It's the crazy season that is fashion week but all we have to do is to learn some lessons. Lesson number one: layering.
Prabal Gurung
Let's put aside the debate whether bloggers are worthy of front-row seats, or the discussion whether Ghesquière is preserving Marc Jacobs' legacy in Louis Vuitton. They are too complicated. Or not, because these layering lessons I get from the fall/winter shows articulate certain dimension to dressing for the cold. I am thoroughly aware of the resistance to layer for some people, mainly because bulky clothing never looks good on anyone. Not to mention that it takes some skills to layer clothes. In other words, layers can make people uncomfortable.
In Prabal Gurung, the only show from NYFW I am blown away by (I am pretty sure that this is a new grammatical structure I have so, pardon), the layer is the high note. Thanks to the cold hands of both the designer and the stylist, dresses with origami-like ends are winter-ready when paired with thick knits. The Nepal-inspired collection also introduces us to a new way of wearing knitted shawl: by knotting it (see the pun?).
A lesson in layering presented by Burberry Prorsum and Paul Smith is lectured in different classroom, though. This is one of my toughest subjects, since mixing pattern apparently requires a Mathematics-equivalent skills. While Burberry still includes ladylike dress in its equation, Paul Smith rules it out completely. Picking a neutral--black in case of Burberry and grey in case of Paul Smith--seems like a salient answer to the game of pattern and colour mixing.
The last lesson in layering I've got from fashion week so far includes quirky girls in boots, but we obviously digress because the layered sweatshirt is the one that is supposed to steal the limelight. However it is worth to discuss the fact that asymmetric layering in Opening Ceremony seems like a toughened look of Prabal Gurung's and the dress in Topshop Unique appears vaguely similar with Burberry. So what can we infer from this lesson in layering?
Burberry Prorsum - Paul Smith
A lesson in layering presented by Burberry Prorsum and Paul Smith is lectured in different classroom, though. This is one of my toughest subjects, since mixing pattern apparently requires a Mathematics-equivalent skills. While Burberry still includes ladylike dress in its equation, Paul Smith rules it out completely. Picking a neutral--black in case of Burberry and grey in case of Paul Smith--seems like a salient answer to the game of pattern and colour mixing.
Opening Ceremony - Topshop Unique
The last lesson in layering I've got from fashion week so far includes quirky girls in boots, but we obviously digress because the layered sweatshirt is the one that is supposed to steal the limelight. However it is worth to discuss the fact that asymmetric layering in Opening Ceremony seems like a toughened look of Prabal Gurung's and the dress in Topshop Unique appears vaguely similar with Burberry. So what can we infer from this lesson in layering?
images are all from style.com
