NYFW AW15 Day 1

I wore: kate spade ny coat, dress & bag with Markus Lupfer beanie and Mulberry shoes.
Image by Sarah Jane Barnes

Having only done New York Fashion week in February once before, two years ago, I’d obviously erased the memory of quite how incredibly freezing the city is at this time of year. This probably explains why I decided I’d walk to my first show of the day. Starbucks in hand I trotted through Soho, feeling pretty bloody happy about life. Until, that is, I finished my extra hot (triple shot, non fat wet) latte, realised how cold I was and hailed the nearest taxi. One snail paced and rather expensive ride later I arrived at Centre 548 for the kate spade ny presentation…

Just when I though I couldn’t adore kate spade any more, they went and did their AW15 collection. The second I arrived I was told that I would “freak out” over it and freak out I most certainly did.

kate spade ny AW15

Drawing inspiration from the Roald Dahl books of her youth, Deborah Lloyd offered up candy pink confections accompanies but sweet box clutches and topped off with glittering buttons, rich woolen plaids, flannel, quilting and eye popping prints galore. Kate spade ny’s unique brand of playful kitsch never fails to bring a smile to my lips and this season it came by way of loafers adorned with gobstopper gems, woodland fox prints and matching animal face clutch bags. It was, to put it simply, a line up of joyful, colourful clothes and accessories I desperately want to be wearing come autumn.

kate spade ny AW15

I left the Kate spade presentation feeling even happier than I had before, if such a thing is possible. Every time I come to New York I leave even more determined to move to this magical city. I don’t know what it is about it exactly but the place just makes me feel so exhilarated and upbeat about everything. But that’s another story and not one we need to get into right now. Next up was Jason Wu so I leapt in the nearest taxi and headed downtown. Despite the traffic and my teetering around on the ice when I finally got so bored of said traffic I got out and walked, I arrived at Spring Studios in good time to take my seat.

Jason Wu AW15

The collection was entitled, “Strength and Seduction”, two traits integral to Wu’s brand I feel. Indeed, I could think of no better way to describe the designer’s AW15 creations. Wu is an outerwear maestro and the show owned with a delectable military green jacket complete with luscious fur collar. This oh-so-covetable coat set the tone for a collection that married immaculate tailoring and luxurious pelts with exquisitely elegant folded, moulded wool and flawlessly draped crepe confections. This was grown up, sophisticated glamour that conjured images oh silver screen femme fatales while still feeling wholly 2015. Crocodile panelled dresses and wide legged trousers provided the ultimate elegant every day uniform with glimmering blue and cream beaded gowns and slashed-to-the-waist satin the wow factor red carpet element. As promised, Wu delivered strength, precision and consideration married with sophisticated seduction by way of plunging necklines, bias cut body skimming skill and subtle cut outs and some entirely sheer pieces in a rich palette of greens, blacks, grey, navy, camel through to crimson. Jason Wu is reliably wonderful but this was a real stand out show and one of the strongest of his I’ve had the pleasure of attending.

Upon leaving Spring Studios I realised that if I didn’t eat something, anything, soon I was actually going to pass out which would not have been chic especially with so many photographers around. I was also in grave need of WiFi so pegged it to the nearest Starbucks where I practically inhaled a slightly dubious panini, frantically checked my emails and plotted my next move. To be fair, it didn’t take a great deal of plotting, more a case of convincing myself to take the subway rather than a taxi, as next on my agenda was Rebecca Minkoff at Lincoln Centre. Rebecca Minkoff is in many ways the ultimate American designer. She herself is cool, gorgeous and whip smart (not that I’ve actually, y’know, met her but from what I’ve heard) with a business brain and an in depth knowledge of what her customers want to wear. In case those facts were every up for debate, Minkoff’s AW15 show would have put paid to that. Inspired by Patti Smith’s seminal tome, Just Kids, the designer took a bohemian by way of I’m-with-the-band direction offering up printed peasant blouses, slung on suede, floral chiffon and fringing galore. It was heavily stylised stuff but I don’t mean that in a critical way at all.

Rebecca Minkoff AW15

By themselves, these were just great, wearable pieces; playful tees, sling on jackets, knitted co-ords, knee high booties. The styling made them catwalk worthy, communicated Rebecca’s message for the season and presented an array of saleable items as a clearly defined collection. Those thigh skimming day dresses and guitar strap mini bags have gone straight on my wish list!

After Rebecca Minkoff I found myself with enough time to leg it home for an outfit change and email catch up before Nik arrived to meet me for a drink before heading to the Fendi Madison Avenue store opening. I’ll be telling y’all more about that in my NYFW AW15 party round up (promise I’ll do one this time) so let’s talk about my final show, SUNO. I insisted that Nik came with me to the show and despite his personal predilection for all things black and black only, he thanked me for it afterwards. SUNO’s AW15 collection was so utterly and completely fantastic that it was capable of turning even the most noirish of dressers onto stripes and florals.

SUNO AW15

From fair isle knits, coated, second skin fitting poloneck sweaters and unusual outerwear to sheer dresses embroidered with flowers, split hem skirts and head-to-toe painterly blooms, Erin Beatty and Max Osterweis delivered an array of outfits that were gloriously contradictory. Feminine yet tomboyish, quirkiness and reworked classics, utterly covetable and yet somehow “off”; the perfect end to my first, fabulous NYFW day.

Love Ella. X