New York Fashion Week - fin.

It is curtain call for one of the greatest fashion happenings of the world; New York Fashion Week ends tonight. Throughout the week (from Sept. 8-15) designers put their best foot forward for the Spring Collection 2007. Whether you were awed or dissapointed by the display of high-end creativity of one and many, this week was probably the sexiest week you had experienced this year (unless you don't like clothes, which would make you a nudist or something...ooooh now that is sexy).

You don't have to be an extreme fashionist, stylist or a socialite to truly enjoy fashion week. I am just a simple minded student studying commerce (simply put, NERD!) but I did get my share of aesthetic goodness throughout the last 7 days. Everyone and anyone can appreciate beautiful people walking down the runway wearing stocks of fabric that is more radiant than the models themselves (unless you don't like beautiful things, which would make you ... forget it).

So to celebrate the closing of one of my favourite annual events, I decided to make my Top 5 Designers/Collections of New York Fashion Week; Spring Collection '07. Along with the designer's themselves, I have thumbnailed my favourite 3 dresses from their collection (clickity click to see them in full picture OR click the designer's name to see their collection in full). The Top 5 designers were carefully chosen on the basis of quality of the fabric, the silhouette of the dress, variety of presentation and execution, general originality... You wish you were reading a blog of someone who knew that much about design (wait, do you? :( ). The decisions are based purely on my personal preference, in addition to my groundless, feeble and ultimately 'full-of-bullshit' fashion reviews and inputs. If someone of actual fashion design background were to stumble upon this blog entry they might hurt themselves laughing. So buckle up :D. ... I'm serious.

Vera Wang

Vera Wang. She can put a potato sack on a hobo and still make it look like million bucks + tax. If you know even a speckle of fashion you will, and must, remember her name. She pretty much has been in any fashion-related industry you can think of. As a timeless veteran of Vogue magazine as a senior fashion editor of 16 years, she already had enough support and 'backings' in the industry before she even considered designing her brand inter/nationally. A salon-entrepreneur, interior stylist, and designer of everything from footwear to lingerie and everything in between. It is not an understatement to call Vera Wang one of the greatest Asian influences in the industry today. She starts off the list as my utmost favourite designer/collection of the week (sorry Kors! I still love you!). Reason? She's Vera Wang.

Michael Kors

Michael Kors is probably best known (unfortunately) as the celebrity judge on Project Runway. Such fame is good in one sense, as people watch the show they become more aware of Kors' existance in the fashion industry, but also bad in that it begins to derail Kors admirers as a mere cult-following of the show. Michael Kors, along with Tom Ford (why didn't he put out a collection this year? To piss me off >_<), are the greatest designers to put the chic-male fashion into the mainstream runway. They don't call him the 'King of Easy Chic' for nothing. Though his '07 collection does not contain much of his trademark luxe-knits, chic-tailored jackets and sleek evening wear, he still manages to pull through and put out one of the best (and one of favourites for editors and stylists alike) display of social-sporty, sophisticated and elegant dresses/wears you could possibly hope for. On a minor note; what's with the sudden belt fetish? It's on everything! If you haven't figured out by now, Kors is my favourite designer, but his collection fell a bit short this time.

Anna Sui

It all started with Anna Sui Dolly Girl. Gotta love it :D. It's up 'there' with Chanel no.5 and Gucci Envy Me. If sex had a scent, it would be smell like any of the three (or at least it should). Like her perfume, Anna Sui's spring collection is nothing but pure addiction. The bold prints (ranging from floral patterns to Turkish carpet vibe) just scream out her brand's originality. Nicole Phelps, of Style, notes Sui's vision as "Dolls. Marie Antoinette. Suleiman the Magnificent." Couldn't be said any better. The comparison Anna Sui's and Heatherette's collections (for they both portray wild-punk, unique patterns/prints, and just an overall similar aura) couldn't be avoided. Both were extremely well made, fashionable, creative and slightly 'outside-the-box' which made them both so interesting. But in the end, I chose to prefer the slightly gentler and toned down designs of Anna Sui. However, those seeking 'extremity' will enjoy Heatherette's circus-reminiscent work.

Phillip Lim

Using exclusively white fabric for almost 90% of his collection (with an exemption of little hints of navy and floral visuals in between the whites) Phillip Lim has created one of the most luxurious and chic looking collection within the fashion week. Many were skeptical that 'all white' would gain and lose momentum within a blink, but it wasn't so as piece after piece it was impossible to deny the man's talents with design and presentation. Lim shows that not everyone can carry the honor of being a CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund winner. Phillip does best of the both worlds of each gender; but the perfection between chick overcoats to flowing dresses made it obvious, the female collection beat out its male counterpart.

Donna Karan (DKNY)

Donna Karan (don't recognize the name? Think DKNY, now nod your head) has played with colour a bit more than the rest of the mainstream designers. Unlike focusing on the 'current-in' colours of black, white and red (either floral or just red in general), she focused a lot of colour contrast; mainly between yellow, white, black and sometimes pink. The sudden colour changes in her full-skirt dresses just demands attention - and it shall get the attention it deserves, for it is drop-dead gorgeous. You can really see a lot of yellow in her collection, which I enjoyed because it sorta re-awakens my eyes from monotonous, bland colours that have seem to be the focus on many 'chic' collections. Donna ends my list of my 5 favourite collection of New York Fashion Week.

And below are noteable designers/collections that didn't make my list but is worth giving a look anywho.

Jay McCarroll

Ralph Lauren

John Varvatos

Luca Orlandi

Max Azria (BCBG)

And that's enough thumbnails for today :D. My taste in fashion is not so much high end, but preferences are leaned towards simpler and more down-to-earth designs that I can picture myself, or others, wearing (would I also wear the dresses? Wouldn't you like to know? *wink wink*). Some of the week's favourite collections were too abstract and not aesthetically pleasing in the eyes of a casual fashion-ist (can I call myself that?) like myself; but respect is there for all who are talented enough to show during the event. Put your pens down, designers.

So concludes my entry in regards to the end of the America's biggest stylish event. So here to those who enjoy design and creativity alike; wait for the next fashion week for more apparels, more of my personal fashion opinions and hell of a lot more thumbnails :D.