The fall 2014 fashion collections shown in New York this week have prescribed a utilitarian yet luxe antidote to the polar vortex: alpine sweaters, puffer coats in leather, fur and embroidery, and cozy flat-soled boots.
Just gazing at them is warming. One can only hope the weather will be as chilly next fall when Donna Karan’s suede puffer coats and Tory Burch’s chunky sweaters hit stores.
The concept isn’t entirely new, but designers are doing it better this season, with richer detailing and greater practicality. Stuart Vevvers, hired in June after jobs at a string of posh European luxury brands to upgrade and revitalize Coach, included a fireman’s coat in his collection, complete with toggle buttons but constructed of black motorcycle-style leather. He turned to a Tennessee workwear factory to make canvas coats for the collection.
„Utilitarian is very important,“ Mr. Vevvers says in a clipped British accent. „I started to look at actual authentic American workwear.“
The sturdy clothes unleashed this week appear timeless enough to work for many years. They’ll give competition to London’s Burberry—known for its weather-worthy coats—and to Brunello Cucinelli, the Italian cashmere magnate who has made a fortune selling an ultra-luxury-Banana-Republic look to wealthy weekenders.
„If someone is looking to make an investment for next fall, it would be a great coat with special details,“ says Sheila Aimette, North American vice president for trend forecaster WGSN. Or, she adds, a spectacular sweater.
At the shows, many fashion editors look as though they’ve just skied in off the slopes of Mont Blanc in cable-knit sweaters and furry boots. Cuddly outfits that might have looked lazy a few seasons ago alongside the catwalks suddenly look chic.
One of the more spectacular coats of the week came from Ralph Rucci, who held an intimate show at his new studio, a preternaturally glossy space currently featured in Architectural Digest. Lined with Barguzin sable (referring to a Russian region) with an outer layer of Nappa leather, the coat looked as suitable for driving a dogsled as for hurrying down Fifth Avenue.
The week has been full of cozy plaids. Some were simplified and enlarged in ways that toned down the loudness, as at Delpozo, Tracy Reese and Marc by Marc Jacobs.
Tim Coppens was among a number of designers who included quilted or puffy coats. Alexander Wang, Thakoon and Opening Ceremony all included these warming looks, inspired by hiking and hunting materials. Mr. Coppens used ripstop nylon for pockets and added cozy details like plaid flannel lining under a suit jacket’s collar. Peter Som and Jason Wu included tailored coats with patterned materials or embellishments.
The sense of ease extended to a predominant shape that is looser and more voluminous, both in tops and pants, than in previous seasons. It is as though Katharine Hepburn has become a muse to many designers. Pants are wide-legged and often long and louche. Jackets and tops have voluminous sleeves and curvaceous backs. Thom Browne—whose extreme shows don’t always give a clear view of how the actual clothes will look, alluded to the volume trend in his medieval ode to Catholicism: Some looks had double or cape-like sleeves.
Tom Mora, women’s designer of J.Crew, took his inspiration from the Weimar era, suggesting its extravagance with lush brocades. „You don’t want to do a little cropped top,“ he says. „You want to do something substantial. It was a decadent era.“
Of course, it wouldn’t be fashion if everything were practical, and designers have sprinkled purely frivolous looks in their collections. Fur bags—which began to appear on runways a year ago—have been out in full force from Tory Burch to Derek Lam. Rodarte let the nerdy force be with it, sending gowns down the runway with images of Yoda, R2-D2 and Luke Skywalker printed on the skirts.
It has also been a newsy week. Secondary line Marc by Marc has been a Cinderella stepsister to the Marc Jacobs label in recent years. That era ended on Tuesday afternoon, when Luella Bartley, who has a cult following in Britain, and Kate Hillier debuted their first collection for Marc by Marc. The designers styled basketball shoes and knee socks with exquisitely tailored gray suits, a message that the brand is hyping its youthful image while tailoring clothes for grown-ups. It was odd to see founding designer Marc Jacobs watching from the benches with pal Sofia Coppola.
Diane von Furstenberg celebrated the 40th anniversary of the wrap dress in a show that ended with a gaggle of supermodels dressed in gold surrounding the designer as she was showered in glittering confetti, Studio 54 style.
Donna Karan celebrated her label’s 30th anniversary with one of her strongest recent collections. She went back to the roots that made her a working woman’s dream—comfortable clothes that would travel from office to evening—body suits, loose trousers and shimmering blouses. Also, Yeohlee launched a promising men’s collection.
Sophie Theallet, known for understated fabrics, devoted much of her collection to in-your-face fabrics such as silk jacquards with gold metallic accents. The result: a collection that justifies its prices from across the room. She is expanding her knitwear, and with her work history at Azzedine Alaïa, her label is now a place to look for perfectly shaped sweaters.
A subtler theme this week was clothing stitched from curving or shard-like panels of fabric. The artful seams are part of the look. What’s more, every part requires its own pattern piece and extra sewing. Just try copying that, fast fashion.