New York Fashion Week Diary and exclusive photos of AW2016 ready to wear collections by our NY fashion reporter Courtney Thompson.

New York Fashion Week Diary

Meet Coco et La vie en rose Fashion Reporter from the Big Apple

Hello loves, great news for your best fashion blogger friend and for you lovely readers! I’m honoured to announce we have on board Courtney, fashion reporter from NY, who will keep us up to date on what goes on in the Big Apple via her Instagram feed @modaobsession. Courtney attended NYFW and is sharing with us her insider’s views and exclusive photos. Enjoy Courtney’s New York Fashion Week Diary!

New York Fashion Week Diary – Inside NYFW

Day 1 begins with a trip to Milk Studios to see Brock Collection. This was their first runway show and they were ready. They continued their vibe of unstudied casual with a dash of glamour. Winter white gowns with embroidery, silk saffron embellished jackets and blazers paired with Brock jeans and fur stoles were the most memorable pieces of the collection. Next stop was Rhie for a presentation. Their stand out pieces were a sheer navy striped ankle length, A line dress, a sheer 3/4 sleeve navy dress paired with pants, a mid calf red lace dress paired with a sheared fur coat and a silk pajama inspired suit in saffron, a color that will predominate in a large number of collections. Following Rhie I travelled further down Washington Street to one of Fashion Week’s primary venues, Skylight at Clarkson Square for Marissa Webb‘s runway show. Her palette was immaculate, dominated primarily in jewel tones. There was a dash of everything, florals and chiffon to plaid flannels and colored fur, yet it was a highly cohesive collection. The strongest pieces where a dusty pink ruffled skirt cocktail dress, a thigh long grey blazer paired with a white peasant blouse and leather leggings, a bottle green fur coat paired with another saffron fluttery dress with buttons down the front, and crowd favorite wide leg grey trousers with an oversize grey turtleneck sweater, topped by a ruby red, fur collarless jacket. On my way backstage I stopped to admire Coco Rocha who is always so gracious with the photographers. After Marissa Webb I ran back up Washington Street for Ulla Johnson‘s presentation. Once again it failed to disappoint at all. Plums, mustards, deep reds, chiffon, silk, suede and velvet all worked together to create an autumn garden. Linda Fargo of Bergdorf Goodman took her time inspecting the collection and live illustrator Meagan Morrison captured the presentation beautifully. Standouts included a dark camel suede dress, purplish brown velvet overalls, suede low cut overalls and more notably her accessories. Ulla presented beautiful jewelry, shoes and bags in an addition to her clothing.

New York Fashion Week Diary Day 2

Later start today but the shows are more closely packed together. First stop for Cushie Et Ochs. Dresses, Jumpsuits and pants all bore the collection’s signature cutouts and high slits. Bold reds and blacks were predominant but more distinguishing than color was the textures:lace, lame, fur, sequins, silk, and chiffon all had a role, sometimes several in one look. The standouts from the collection include a fur and silk halter gown styled with opera length gloves and a crewneck, black ruffled dress with double slits paired with one of the trends for this season a leopard print fur, thrown over the model’s shoulders. Next up is the O’2nd Presentation. Cut out overalls, dazzling sequin dresses, blazers and beautifully cut outerwear lined the stage. My personal favorite was a navy jacket with velvet applied in an almost quilted texture with cut outs near the waist. A quick dash up to Chelsea Piers and sideways glance to notice the Hilton sisters, Paris and Nicky (Rothschild now) were across the runway and I took my seat at Pamella Roland moments before it started. Evening wear is Pamella’s strongest area and she delivered with several jaw dropping gowns including a white caped dress that is sure to appear on the red carpet, as well as a red and black pleated gown. I was particularly drawn to an emerald green trumpet bodice gown with sequins at the hips paired with a green jacquard overcoat with a fox fur collar. Where she surprised me was with her impeccable day pieces. One model presented a black asymmetrical coat with a fur collar paired with a silk blouse and high waisted wide leg pants and the look was a show stopper. Around the corner was the presentation for plus size designer PLY Designs. She could teach many designers a thing or two about how to drape. Fabrics of all types draped the models giving them shape without clinging to areas they would prefer more coverage on. The palette was practical in camels, navies, and blacks for the most part. Fun pipping and lining gave some of the more basic pieces an extra sense of style and fun. The line starts at an American size 8, so it is still accessible even to many who would not normally look to a plus size line. One last stop at the Gibney Dance Center for emerging designer Nika Tang. Accessories stole the show. One black bag with an Alexander McQueen inspired knuckle grip but applied to a leather tote instead of a clutch was particularly fun, as was a tan 3 dimensional triangle bag with a top handle. The strongest pieces in the collection were her coats. From scalloped edges to lavender fur bomber jackets finally to a turquoise wool wrap coat with electric turquoise fur cuffs and collar.

New York Fashion Week Diary Day 3

Starting the day back at Milk Studios for Australian designer Dion Lee. I managed to arrive on time, which by NYFW standards meant I was thirty minutes early so I got to watch the paparazzi and bloggers interview Leandra Medine of the Manrepeller. She is always nice. I don’t know how she can be asked the same question 15 times in 2 minutes and continue to give thoughtful and enthusiastic responses but she manages it. Dion was every bit as talented as I had seen from photos of previous collections. Winter whites showed up again along with buckle detailing and grommets. Standouts included a white, caped armed cocktail dress, khaki pieces lightly accented with sequins and my favorite a bronze beaded dress with a fur muff. Speaking with Dion after the show he wanted to try to take utilitarian elements and add an element of glamour to them for this collection, he succeeded brilliantly. Uptown to New York Fashion Week’s Primary Location Skylight at Moynihan Station for Herve Leger. The bandage dresses were still there but they were unravelling and had a deconstructed air. Many of the deconstructed bandages took the form of fringe. Sequins and beading also played a large role with silhouettes that were borderline Medieval. One silver sequined dress invoked the image of chain mail yet it would have looked fabulous on the dance floor, a combination I didn’t know was possible! Mad dash back downtown to Skylight at Clarkson Square to see Leanne Marshall‘s collection. I knew she had been using a more grass roots effort in her PR campaign trying to get into some of the department stores such as Bergdorf Goodman and I confess my expectations weren’t high. If she was that talented, surely she would have backers and experienced buying agents who could help her instead of turning to consumers to use the hashtag #lovelyleanne. I won’t make that mistake again. Leanne Marshall is extremely talented and a name to know. Impeccable cocktail dresses of chiffon and organza came rolling by each more beautiful than the next. I saw flashes of Lanvin in a column ruffled gown, Marchesa in a black, gold and brown plunging v neck gown, Akris in a black silk gown that was open to the navel, Peter Copping’s Oscar de la Renta in a saffron (yes again) v neck gown with a bow at the waist, Prada in a sheer black cap sleeve gown. I don’t mean to say I saw her draw inspiration from these designers, I saw glimpses of the talent each of those designers have in Leanne’s work. She is one to watch. I ran out the second the show ended to catch the tail end of Mara Hoffman‘s presentation at the Highline Hotel. Beautiful florals played against the tudor backdrop of the ballroom. Zebra print maxi dresses, jungle flower prints on everything from gowns to jackets to mostly notably, children’s clothes. The Recupero twins with their beautiful red hair and delicate features were the hit of the presentation in a floral one shoulder dress and a floral jewel neck dresses. One last stop into Banana Republic‘s presentation on 14th street showed me the brand is trying for a more grown up vibe. The two strongest areas were outwear with a lovely pale pink side tie wool coat, a camel poncho and a well cut trench coat. The other area was footwear which was fun and youthful and seemed to be giving a nod to British designer Sophia Webster.

New York Fashion Week Diary Day 4

Today was Valentines day so I skipped several shows in favor of spending time with my husband and son who did accompany me to Elie Tahari. The clothes were beautiful but the clothes were presented on mannequins instead of models which took away from the presentation feel and made it feel more like an extremely beautiful party at his showroom. Black, purple and luxurious textures comprised the bulk of the collection. My favorite piece a long, key hole neck, lace dress. A purple fur vest and a tan suede jacket were stand outs as well. Every item was finished with absolute precision. The tailoring at Elie Tahari is unparalleled at his price point. Down at Skylight Clarkson that evening for Jenny Packham for a stunning collection. Several of these gowns will be seen again on the red carpet shorty. Standouts included a sheer black dress with floral overlay, a short yellow dress with multicolor geometric overlay, red hot pants with a sheer polka dot ruffled edged blouse and the show stopper, a nude gown (lined) with multicolor floral and geometric overlay embellishments.

New York Fashion Week Diary Day 5

My favorite day of NYFW. Starting at the Frick Collection Museum for Carolina Herrera. It’s Carolina and it’s the Frick, which is to say, everything was absolutely gorgeous. Ballet pink and soft, flowy designs floated around the atrium of the Frick. Touches of tulle, organza, chiffon and fur highlighted almost every piece in the collection and they were all stunning. The four notable pieces that deviated from the gorgeous sea were a black long sleeve mini dress with large white floral appliqué, a red floral column gown, a red and white sleeveless pant suit and a purple V neck gown rocked by Karlie Kloss. Quick trip to Chelsea Piers for Karen Walker‘s show. Bold patterns, purple, teals and browns played a large role in her collection. My favorite look of the collection was a twead jacket paired with wide leg khaki pants and a turtleneck. A signature navy floral jacquard fabric was used beautifully on pants and jackets to great effect. I had held a contest on Modaobsession for one of my followers to accompany me to Rosie Assoulin, so we met up at the end of Karen Walker and went down to Rosie‘s show on Gansevoort. After her SS16 presentation in a drained pool I wondered how she could rival that space during the winter time. Guests arrived fleeing growing snow storm outside to what felt like a cozy den, candles led a path down a windowless room to a scaffold covered in dripping wax of different colors, incircled by models. In an adjacent room light flooded in and a second wax covered scaffold was surrounded by more models. Like many of Rosie’s collections there is no obvious unifying theme or style, yet it was clearly all part of the same collection. Some of the strongest looks were an asymmetrical, color blocked dress with side panels that begged for the dress to be twirled, two perriwinkle blue wide leg pants outfits, a pajama inspired navy pant suit with thick velvet trims and a multpieced sequin halter top paired with gray wide leg trousers. There was also a beautiful white fabric sprayed with poppy red flowers that was used in two fabulous dresses. A beautiful, glowing, pregnant Rosie was there to happily great the crowd and answer questions, a refreshing contrast to many presentations and one of the many things that sets Rosie Assoulin apart and propelled her to top designer status within only a few years of launching her line. Last season Maiyet‘s collection was all about neutrals but for FW16 they brought back color! Dusty pinks, brilliant reds, plums and chocolate brown graced the runway alongside blacks that had so much texture and workmanship in them that they felt like a bright color themselves. Top handled bags, leather booties, shearling and tweeds were also prominent with a slight nod to the 1960’s. Stand out pieces included a shearling cape with a chocolate brown leather trim, paired with silk brown cigarette pants, pink shoes and a top handle bag, a black mesh crewneck tanks with floral embellishment paired with black razor creased trousers and the show stopper, a red silk slip dress with a beautiful fluttering train. Speaking with Zac Posen before the show I knew it would be a very different collection than what he has shown in the past. He was moving to loose silhouettes and no gowns would grace the runway though FIFTY Zac gowns will be released this year. All of his pieces had either asymmetry or were cut at atypical proportions. The strongest pieces were those made with a navy and orange floral fabric, including a one shoulder long cocktail dress and three navy beaded looks.

New York Fashion Week Diary Day 6

Back to Skylight at Clarkson for Alice and Olivia by Stacey Bendet where she managed to roll back the decades and create a labyrinth of New York City days gone by. Chainlink fences, subway tiles and metal stairs provided a back drop of the presentation. The vibe was late 70’s music and art scene. Large floppy hats paired with skin tight suits graced several models and a few looks broke with the theme returning to Stacey Bendet’s signature style in black in white. Standouts from the collection include a multi colored lace skirt paired with a black top with lace sleeve inserts. A black and white sequined T-shirt that ready “Be Nice or Leave” seemed to be the most coveted item by most of the woman in attendance. At the hotel Americano for Edie Parker‘s presentation the designer Brett Heyman featured more soft bodied bags than she had in the past. The soft bodied Lara bag was given more attention and had jewels sewn on to the velvet portion of the bag. That was the biggest twist to the line, rather than having all of the designs as part of the acrylic body of the bag, more embellishments were added to the outside of the shell of the bag. One particularly beautiful example of this was a black Jean bag with an eagle created out of small beads applied to the surface. The Trunk bag was given a bejeweled shoulder strap and the Fiona bag joined the rank of bags you could have personalized.

New York Fashion Week Diary Day 7

Final day and one last trip to Skylight Moynihan Station for Naeem Khan. Gold. Everything Naeem created shimmered and glowed. Intricate almost Edwardian gowns, flapper inspired dresses, tulle floral dresses as light as air, and gorgeous crewel were all met with gasps and murmurs of appreciation. Standouts included a long sleeve crewel dress in purples, reds and blacks, a black 3/4 sleeve beaded dress, a gold beaded flapper dress, a black cap sleeve beaded gown and a red off the shoulder brocade gown. Without a doubt the highlight of the show was when Naeem Khan came out to stand among his models and thank the crowd. He stepped off the side of the runway and took the hand of young Trinity Faith Moran and the two walked triumphantly to the media riser at the end of the runway and posed for pictures. Trinity suffers from a rare cancer, rhbhomyosarcoma and her dream was to become a model and walk the runway at New York Fashion Week one day. The Make a Wish Foundation and Mary Alice Stephenson’s Glam4Good approached Naeem about making Trinity’s dream come true and he said he would be honored. Trinity and Naeem collaborated on a dress for her to wear to the show where she sat front row. It was a beautiful and touching moment which served to solidify Naeem Khan’s reputation as the kindest man in fashion.

New York Fashion Week Diary Rhie

New York Fashion Week Diary Ulla Johnson

New York Fashion Week Diary Banana Republic

New York Fashion Week Diary Carolina Herrera

New York Fashion Week Diary Dion Lee

New York Fashion Week Diary Herve Leger

New York Fashion Week Diary Karen Walker

New York Fashion Week Diary Maiyet

New York Fashion Week Diary Mara Hoffman

New York Fashion Week Diary Pamella Roland

New York Fashion Week Diary Zac Posen

New York Fashion Week Diary Alice and Olivia

Thank you Courtney for sharing your New York Fashion Week Diary, amazing recap and pictures! Check out her runway videos HERE! Grazie per aver visitato Coco et La vie en rose fashion blog Italia! Thank you for being here and following Coco et La vie en rose international fashion blog. Hai tempo per un’altra lettura? Fancy another read? Outfits / Beauty / Trends