Jonathan Simkhai may have made his New York Fashion Week debut just last season, but he's already been generating quite a bit of buzz. And if the crowd — which included several notable fashion directors and stylists — at his Fall 2013 presentation at Milk on Saturday evening is any indication, that excitement doesn't seem to be in danger of dying down any time soon.
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Not that it should. Simkhai — a member of this year's CFDA incubator program — seems to know exactly what kind of clothes his cool downtown customer wants, and he excels at creating edgy-but-easy separates that could easily make up a whole wardrobe. This season, those pieces include a structured cocoon coat made from panels of navy wool and checked tweed, a quilted leather bomber, a black leather sweatshirt with checkered intarsia sleeves, and asymmetrically ruffled taffeta skirts. Also in the mix were custom oxfords, flatforms, and booties created specially for Simkhai by Shoes of Prey; in black, white, and navy they complemented the offering perfectly.