Month: February 2012

When I watch a runway show, I like to do things a little bit backward; instead of reading the provided notes before the show begins, I like to view the collection first to see if the impressions I had as a blank slate line up with what the designer had in mind. After all, when these clothes hit stores, they’re not going to come with a five paragraph explanation. In the case of Chadwick Bell Fall 2012, what was promised by the line sheet and what I saw in front of me were one and the same.

Bell described his fall ideal as, “A perfect woman in an imperfect situation. Her look is polished, rich and refined, but she herself is dangerous.” And indeed, the phrase that came to mind when viewing the line of impossibly luxurious knits, furs and highly detailed coats (all topped with what was once a careful, elegant hair style come halfway undone) was “deranged Upper East Side doyenne.” Check out our gallery of the utterly luxurious collection after the jump.

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New York Fashion Week can be a long haul, and morning shows in particular can be killer; until everyone’s had their coffee, we’re all just a bunch of fashionable zombies. It was lucky, then, that Kate Spade Fall 2012‘s morning presentation felt like the sartorial equivalent of a triple shot latte with extra foam. Who needs espresso when you have so much pattern, texture and color?

The collection, styled by the always-dapper Brad Goreski, was full of the Kate Spade staples that we’ve all come to expect (and covet). Not only were there bags in ladylike shapes and retro patterns (plus a few fun clutches that took on the shape of cars and dictionaries), but there were beautiful, brightly colored top coats galore and a feather skirt about which I’m still dreaming. Kate Spade does a masterful job of creating girlish fun in a way that’s accessible to grown-ups, and I doubt I’ll see a collection that’s more fun for the rest of Fashion Week. Check out our full set of pictures after the jump.

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