The Fall 2014 global fashion show circuit kicked off with New York Fashion Week followed by London, Milan, and finally, Paris. This year, the guest lists for the shows were limited and security tightened, limiting the number of bloggers in attendance. Yet nothing stopped fashionistas all around the world from jumping at the opportunity to make it into the street style and front row editions of international blogs, Instagram and Twitter.
The most anticipated show this season was at the Louvre in Paris where Nicolas Ghesquière took the reins at Louis Vuitton from Marc Jacobs, who left Vuitton to focus on his namesake brand’s upcoming initial public offering.
In the tastiest of venues, Karl Lagerfeld presented his collection for Chanel at a large American-style supermarket in aisles filled with Chanel-branded groceries that would make even Sam Walton jealous. Marc Jacobs, known for his over-the-top settings, made us all realize that we need to look ahead to this upcoming spring as models walked under fluffy clouds in their prettiest pastels to the lyrics “Happy Days Are Here Again.”
Pretty in Pastels
Hold onto your spring pastels for the rest of the year and layer them into your Fall 2014 wardrobe. Chanel, Phillip Lim, Marc Jacobs, Burberry, Miu Miu, and Gucci have sent these softer, more restrained hues down the runway in calming light blue and pale blush shades. So don’t feel too guilty spending a little extra on those Easter outfits.
Fur Fever
Almost all designers sent fur down the runway in some fashion. It competed only with shearling as the most coveted material this year. We saw it breathe luxurious life into coats, dresses, handbags, and accessories, such as the arm warmers at Givenchy, or the cozy scarves at Carolina Herrera. Whether you’re looking to dress up or dress down, there was an option for you. Jason Wu paired fur over a classic menswear inspired suit while Matthew Williamson donned a fur coat over black studded leather pants.
Exaggerated Knits
The polar vortex in New York City must have been inspiration for designers as the runways warmed up in a beautiful melange of chunky knits. The best ones were the exaggerated roomy looks, which were a throwback to the real lives of The Olsen Twins on the runways of The Row. Alexander Wang emphasized his trademark knits, including sweaters with voluminous shoulders, ushering in a new direction for the House of Balenciaga. This year, we could have used the head-to-toe knits that kept the models warm across the Paris catwalks at Celine, Chanel, and Stella McCartney.
Cape Crusaders
Dramatic capes continue to dominate runways this fall. With Hollywood award season coming to a close, we can’t get over the red Ralph Lauren cape dress worn by our newest style icon, Lupita Nyong’o, at the 2014 Golden Globes. Ralph Lauren continues to emphasis capes as do his European counterparts including Salvatore Ferragamo and Barbara Bui. Many opted for more comfortable blanket capes in light hues and the prerequisite fall plaid prints, while others such as Valentino, went for the dramatic.
Luxe Sport
There was a decidedly sporty bent to the runways, especially those in Europe. There were plenty of playful puffer coats and windbreakers across the runways of Kenzo, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Proenza Schouler, and DKNY. Poking fun at his friend Jay-Z, Tom Ford showed sequined football jersey dresses that were replicas of the unofficial Tom Ford T-shirt Jay Z wore during his Magna Carter tour complete with the number 61, Tom Ford’s birth year.
Pialy Aditya and Sonaly Aditya are fashion-tech entrepreneurs in the New York startup scene. Reach them on Twitter @pialyaditya and @sonalyaditya.
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