre-fall is probably due to the retail-friendliness that these clothes bear, and also because the amount of work necessary to stay committed to the huge expectations for the fall/winter and spring/summer seasons is unimaginable. Still, even the designers choosing to stay within their comfort zone can hardly deliver something less than covetable. Although Carolina Ferrera’s outing wasn’t so unexpected and new, it encapsulated the best of her house: perfect midi and maxi dresses in utterly elegant colors and fabrics, exquisite outerwear and evening gowns ready to hit the red carpet. Ladylike at its fullest potential!

Jason Wu

Jason Wu is among the increasing number of designers who have started to treat the pre-collections every bit as seriously as the main fall and spring ones, and this shows in every one  of the 35 remarkable looks from his pre-fall collection. Wu cited Indian maharajas and the illustrations of Charlie Harper as inspirations, and I couldn’t help but notice a touch of Frida Kahlo as well – especially in the hair and make-up. The result – structural, smart tailoring with great attention to details and texture, and perfectly crafted, hand-embroidered evening gowns.

Michael Kors

As far as I can remember, it may be the first time that I happen to be very much into a collection by Michael Kors. His signature American casual minimalism is usually less than mind-blowing, but this time around, Kors went a bit farther than that, with an unexpected mix of uptown chic ensembles (despite of the Western influence, as seen in accessories- cowboy hats, boots and belts), pairing together utterly versatile separates. We can already spot a number of must-have pieces for the New York gals strolling around the Upper East Side: a statement coat (be it structural and simple, in pop-up orange, with a fur collar, or with a touch of wit (see the one with the deconstructed collar or that one with lace insert), a draped skirt/dress with that amazingly flattering ‘short in the front, long in the back’ effect, a two-toned fur vest or skirt, and nevertheless, a harnessed bag – instant retail hit, I’d say.

Oscar de la Renta

Oscar de la Renta is best known (and most beloved by red carpet veterans) for his way of celebrating womanly shapes and natural elegance – we could call him the New York based Valentino – , by means of creating exquisite pieces with a clean cut and a luxury approach to fabric and beading, whilst also incorporating color and print . This collection revolves around the house’s signature hits: lightweight silk dresses in sorbet colors, embroidered and bright-colored coats, taffeta puffed skirts, heavily beaded couture gowns. Standouts were also dresses and skirt suits in Rothko-esque prints and flare trousers in yellow or blue.

Reed Krakoff

Reed Krakoff has been thinking a lot of uniform dressing – hence the development of his formerly used baseball shaped tee, translated into structured sweaters and coats, made of panels of wool, leather and felt. The color pallette is simple, but used to its best potential: black&white, grey and brown, vibrant green and peach pink. The accessories are also as amazing as it gets: pointed heels with a razor-like high heel and glossy frame bags.

Thakoon

Thakoon’s pre-fall number is fresh and dreamy, like the first days of autumn chilly breeze. The silhouettes are girly, almost like schoolgirl uniforms (pairings of wool panelled sweaters with puffed full skirts, preppy  shirtdresses with wool sleeves, jackets with boxy sleeves and wool coats with fur insert). As usual, the colors (pastel earth tones) are the perfect add-up to these extremely wearable, witty designs.

…To be continued, I’m heading to style.com as we speak, to see what the Proenza Schouler guys have been up to lately.

Cheers to everyone!

For me, the best months of the year are September and February, and the reason is rather easy to guess: Fashion Week! The much anticipated change in season works for my mental state like vacations and job promotions would for fairly everyone else. During those periods, my enthusiasm for every day stems from the fashion whirlwind in which I get instantly thrown the moment I get out of bed, the first page I open is style.com, my every meal  is taken in front of the PC screen, and my last thoughts before I fall asleep are fed by the very eclectic imagery provided by the engaging fashion week experience.

Now, more than a month after the last girl walked down the Miu Miu runway (which basically closes Paris FW each season), I’ve taken some distance from that intense preoccupation with fashion’s next best thing, but the material I’ve been collecting for the blog promises to brighten up my days yet again. I’ve chosen the best and the most representative 4 or 8 (depending on the collection) looks from the best shows, so that you will have the ‘creme de la creme’ of spring and summer 2012 fashion delivered a few good months before putting those heavy winter clothes in the back of your closets! Sure that doesn’t mean that you won’t get to see any runway material closer to reality and to the current season, stay tuned for more of that as well!

3.1 Phillip Lim

Youthful sophistication comes in a package of sorbet-colored clothes with a high degree of wearability and desirability. The ‘kite effect’ referenced by Lim is visible in the smart cut and tailoring, and the ’90s via Helmut Lang and Jil Sander is also a strong direction here.

10 Crosby Derek Lam

Hanne Gaby Odiele’s chic and effortless exuberance is the perfect attitude for this collection. Think maxi dresses, pencil skirts and tailored pants in pop up brights and graphic cocktails.

A Detacher

Expect to find some of the edgiest spring propositions here, ranging from dresses with voluminous draped sleeves, goofy ultra-high waisted paper-bag trousers to easy knits- all done in retro over sized scarf prints and beautiful neutrals.

Alexander Wang

Huge trends for the upcoming season are chic sportswear and diver suit inspiration (well, we should quote an entire aquatic theme here, starting with Wang’s ready-to-wear pieces and going all the way to the couture aquatic queen gowns at Alexander Mcqueen). Athleticism  is one of Wang’s defining traits, and here he’s managed to develop the theme remarkably well into perfectly wearable pieces like fish-net bomber jackets, puffed zip dresses in fading floral prints and bodycon diver suits with graphic motifs.

Altuzarra

Another outing of a young NY based designer constructed upon the sporty theme and flashy Hawaiian prints. You’ll see a huge variety of leather, knit or digital floral print inserts on dresses, skirts and jackets. Construction was particularly well done, as was the fabric choice for every single piece. Add some intriguing detailing (for example, parachute-like straps on a dress) and 90s inspired pointed heels (also a big hit of the season) and you get the whole picture.

Band of Outsiders

An interesting way of combining Edwardian sensibility, school girl edgy naivity and ultra urban shapes and fabrics, all translated into long and flowy dresses or skirts paired with floor length coats, degrade floral prints and lace, pleated deconstructed skirts paired with button-up shirts, and leather bandage skirts.

BCBG Max Azria

Probably the perfect flowy dresses for the hottest summer days in the City come from BCBG, where the balance is kept tight between casual chic and sophistication. A wonderful mix of graphics, panels, block color, pleating and asymmetrical cuting.

Calvin Klein Collection

Admittedly, I’m usually not a fan of Francisco Costa’s conceptual minimalism, so this season not only did I feel relief when I saw the first looks at CK, but I actually fell in love with this collection in which he stepped away from the brand’s main direction and dived into feminity and sensuality. Perfect lightweight silk dresses with lingerie detailing defined the fragility theme, balanced by pieces of sharp tailoring, which is in the house’s DNA, and super high killer T strap heels- among the best seen at NYFW.

Carolina Herrera

Freshness came on the Carolina Herrera runway in the form of light & breezy dresses in fruity colors, great skirt & shirt pairings with a strong vacation feel, sparrow prints, versatile graphics, and beautiful detailing. Evening wear was a bit bolder than usual, sometimes in slightly over the top floor length gowns, other times materialised in wonderful Art Deco style motifs.

Charlotte Ronson

Charlotte Ronson’s urban cool blended with a nice touch of feminity and bohemian ease, translated into extremely wearable pieces, such as shirt dresses in vintage-like floral chiffon, denim patchwork, light jersey knits, and beautiful lingerie and lace detailing.

Cynthia Rowley

Urban glam was delivered through a variety of shapes and textures ready to hit the street wear blogs: shimmering floral prints on leggings, dresses and tuxedo jackets, gold Versace-like details on dresses and metallic tops and techno perforated fabrics.

Cynthia Steffe

A collection focused on print and ornate embellishments, this provides the perfect pieces both for proper vacationing and urban ladylike daywear. Standout pieces were beaded and printed flapper style dresses and smart separates, like cropped tees or pants.

Derek Lam

Sportswear with a retro Californian vibe says little about this Derek Lam number. Extremely covetous pieces were trouser suits with bold graphic prints, leather jackets and pencil skirts, casual separates, easy sundresses with needle pinch detailing, all done with the Lam signature twist.

Diane von Furstenberg

A burst of color, energy and optimism, the spring DVF show offered an impressive number of exquisite uptown chic pieces. The print and color palette was truly vast, focused on floral motifs, but the tailored looks (blazers with shirts and shorts) were also a major hit.  Ruffle asymmetric dresses, 60s inspired tops and trousers pairings in bold prints, 20s tube dresses were amazing propositions for summer.

Photos via NY mag and Vogue.com