new york cares

The fashion world has moved on to London, but I think it's been decided that the blogs will skip it in favor of our anticipation for the big mama and papa show that is Milan and Paris. As a form of closure of New York, I will say that it was exciting to look at as many collections as possible but there were only a handful that stood out and had something really captivating and relevant to say. For me the show of the week that didn't have to rely on tricks, gimmicks, or front row celebrities (save for one truly smoldering Academy Award winner), was without a doubt the clean and confident beauty of Narciso Rodriguez. His design philosophy of functionality and utilitarianism is necessary in a world where we eat, sleep, work, and breath in a bubble that has become increasingly more commanding in its technology, economy, and geo-politics. We need clothes that will adapt with us in all of these cultural circumstances and his clothes have a very modern, no bullshit perspective that will take us anywhere we need to go.

This collection was a startlingly different one for Rodriguez as he showed us new colors, new shapes, and new lines that we haven't seen from him before. With a recent investment from Liz Claiborne and inspiration ranging from ninjas, architect Santiago Calatrava, and a subtle take on transparency, this collection felt full of new life, spirit, and emotion. It's all in the details for Rodriguez when you get closer to see beaded bursts of optimism in the form of tie dyed flowers on the sleeve of a suit jacket or dancing freely on a white dress. The way a collar drops or a shirt is constructed. The seaming and construction are undeniable when you look at all the folds, structure, and heights that he's offering us. The menswear was the strongest he's ever shown with impeccably cut suits that are striking in their natural shoulders, nipped waits, and slim fit.

There is no way you can understand the deft combination of the structure/loose aesthetic that Narciso does so well via pictures. These are clothes that demand movement and as we may soon become nomadic creatures due to the environment, the influx of immigration, and poor leadership in our nation's office, we might need clothes that carry with us and if they are as pure, contemporary, and cool as the collection Rodriguez sent out, I would be more than obliged to wear them.

And with that here is the best spring collection New York had to offer:


The other two standout shows were Marc Jacobs's sex comedy and Preen's soft looseness. Both of these collections had a definite point of view and created something new with their less is more approach (less clothes and more underwear at Marc Jacobs and less structured hardness and more cleavage and exposed skin at Preen) as their central theme. It appeared as if in both shows that the clothes were falling off the models, and I liked that. When the weather warms up, loose clothes are essential, but both of these collections posed the question, what's going on underneath it all?

For menswear I loved Marc by Marc Jacobs, Rag & Bone, and Tony Melillo. Each were youthful, masculine, and wearable, which is what I want out of clothes. They expanded on traditional ideas like shorts, Safari jackets, and scarves. Unwavering in what they had to say, these are the clothes that seem spot-on for next season.

And remember, Milan is only a week away.