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CALVIN
KLEIN'S COLLECTION
NEW
YORK – Calvin collections can have a hypnotic effect.
Avoiding bells and whistles, he sends out utterly simple
clothes that, through cut, color and drape, lull the
watchers—who this season included Sandra Bullock and Gwyneth
Paltrow—into a willing state of desire.
The designer’s darkly monastic fall collection, with its
military overtones, is a thing of the past. Using a palette of
teal blue, ivory, taupe, shell pink, white and black, he sent
out a spring line that was as gentle as a sea breeze on a
summer day. Luxury fabrics—supple viscose, fluid silk
charmeuse, crisp linen, buttery glove leather and sheer
chiffon—took the tailoring into a new realm and emphasized
Klein’s command of understated sex appeal. (This is a
designer who can turn a humble basic like a tank top or a knit
camisole into a seductive tool, just by placing the neckline
precisely so it strokes the model’s collarbone.) A more
overt sexiness was also in evidence, via bra tops and corsets
paired with severe tailored trousers, skinny low-slung skirts
and tight black jersey dresses. The sportswear front was
equally well represented, with crisp shirts and shirtdresses,
oversize leather jackets with quilted or channel-stitched
collars, and a sweeping suede camel trench. He ended the show,
like a good day at the beach, with a feast of sweets: pretty,
pastel dresses detailed with sunbursts of pintucking or bands
of ruching, and a generous serving of vanilla-colored silk
jersey dresses replete with cascading ruffles.
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MARC FASHION SCENTS
NEW
YORK – Hard and soft, past and present, good girl and
bad girl—Marc Jacobs loves to play with opposites. For
spring, he worked all those elements together into a
collection that was sweet but with a hint of a hard
edge—like a debutante who knows the bartender's name, or
like Exene Cervenka, the lead singer of L.A. punk band X,
whose songs made up the bulk of the night's soundtrack.
Part of the season's interesting dichotomy came from the
silhouette: Jacobs cut a more frankly feminine shape than
he has in the recent past, with deep necklines on
full-skirted dresses, body-hugging sheaths under boxy
jackets and snug pencil skirts or cigarette pants paired
with sexy camisole tops. And part of it was his
flower-garden color choices: soft pink, lavender, pale
yellow, orange, chartreuse and ivory. For even greater
contrast, he manipulated soft, airy fabrics like satin,
lace, and cashmere against dense ribbed ottoman, nubby,
Chanel-evoking tweeds and silk shantung.
Jacobs brings in retro references both obliquely and
directly; this season, he picked up bits from the
cocktail-shaker days of the ’50s and ’60s: tiny bows
and rolled collars, woozy polka-dot prints,
"cocktail" dresses made from lace and satin. But
despite its knowing dalliance with the past, this was a
collection rooted very firmly in the here and now.
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GLAMOUR & STYLE
NEW YORK – As much as
he loves Gotham glamour, even Michael Kors needs to get out of
the city once in a while. For spring, he headed to California,
taking inspiration from its laid-back way of life and those
casual style icons (Slim Keith, Lauren Bacall) whose sex
appeal was about ease, not sleaze.
Kors paid homage to the great outdoors, Left Coast–style,
via cotton piqué polo shirts, snappy little dresses
(accessorized with practical, flat shoes and golf gloves) and
a few bathing suits, all done in classic neutrals: khaki,
navy, white, ivory. For those times when even beach bunnies
have to come indoors, Kors added relaxed, knee-length jersey
dresses and skirts in bands of blue-sky tones; crisp cotton
tuxedo shirts worn with tailored pants; and fuzzy twinsets in
bold turquoise. Lovely guipure dresses and organza skirts
paired with the simplest knit tops were just right for
poolside parties, with a glossy leather jacket or a supple
deerskin balmacaan to ward off brisk nighttime breezes. And to
pack it all up for an impromptu weekend in Lake Tahoe, He
provided generous leather totes that fit perfectly in the
trunk of the Mustang.
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