NYFW AW15 Day 3

I wore: Fendi total look with Kirk Original sunglasses
Image by Mario Villanueva

Prepare yourselves for a whole lot of weather obsessing mes amies! And on this occasion, I feel it’s fully justified. NYFW AW15 day 3 was by all accounts the coldest day of the New York winter. In fact, of any New York winter in recent history. Everyone had been saying it would be all week but even the panicky weather reports blasting from the tv screens in every taxi I took (and I took a LOT of taxis) couldn’t have prepared me for it’s brutality. Back in September I enjoyed a leisurely stroll down Broadway to the Victoria Beckham show at Cipriani but no way in hell was that a possibility this time.

After grabbing the hottest latte I could persuade Starbucks to make me I leapt into the nearest cab and arrived at the venue with enough time to scout around for David, Instagram the incredible fresco ceiling, read the show notes and ponder what VB had in store for AW15. Said notes promised a “collection full of possibilities” with familiar shapes reworked and menswear elements combined with a more body conscious silhouette. As much as I admired Victoria’s SS15 collection, it didn’t seduce me in the way of her earlier, more feminine fare. It was a bold move in a very fashion forward direction but, in retrospect, some of the sophisticated sass on which her brand was built felt slightly lacking. Well, the second the first model hit the runway in a deftly sculpted wool that contrasted form fitting fluidity with sculptural detailing I knew that wouldn’t be the case for SS15. VB’s latest offerings were nothing short of a triumph, combining the killer dresses and second skin silhouettes that made her name with directional detailing and experimental elements, no doubt accrued throughout her hugely successful fashion career thus far. For AW15 Beckham offered up delectable outerwear in the form of midnight blue oversized peacoats, cocoon shouldered moulded wool and immaculately tailored culottes (I repeat, THE trouser of AW15) in salt n pepper greys, mustard felt and asymmetrically cut cream corduroy.

Victoria Beckham AW15

In a palette of muted neutrals interspersed with shots of eye popping orange it was the epitome of contemporary elegance culminating in dresses comprised of diamond shapes swathes of contrasting textures and full skirts of 3D silk petals. There are certain collections that you see and just think “YES”; Victoria Beckham’s AW15 designs definitely fell into that covetable category.

Once the show finished I zipped my Fendi fur bomber up as close to my nose as possible and braved the bitter wind chills (real feel minus 20 degrees, accuweather’s words not mine) to head up to Lincoln Centre. After taking the wrong train to entirely the wrong place, attempting to walk until I wept with cold and, convinced that my ears were actually going to fall of or I was going to drop dead, hailed another taxi and arrived in good time for the Ran Fan show. Never heard of the brand? Well, I hadn’t either. That’s not really surprising since Ran is a super new talent from China, having only recently graduated from Central Saint Martins and become the fourth recipient of the Mercedes Benz China Designer Award, the prize of which is the opportunity to show at New York Fashion Week. I was intrigued to see what earned Ran Fan this accolade and the pink fur heart key rings in our front row goodie bags certainly boded well for me.

Ran Fan AW15

I’m not over exaggerating when I say that it was a case of love at first look. Said look was a delicious grey fur coat trimmed in neon orange fur of a different species paired with chunky tread stomper booties and wool socks. The visual, textural feast that followed spanned from delicate floral appliqué embellishment and modette A line satin skirts with neat ribbed turtle neck sweaters to semi sheer skirting with glittering gobstopper embellishment and, my favourite, an amazing orange mohair coat and matching skirt with bubblegum pink fur collar plus supersized stoles in the same supersonic shade. Ran Fan’s creations were unusual, playful, wearable and very beautifully made. My main, nay only, query was were can I buy ALL OF IT!? Ran is clearly part of the new wave of Asian designers unafraid of fun, poppy looks and with the skill and craftsmanship to elevate their work from gimmicky to genius. If I’m being pedantic the number of looks in her show could, and probably should, have been edited but when each one is so utterly delicious I’m not exactly going to start complaining. There are few things more exciting during fashion week (or ever) than being introduced to a designer you didn’t know and utterly adore. My encounter with Ran Fan this season was just that.

NYFW AW15 day 3 was in fact one filled with inspiring design that I not only wanted to look at, but also desperately want to wear. Next on my schedule was Giulietta whose work you may recall from not just one but two previous gushing posts. Having only learned of the brand’s existence last season and fallen madly in love with everything Sophia Sizzi has created, I couldn’t wait to see what girlish treats she had in store for AW15. Evidently I lot of others couldn’t either and Giulietta’s West Village venue was packed out with the likes of Italian influencers, Linda Tol, Patricia Manfield and Eleanora Carisi alongside Jenna Lyons and a editors from every edition of Vogue. A glance at the show notes promised “ambiguity, severity and dark glamour” this season with prints “inspired by the rigorous 1930’s architecture of the Facist period”, a stark contrast to SS15’s pastel infused prettiness. Sizzi has me worried for a second that I wouldn’t be so enamoured with these latest offerings but that couldn’t have been further of the case.

Giulietta AW15

The sharp geometric intarsia, airbrushed chevron patterns and honeycombe devoré appliqué that created mesmerisingly frenzied motifs adorned flirty, fluid 70’s silhouettes. The collection was a delicious decade mash up offering long line, high waisted satin flares and jump suits with elegantly fluted sleeves alongside crystal embellished pencil skirts, dizzying knits and the most covetable dresses boasting 3D deco embellishment that bobbed beautifully as the models stalked the catwalk. The Mary Jane detail leather knee high boots were and inspired boots inspired, as were the curve clinging poloneck sweaters (THE only sweater to wear for AW15) that came layered under everything from shift dresses to textural printed blazers. As much as I adore her SS15 collection, Sophia Sizzi took things to a new level of intrigue this season with an array of pieces that exuded feminine gorgeousness but with a welcome hint of noirish subversion. As for the glitter collared red skater dress? I felt a longing to make it mine and never wear anything else that was positively visceral.

The second Sophia took her bow I legged it out of the venue, determined to get in the nearest taxi as quickly as physically possible. Luckily I managed it and sped uptown for my penultimate show of the day, Thakoon. As you guys know, I utterly adore Thakoon and was lucky enough to spend the best part of a day with the man himself a few weeks ago. Much of that day was spent ogling his Pre Fall 2015 collection and latest handbags, all of which I would have been more than prepared to beg, borrow or steal to call my own. An arrangement of technicolour screens at the start of the runway set the tone for a show that offered up psychedelia and modern romance in a palette of rich autumnal hues with bursts of highlighter blue and unexpected colour clashes adding to stop things from becoming predictable. Rich furs, ombré or wool outerwear and lustrous tapestry velvet came paired with semi sheer floral chiffon, lace inserts and fine gauge knits creating a delectable juxtaposition between light-as-air femininity and something more substantial, all the more welcome given the bitter weather.

Thakoon AW15

Thakoon’s signature directional shirting was knotted at the waist, often layered with vivid floral printed fuchsia silk while unusual and captivating evening attire came by way of slinks slashed silk dresses adorned with scarf style polkadots, layered lace tunics and a finale of exquisitely embellished midnight blue. The collection was utterly unique and original and unmistakably Thakoon, a real “how the hell did he come up with this magic” situation.

Upon leaving the show and re-entering the arctic tundra that was whipping 37th Street I realised that I was so physically frozen I was actually about to faint and cabbed it home to thaw out before heading to my final show of the day, Prabal Gurung. Here I must take a moment to stress how awesome this day was. So many incredible talents, both established and new; the kind of thing that makes every hideously early start, sprained ankle and sore throat oh-so-worth it, as well as making me feel incredibly lucky to be doing what I do. So thank you, because if you didn’t read my rambles then I wouldn’t have witnessed Prabal’s stellar AW15 show. Prabal Gurung is one of my favourite New York designers and from his military couture vixens to last season’s ethereal walking art works, I’ve never not loved his work. AW15 saw the Nepalese designer draw inspiration not to his native country, but somewhere a little closer to his current home. Namely, upstate New York in the hillside mansions of which the oversized patchworked furs, cosy wool parkas, Navajo knits and subtly seductive silk slips on his catwalk will no doubt go down a storm.

Prabal Gurung AW15

Besides awe inducing outerwear there was some excellent separates and luxed up every day fare here; from creamy cashmere to voluminous leather skirts to ; but it is after dark where Gurung truly comes into his own. This season the designer’s red carpet worthy stunners took on simpler silhouettes than we’ve seen before with smartly placed slits and lace panels as well as shimmering chevrons of embroidery that would look simple breathtaking shimmying on any dance floor.

Love Ella. X