From left, Karen Walker, Phillip Lim, Zero + Maria Cornejo.Photo: imaxtree.com
Throughout the week, the buyers from Bird, Intermix, Henri Bendel, and Oak will tell us which runway looks they plan on stocking. In today’s installment, Bird owner Jen Mankins loves the accessories at Phillip Lim, the colors at Zero Maria Cornejo, the party dresses at Behnaz Sarafpour, and the bold prints at Karen Walker.
3.1 Phillip Lim
Phillip Lim is one of my favorite designers — and everyone else’s judging by the big new venue and massive turnout! Shots of sepia blue, emerald green, and vermillion looked particularly rich against the subtle neutral tones of tobacco, almond, and mouse gray, which led the show in the form of a delicious suede duster coat. Mixing casual and dressy is something Phillip does better than anyone. Two of my favorite looks embody this philosophy, the gray lambskin aviator jacket thrown over a black silk multi-ruffle maxi-dress, and the graphite denim razor-sharp boyfriend blazer with matching high-waisted seventies jeans topped with the most beautiful floral cross-stitched wool scarf. The accessories were particularly strong too: lots of bags, shawls, hats, and oversize sunglasses. I am going to have to get a bigger store!
View a slideshow of the 3.1 phillip lim collection.
Zero Maria Cornejo
This collection was gorgeous! Celebrating her tenth anniversary and showcasing her beautiful soon-to-be new retail space, Maria cited yearning to travel, gypsies, nomads, and Peru all as inspirations for the stunning new collection. Color was especially important, and the show was broken down explicitly into five ideas: red/black/check, chalk/gray, black/fluorescent, nomad/multi, and midnight/evening, each one more beautiful than the next. My favorites from each were a chile-red fine alpaca long-sleeved dress cinched in by a high-waisted leather block belt, a gray-and-ivory-striped wool concave waistcoat, a teal silk-charmeuse column dress with matching mohair shrug, and everything in the nomad group, especially the jacquard knit long cardigan and the rainbow mohair “mad” coat. I will be wearing it every day next winter! She also refined her signature voluminous cuts by tailoring styles closer to the body, which looked ultramodern and fresh. Here’s to another ten great years!
View a slideshow of the Zero Maria Cornejo collection.
Behnaz Sarafpour
I love that Behnaz is dedicated to making luxurious, beautiful clothing in an environmentally conscious way. It is the future of fashion, and I applaud her for setting the bar higher each season. The show started with a strong collection of organic-wool sheath dresses with leaf appliqués, and the organic hand-knit long cardigan and dress were two of my favorite looks in the whole show. The pops of electric yellow and plum added an edgy element to the ladylike coats and dresses as did the long-hair goat jackets and the fierce shoes by Sergio Rossi. Behnaz is always spot-on when designing party dresses, and this season was no exception. I especially loved the optical floral-print minidress and the plum bow-neck metallic shift. And the cutting-edge music of the show, compiled mostly of DFA remixes, is seasons ahead of everyone else and hands down the best all week.
View a slideshow of the Behnaz Sarafpour collection.
Karen Walker
In her usual madcap way, Karen managed to mix Edwardian frills, sixties hippy chic, and nineties grunge, and pull it all together in the effortless street-savvy looks her customers have come to love her for. Pretty pin-tuck dresses, Edwardian jackets, sharply tailored cropped trousers, bold florals, plaids, and stripes defined the show. I especially loved the cobalt-blue wool-flannel shrunken coat and the thick opaque tights with bright contrasting shoes. She is also known for her amazing accessories, and they were featured in almost every look. Oversize sunglasses, big-knit scarves, pompom hats, and amazing chunky crochet bangles will be on the arm of every cool girl come next fall. All this and she just had a baby three weeks ago! My hero!
View a slideshow of the Karen Walker collection.
