TOM FORD
For fall 2019, Tom Ford made a collection of separates that can be reworked around every look – satin pants, sheer flouncy frocks, and velvety bombers. A bit of an understatement, that was exactly what Ford was going for. “I feel frustrated and agitated and exhausted. And I don’t want to wear anything particularly challenging or anything particularly aggressive,” he said about the state of American politics and how they affected this collection in particular. “I’ve never really been a designer who’s talked about a moment in time, how that’s influenced what I design, but you can’t escape the news.”
MARC JACOBS
Marc Jacobs Fall 2019 was a snug parade of A-line voluminous coats and dresses. Every piece garnered volume from the waist down – with some exceptions: several mini dresses flounced with ruffles starting at the neck with never-ending magnitude. Volume was the keyword – it was used sporadically and carefully, sometimes at the shoulders and neck, and sometimes moving onto the end of sleeves, making of models 5-year-old kids trying their father’s coat for the first time.
PRABAL GURUNG
Prabal Gurung Fall’s collection was a trip to…everywhere! Gurung’s inspiration came from his traveling suitcase – and everything he saw where he went with it. “A nomad’s trial from Europe to South Asia” with the title “Hippie Trail” was the attitude of this collection, including tye-dye pieces (a full hippie look on Ashley Graham!) that we’ve seen in several collections thus far.
JEREMY SCOTT
Jeremy Scott is synonym with the word “entertainment.” He manages to make beautiful clothes out of camp-y concepts (McDonald’s and cereal brand inspirations have been seen in his past collections for Moschino) without the cheesiness or tackiness. For fall 2019, Scott referenced the widely-known phenomenon born out of irrational American politics: “fake news.” An 80’s Madonna vibe was sent down the runway with tabloids plastered all over, reading words like “chaos”. Clothes were monotoned in black and white with the exception of some denim – a new territory for the always colorful Jeremy.
ALICE + OLIVIA
Alice + Olivia fall 2019 was a garden of Eden – a sort of heaven for the fashion aficionado. Where fashion presentations are always soft and discreet, Alice + Olivia is always the exception. There were monumental flower arrangements, a model in a giant birdcage, and music reminiscent of a Sunday service orchestra. The clothes were dramatic – the Alice + Olivia girl is always ready to make a statement.
SALLY LA POINTE
Sally Lapointe’s fall 2019 is an exquisite palette of contrasting leather pastels in monochrome ensembles made up of everyday wearable separates. Leather was the star fabric in Lapointe’s show – there were leather trenchcoats, leather jumpsuits, and even leather berets – all ruched towards a casual nonchalance.
THREESAFOUR
Threeasfour did a breathtaking avant-garde collection ingrained in the concept of recapitulation. Pulling from “rejected paintings from artist Stanley Casselman as ‘fabric,’” and reintegrating prints from their 1999 debut collection (when surprisingly these fabrics weren’t “new” enough), their prints of choice for Fall 2019 look more futuristic than the year we live in now. The clothes had a life of its own. It was more of a sentiment, a romanticized attitude, than a ready-to-wear collection. Every look awoke titillation.
THE BLONDS
The Blonds threw a party for Fall 2019 – right on the runway. A full-on disco vibe was conceived by way of every single garment sporting a pound of sequins, the placing of smoke machines along the runway, and the unforgettable rap concert at the end. The closing look was worn by Lil Kim, exclusive performance included. The rest of the casting were no regulars: models included Paris Hilton, The Clermont Twins, and Karrueche Tran.
TOMO KOIZUMI
Another NYFW debut, Tomo Koizumi presented his array of flouncy, giant, voluminous gowns at the Marc Jacobs Madison Ave store – with the help of several A- list models and celebs (Bella Hadid, Rowan Blanchard) and his fashion friends Katie Grand, Pat McGrath, Tabitha Simmons, among others. Having been discovered by Grand herself only a few months ago on Instagram, this was Koizumi’s second time ever in New York. His collection was a couture-like haven. These dresses are intended for admiring; the pieces are worthy of a frame – or a whole art installation.
CONG TRI
Vietnamese designer Cong Tri showed for the first time in New York Fashion Week for Fall 2019, but that doesn’t make him a newbie. Vietnam International Fashion Week and Tokyo Fashion Week have shown his previous collections, and in 2014, he was the first Vietnamese member acknowledged by Asia Couture Federation. His Fall 2019 collection was mesmerizing – the sequins in the dreamy gowns could be heard dangling gracefully from the sitting rows when supermodels like Shanina Shaik, Caroline Trentini and Martha Hunt strutted them down the runway. Every look was a piece of its own but he still managed to tie it up as a congruent affair. Cong Tri was true craftsmanship, romance, and mystique.
AREA
Area had an evolution for fall 2019. Turning away from the iridescent fabric that marked their beginnings, (but not ridding completely of their signature fabric yet, as some detailing was made with it this season) this collection had soul. It made you feel pretty things inside and showed us color combinations that we didn’t even know existed, let alone work as contrasting pairs. It wasn’t Instagram clout or street style inspired mini-tube dresses and giant hoop earrings (which they did in past seasons). Area Fall 2019 was a colorful mashup of prints, cultures, fabrics, textures – a disparate unison that somehow, not only works, but has given Area a higher pedestal in the fashion industry.
JORDACHE
The denim giant Jordache is making a 21st-century comeback with an 80’s Aspen inspiration. Pulling from Jordache’s extensive archives, the fall 2019 collection was reinvented for the 2019 city woman on the go. Leather, high-tech fabrics and acid wash were paired with cowboy hats, rhinestone chandelier earrings, and pointy leather boots. There was also a re-introduction of their famous “coming and going jean” with a few updates – a two-toned silhouette and a contrasted back. The Canadian tuxedo look called, it said it’s on its way back to us from the 90s.