BlogbIts
Ahh, Autumn. Hardly a week into September and already the craving for breezy, loungy spring flings are creeping through the closet. Wait, where fell Fall? What about warm, wooly layers with contrast stockings? Not in this heat, sister. Fall Fashion Week (paradoxically named for designers’ Spring collections), commenced in the Big Apple this week, promising to keep sartorial wannabes red-eyed and caffeine-packed for the next nine days. As for me, I was graciously invited to the Cynthia Rowley show at Gotham Hall on Friday afternoon by a friend of mine. Brow-kissing buzz aside, the collection was the most attractive it’s been in recent years, taking the form of a sun-kissed movie starlet. A bit resorty at times, Rowley played into the vintage trend au jour of old/new Hollywood Seaside, taking cues from Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs: deep v-neck prep sweaters, voluminous silk tunics, and high-waist pleats, paired over calico silk prints in the tunes of tan, white, navy, red, and seafoam aqua (classy 30s, not tacky 80s). Exaggerated waist sashes and wrapped volume skirts ran reminiscent of Claire McCardell’s playful simplicity; my favorite piece was the cheery two-tone red’n’navy silk romper, complete with fantastically deep front pockets. The finale, pedaled out in perfect Rowley kitsch, showcased several models (and Cynthia herself) bicycling down the catwalk before exiting offstage. While perhaps these cherubic changelings should have kept their accessories light and taken the ankle express, the design team at Cynthia Rowley can keep doing what they’re doing for a while longer-- the goods are looking better than ever.
Fashion Week Fix
Friday, September 7, 2007
