The Inland Echo

By Jennifer Jewels

At the Bryant Park tents, following her own version of a Mexican fiesta, Anna Sui took center stage, smiled, waved, and took her bow wearing a t-shirt printed with the words “Save the Garment Center”. Economics isn’t exactly top priority in the fashion industry (ensembles at an average of five digit price points anyone?) Plus what’s a few grand between trends, ruffles galore at Galliano or painterly floral dresses at Dolce and Gabbana—that was until we heard the news of clothing manufacturers potentially losing their Seventh Avenue locations due to the exorbitant rents, which could very well explain the solemnity of several shows this season. Though the moments of sanguinity were few, when they did occur this season we were left with a feeling of cheerfulness that we haven’t seen since Heatherettes final show entitled Star Spangled Smiles last September.

At Erin Fetherston, the first several looks consisted of a pastel yellow pattern incorporated into a pair of flowing wide leg pants, a trench coat, and a jacket, and short combination, which caused the crowd to imagine Paris in the springtime.

At Moschino, Rosella Jardini was thinking big—the big top that is and this collection was fit for the aspiring circus performer (or the perfect wardrobe for Steven Meisel’s Greatest Show on Earth), oversized bows adorning the necks, and handbags, black and white harlequin print on dresses as well as pants, and big bouffant hairdos, the overall message: It’s time to have fun getting dressed!

When Nathalie Rykiel took a bow alongside her mother Sonia, grabbed the microphone and declared “A birthday isn’t a birthday without a surprise”, “Bon Anniversaire, maman”—we knew were in for a treat and in honor of Sonia’s fortieth anniversary out came thirty additional models in Rykiel looks created by her colleagues, a floor length black dress with a graphic print of three hands holding a red rose by Georgio Armani, a flaming red fur coat by Maison Martin Margiela to match Sonia’s flaming red hair, and a black tube dress with a ruffled top, fur(or was it human hair a la Chris March on Project runway?), and a graphic black and white print of Sonia’s face by Jean Charles De Castelbajac.

At Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld replicated the façade located on thirty-one Rue Cambon complete with the double C’s placed on each individual window shade, the engraved thirty-one on the structures first floor boutique, and the artificial road in Paris’s Grand Palais. “You have a set, you make a movie”, and with Lagerfeld as our director we’ll gladly sit back and enjoy the show.

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