POST-GRUNGE PLAID

After a fall season awash in tartans, the preference for plaids shows no signs of slowing down. For warmer weather there are crisp plaids for lightweights coats, tailored pants or easy dresses. Plaids are used head-to-toe in matched sets or jumpsuits, or as separates ensembled with florals or other plaids. Yarn-dyed checks look especially fresh for pattern-blocking, as in a twisted dress with contrasting plaid panels. The big plaid shirt is still a statement piece, worn on its own or tied around the waist for a post-grunge layer.

Suzanne Rae Resort 2019
Creatures of Comfort Resort 2019
Prabal Gurung Resort 2019
Isola Marras Resort 2019
Alexa Chung Resort 2019
R13 Resort 2019

THE PRINTED BODY KNIT

The fine-gauge jersey turtleneck, a key item for layering, moves forward with prints. Geometrics, pen-and-ink scribbles, abstract leopard spots or florals are printed on smooth or ribbed knits or stretch velvets. The tops work on their own or are styled under other tees, polos or dresses, adding a fall-appropriate layer while providing visual interest.

Dries Van Noten Fall/Winter RTW 2018
Versace Fall/Winter RTW 2018
Prada Fall/Winter RTW 2018
R13 Fall/Winter RTW 2018
Marine Serre Fall/Winter RTW 2018
Christian Wijnants Fall/Winter RTW 2018

PICTURE THIS

Any garment — sweatshirt, dress, tee or skirt — can become a canvas for eye-catching prints for next fall. Digital printing techniques encourage giant allover motifs rather than traditional placed designs or small repeats. Imagery comes from past and present fine art, snapshots, nature photos, vintage illustrations or tropical scenics. Black grounds add more drama for an ironic “painting on velvet” feel.

Marco de Vincenzo Fall/Winter RTW 2018
Agnes B Fall/Winter RTW 2018
Stella McCartney Fall/Winter RTW 2018
Adam Selman Fall/Winter RTW 2018
Lacoste Fall/Winter RTW 2018
R13 Fall/Winter RTW 2018

BUFFALO CITY

 

In a season of plaids, there is one motif that particularly stands out: the time-honored buffalo check. The check originated in the 1700s as a Scottish tartan called the MacGregor Red and Black; Woolrich introduced it to America as the “buffalo check” in 1850. For next season the pattern gets updated with refreshed color combos, quilted versions, and brushed surfaces that give it a slightly blurred effect. The buffalo check works in both traditional and quirky styles and even goes head-to-toe with checked hoods and wooly platform boots.

Aigner RTW Fall/Winter 2019
Carven RTW Fall/Winter 2019
Rick Owens RTW Fall/Winter 2019
Calvin Klein RTW Fall/Winter 2019
R13 RTW Fall/Winter 2019
Nicopanda RTW Fall/Winter 2019

DOWNTOWN JUNGLE

 

Bright frankly-fake versions of leopards and zebras offer a fun-fur break from all the sumptuous naturals adorning the runways. Many of these use graphic black motifs against a day-glo ground, recalling styles from the mid to late 1980s — when designer Stephen Sprouse took the trashy aesthetic of punk and transformed it into something luxurious (while magically retaining the downtown grit).

MSGM Fall/Winter RTW 18
Roberto Cavalli Fall/Winter RTW 18
Ashley Williams Fall/Winter RTW 18
Adam Selman Fall/Winter RTW 18
R13 Fall/Winter RTW 18
Tom Ford Fall/Winter RTW 18

WILD THINGS

 

The leopard coat, an outerwear staple of fashion icons and influencers, emerges as a key item this season in a variety of iterations. Updated silhouettes include oversized duffels, trim trenches, and patchwork furs, while classic tailored versions are still relevant. Additional newness comes from exaggerated proportions and stylized motifs, some featuring colorful overdyes or pattern mix.

WILD THINGS

 

The leopard coat, an outerwear staple of fashion icons and influencers, emerges as a key item this season in a variety of iterations. Updated silhouettes include oversized duffels, trim trenches, and patchwork furs, while classic tailored versions are still relevant. Additional newness comes from exaggerated proportions and stylized motifs, some featuring colorful overdyes or pattern mix.

THE BIG COAT

Statement coats rule the runways this season. In both Pre-Fall and Fall collections, the roomy outerwear piece emerges as a key item for both men and women. Long, almost-ankle lengths emphasize X-large proportions, but there are also knee-skimming versions in boxy silhouettes. Bright colors, abstract prints or chunky corduroys give it a novel, contemporary feel; dark neutrals or menswear tweeds make it a timeless classic. A chunky scarf, sturdy belt and low-heeled or flat footwear finish the look.
Jil Sander Pre Fall 2018
Raf Simons Menswear
Fall 2018
Sonia Rykiel Pre Fall 2018
Valentino Pre Fall 2018
R13 Pre Fall 2018
Raf Simons Menswear Fall 2018

BIB LOVE

 

Of all the wondrous pieces on display at the recent Georgia O’Keeffe: Living Modern show at the Brooklyn Museum, amid the delicate hand-sewn blouses, freshly pressed wrap-dresses and austere Balenciaga coats, the item that seemed to capture the imagination most was an oft-mended denim apron, quietly folded in a display case. The apron seemed to conjure everything we admire about O’Keeffe — her self-sufficiency, her artisanship, her affection for the forthright and plain, and her innate elegance. That fascination was reflected in several New York collections, whether as true workwear styles in railroad denim or coated canvas, or in the myriad bib fronts, pinafore straps, tie waists and long layers.