and so it begins...

The Paris and Milan men's shows took their final bow weeks ago. The frill and fluff of couture won't be back until the summer. Not to worry though because New York Fashion Week began yesterday and will continue to London, Milan, and Paris for the remainder of the month. The Spring/Summer shows in October were good, but only the Marc Jacobs and Narciso Rodriguez shows come to mind when I think about the best and brightest New York had to offer. There was emphasis on tailoring last season, or rather how to fit clothes loosely to the body, but as the chill grows a little frostier in the fall and winter, clothes should adapt accordingly and I'm eager to see what American fashion has in store. If there's any indication where the trends will go for Fall/Winter, Scott Sternberg for Band of Outsiders' debut womenswear's line, Boy, suggests something a little north of England, a little urban outfitter, and a lot Annie Hall.

Band of Outsiders persists as a reliable source for a preppy, collegiate look that is more vintage, in terms of silhouette, in comparison to other purveyors of the thoroughbred aesthete, Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger, but also remains modern and accessible like J. Crew. (although one is clearly pricier than the other) Sternberg drew inspiration from a recent excursion to Scotland where he discovered the same quality of textile manufacturing and design remains true today as it did one hundred years ago. The tartans and wools one might find a sheep herder on the country side were worked into blouses, shrunken jackets, waistcoats, and dresses. His Big Idea wasn't run into the ground like so many of his contemporaries insist upon, where as each look was something any tony young lady would like to wear on her way to work, antique shopping, or for a casual day spent at the movies. The regalness and urbanity of stone, royal purple, and navy transformed ordinary staples like a winter coat, stove pipe pants, and a rugby shirt. Although each model was covered head to toe, there was a thoughtful sexiness in the structure of a black three piece suit or a mini-dress worn under a knee length coat and paired with black tights and Spectator heels. The clothes are made to look like the pretty young things casually borrowed a blazer or button-down shirt from their younger brother's closet. As a result, I'm not convinced yet if I appreciate Boy more for its actual design or for how well it's styled. At times the looks were simple, almost too simple in their approach. These are clothes most women would already think to wear on their own, not something a young designer has exposed them to with any sort of prescience or excitement. This isn't a total demerit because the voluminous pants, funny fuzzy hats, and Annie Hall masculine/feminine balance are all something I would certainly admire on any woman, but I'm curious where Sternberg can push the prepster.

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Rachel Roy