Favorite Collection from New York Fashion Week

For a recent class assignment I had to pick my favorite designer/collection from the recently concluded Fashion Week in New York. My pick is Rag & Bone's Fall/Winter 2011 Ready-to-wear collection by designers David Neville and Marcus Wainwright. The collection was shown Friday February 11^th, 2011 at the Lincoln Center Damrosch Park main tent venue.

 

Rag & Bone Fall/Winter 2011 Ready-to-wear Collection 

For me the Rag & Bone Fall 2011 Ready-to-wear collection was the most exciting collection shown during Fashion Week 2011 in New York. The Rag & Bone collection mixed classic patterns of plaid, tartan and herringbone tweed with bold colors and geometric shapes as well as futuristic ribbing to create a look that is very contemporary, but is anchored by traditional materials and textures and conventional garment types. Moreover, I think almost all of the looks in the collection are very wearable and particularly desirable for the New York winter weather this year. 

Rag & Bone designers David Neville and Marcus Wainwright sited Inuit costumes and 1970’s ski uniforms as inspirations for their Fall 2011 RTW collection. One of the key reasons that I feel this collection is so successful is that the garments are very practical for fall/winter wear – leg warmers/leggings, suit jackets/pants, medium length skirts, tight fitting sweaters and tight fitting motor-cycle style jackets. All these garment types are very easy to wear, easy to mix and match and very practical for day-to-day wear in the fall/winter season in an urban environment (i.e. nothing too big or too loose to hinder jumping into a taxi or riding on a crowded subway).

 Another characteristic of this collection that is a key factor in its success is the unexpected harmony achieved by mixing contrasting materials, shapes, patterns and colors. I feel that the designers drew from their own design history, the traditional patterns and materials of their homeland (UK) and mixed those influences with bold and daring concepts such as white/pale skins of the Inuit costumes and the large color stripes of the 1970’s ski uniforms to create looks that blend traditional elements that make people feel comfortable and reassured with fun and adventurous colors, patterns and shapes that afford a great deal of personal expression. Overall, I feel that the pieces in this collection could be very satisfying to a person who needs or wants to dress conservatively, but who also wants to express their contemporary and adventurous sensibility to the limit that a practical ready to wear outfit will allow.  

The following are some of my favorite outfits from the collection

 

Photo: Marcio Madeira/firstVIEW.  (above) My absolute favorite look from the collection - Urban Ice Princess look with pale colors inspired by Inuit costumes mixed with contemporary motorcycle style jacket and futuristic looking mixed pleat/strapping skirt. 

 

Photo: Marcio Madeira/firstVIEW. (above) Very comfortable looking outfit with a mix of traditional tartan and solid colors and contrasting patterns. Some hints of the ski outfit inspiration in the bold stripes on the jacket (echoed on the boots).

Photo: Marcio Madeira/firstVIEW. (above) Another one of my favorite looks from the collection, this outfit really demonstrates the fabulous contemporary/classic look that is achieved by the unexpected mixing of different patterns, colors and textures.

 

Photo: Marcio Madeira/firstVIEW. (above) This look mixes bold and fun colors from the 1970’s ski uniform inspiration with classic tartan and a medium length skirt to create a very practical and fun outfit. The ribbed leggings add futuristic and contemporary element that gives the outfit a truly unique style.

 

 

Comments

[Mel Greer]

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