Donna Karan Catwalk fashion Show SS10

Donna Karan knows what she’s good at. She sent out a wearable collection of soft skirtsuits and body-loving draped dresses. She explained that she was “inspired by the power of the elements”. It could be the wind, as a hem of the opening stretch linen jacket, for example, was molded as if the model  had just encountered a stiff breeze on the runway. The effect was a sense of movement and a pretty femininity. Twisting around the body, Karan’s dresses had a weightless, easy appeal. There were stretch matte jerseys in blush, and wrap styles with more volume in gray and white. Among the many pale neutrals , the bold reds stood out.

Zac Posen Catwalk Fashion Show SS10

Zac Posen’s collection looked youtful and a fun to wear. The designer seemed to be inspired by the late seventies New York woman and the clothes had the attitude of a partygoing good-time girl.  Posen pushed a color story and did so with colorblocking for day:  chalky pink, yellow and purple on structured dresses, some with cutouts at the waist, and see-through raincoats worn over Pop Art geometric prints. That Mod-ish flavor and kitsch factor was quite charming, but some will not be easy to sell. Posen’s prints were beautiful, the bold florals were custom designed by NYC artist Rosson Crow. Posen put them on kicky pleated skirts and sexy cocktail dresses draped and cut to show skin at the shoulders and back.

Marc Jacobs Catwalk Fashion Show SS10

Donna Karan Catwalk Fashion Show SS10

Zac Posen Catwalk Fashion Show SS10

Y-3 Catwalk Fashion Show SS10

At the end of the Y-3 show a net dropped from the ceiling and Yohji Yamamoto—accompanied by Zinedine Zidane, one of the world’s most famous soccer players—came out to take a shot at a goal.  Does that mean Yamamoto is a football fanatic? Not exactly. What inspired Yamamoto’s World Cup-themed collection was something more poetic: the movement of the net after a goal. Netting was integrated into the collection with lots of airy (and body-exposing) pieces. These worked best when worn under tailored separates, like pants and jackets. The combination of structure and flow, as in a blazer over a long dress, or the draped jersey tunics and stiffer cotton pants, was effective.

Y-3 Catwalk Fashion Play SS10

DKNY Catwalk Fashion Show SS10

DKNY Catwalk Fashion Show SS10

When Donna Karan launched DKNY in 1989, its streetwise, fast-fashion ideas were a welcome innovation. Now, 20 years later, it’s the grand mother of secondary collections. Yet DKNY’s is still a New York state of mind. Named City in Bloom, Karan’s collection played neutrals off a host of florals, including charming little peonies and splashy floral and -graffiti prints.  There were endless propositions of the suit: boyfriend jackets paired with little cuffed shorts or slouchy pants—even a silk bomber with matching sweatpants. Biker shorts were worn under every dress and short.

Diane von Furstenberg Catwalk Fashion Show SS10

Diane von Furstenberg sent out a spring-collection of real-world clothes, which referred to nomads, Egypt, deserts and had a hint of Pre-Raphaelites.  Tiger-print safari suits and leopard-spot shirtdresses mingled with floral-appliqué chiffon and a daisy-chain maxi dress. Brightly colored macramé hippie dresses were mixed with more urbane jersey numbers.
It lookes all very eccentric, but there were also a few tailored looks: printed-silk and belted jackets and cropped, high-waisted carrot pants. For evening, von Furstenberg heated things up with a draped gold mesh dress and a gold coin-beaded leather gladiator shift.

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