Matthew Terry

>> Matthew Terry, closely watched during his first outing this season — he's a knitwear alum of both Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan — showed in the same Cedar Lake theater space as Rag & Bone, but the experiences couldn't have been further apart.  Instead of the chaotic crowds of David Neville and Marcus Wainwright, Coventry was much more zen — maybe he inherited that from Donna?  The runway was circular, with a mossy, sparse bundle of sticks in the middle, and the focus was clearly on Terry's strength: knitwear.  A number of the pieces looked too generic sportswear; more should have been approached like the below-the-know pleated skirts, which upon first glance looked normal and dowdy until the model walked, allowing the fabric between the pleats to become translucent and adding an element of sexy.  High-waisted riding pants also caught the eye, as well as Terry's ability to create knits that hold shapes the way wovens do — with no seams.
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>> Even established designers are editing, editing, editing for Fashion Week — the number of models, the number of looks, the amount of fabric used — but the tight times aren't keeping a crop of new blood away.  Joining former Bill Blass design director Prabal Gurung and Swaim and Christina Hutson, who are starting over with a new label, in the mix — alums of Central Saint Martins, FIT, and Parsons; apprentices of Marc Jacobs, J.Mendel, and Ralph Lauren; but most importantly, New York Fashion Week virgins — show us what you've got.
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