So far so safe and slightly so boring at New York Fashion Week. No new ideas seemed to come out of the majority of the collections, and it looks like being cautious with money also equals being cautious with creativity.
There has been quite a bit of fuss about the first catwalk by former Bill Blass assistant designer Prabal Gurung and, undoubtedly, the young designer has learnt how to master chic and glamour. Gurung’s dresses are perfectly cut, but his talent shines when it comes to double face jackets and coats with a retro flavour. Though his evening wear is interestingly constructed, I think Gurung should definitely concentrate more on outerwear. His jackets and coats remind me indeed of the most iconic work by Max Mara.
The Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation Award definitely gave the Cushnie et Ochs design duo more attention and the chance of showcasing their collection in a proper way. Yet the duo seemed stuck on their original inspiration from Spring 09, that is cropped tops, tight short mini-dresses with asymmetrical cut outs and tight trousers, though presented this time in an Autumnal palette of black, bronze and grey.
There were interesting pieces such as a cropped top with beads that stuck out looking like pins, Gareth Pugh style, though the final effect was more "romantic ice-skating dancer's costume" than "aggressive punk". Thanks to a sponsorship by Saga Furs, fur appeared in a funnel collar, a jacket and on the back of a coat, but the main inspiration for the new designs – assembly lines and repetition – influenced a bit too much the entire collection risking of turning it into a dangerously repetitive exercise. 
There was definitely more colour and variation at Jason Wu’s. Rising from anonymity when Michelle Obama opted for one of his evening gowns for the Inaugural balls and, most recently, for the dress Mrs Obama wore on the cover of the March issue of American Vogue, the Taiwan-born designer proved he has a talent for designing very sensible dresses for chic grown-up women. While his jackets and coats still leave something to be desired when it comes to their cut, his day dresses are simply striking.
The silhouettes of the sheath dresses Wu featured in his Autumn 2009 collection were always precise and the elaborate embroidered shoulders, simple twists of fabrics and draping forming nice motifs around the hips added to the designs a touch of researched beauty. Nude, pale blue and champagne evening gowns (what I usually call "the Sistine Chapel palette"…) were quite elegant, though maybe not so new, while his original inspiration for this collection – Arthur Rackham's drawings – seemed to come up in the electric blue and acid yellow Alice in Wonderland style shantung dresses.
As a whole Wu's collection featured plenty of dresses that might not appeal to a very young audience, but have the potential of becoming a staple not only with the American First Lady, but also with many chic women who are into elegant but wearable clothes.
Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos
http://www.boxxet.com/my/badgeBN.80.15.js?boxxetId=u23036
Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos