New York Fashion Week fall 2013, days 5 and 6: from Kaufmanfranco’s début to Badgley Mischka’s Hitchcock ladies

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Top Marc by Marc Jacobs. Above Pamella Roland.

Days five and six at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York have seen Kaufmanfranco, Hernan Lander, Mathieu Mirano, Pamella Roland, Reem Acra, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Vera Wang, Badgley Mischka, Jenny Packham and Naeem Khan.
Ken Kaufman and Isaac Franco’s début collection at New York Fashion Week featured a lot of leather, whether it be on miniskirts, jackets, pants or coats, using a good girl–bad girl theme. The duo continued with daring plunge dresses, which we had seen in earlier collections from Kaufmanfranco, and which still suit the autumn–winter 2013–14 season.
We’ve been attending Pamella Roland’s collections for some time, and this year, Roland has continued on a glamorous direction. From Russia with Love was an ornate, sumptuous collection, inspired by the Winter Palace in St Petersburg. Think gold brocade, silk georgette, lace, and faux fur.
Reem Acra took her inspiration from Japan, including photographs of women in fishnet stockings from artist Daido Moriyama. It was all tastefully done: Acra used plenty of black and silver, with dashes of red, and her gowns were impressive, from a mandarin-collar silk dress to a peplum tulle ball gown. If women opt for Reem Acra this fall, we’ll be seeing plenty of femmes fatales on the red carpet.
Marc by Marc Jacobs went back to the 1970s: think jumpsuits, wide lapels and busy prints. In the feeling the collection elicited, it’s less The Mary Tyler Moore Show—it wasn’t as clean as what Mary Richards donned. It was, maybe, a bit more Rhoda—and based on reactions at Lincoln Center, that’s no bad thing.
Vera Wang gave what she called ‘easy, sexy glamour’, playing with silhouettes and volume, including gathering, ruffled peplums and dolman sleeves, while injecting purple and bronze into her palette. Wang used Chantilly lace and brocade, giving her collection a beautiful, delicate feel.
Marc Badgley and James Mischka were inspired by Hitchcock’s leading ladies, including Kim Novak (in Vertigo) and Grace Kelly (in Rear Window). There were film noir influences, too, with Novak as their muse. We saw stunning, beaded gowns as well as crêpe dresses and a tweed suit—but all with a 21st century vibe.
Jenny Packham also went the gown route for autumn–winter, in a collection called La Salonniere, focusing on glamour and sophistication. She was inspired by the Salon movement in the mid-17th century, and her collection pulled off this theme, with rich colours, satin, tulle, silk chiffon, beading, full skirts and embellishments.