We checked out Wundervoll's Fall 2009 lingerie range in the showroom last week and loved the retro sportswear styles. The 100% silk jersey fabrics were unbelievably soft to the touch and details, like extra-small buttons and contrast piping, gave the collection a more individual feel. The line is only stocked in a handful of stores around the world, including Journelle in New York, so check out their website for more.
Last week, we checked out New York designer Catherine Holstein's Fall 2009 collection in the showroom. Holstein lowered her price point this season meaning that there were less ornate details and more bang-for-buck pieces. Most exciting to us was an oversized boyfriend jacket which will retail for around $300. Only time will tell if Holstein will stick with this plan, her Spring 09 offering was one of our favorites from the season but perhaps it makes more sense to sell at that heavenly Topshop price point. Check out our snapshots from the showroom and her Fashion Week presentation in the gallery below.
We will be honest and say that out of all the brands at the Denise Williamson showroom, Operations was not the brand we were expecting would be one of our favorites. Second only to Catherine Holstein in our affections in fact. As much as their formula hasn't changed, and as much as we respect them for collaborating with Levi's, the range just felt more polished and trend-cognizant then ever before. The neon piping in each garment, the thin light denim pieces, and the trench coats with contrast collars, were right on the money--even if you couldn't say these were out-there trends to reference. Operations, which takes inspiration from American uniform, is shaping up to be a clever little jackets-and-shirts kind of line and we're happy to see it happen.
Last season when we attended the Gilded Age presentation we hoped we'd eventually get to see a women's line come from the brand. Though the infiltration of Ralph Lauren-alikes can sometimes be overwhelming, in the end it gives a strong identity to wholesome American fashion and that can't hurt. Gilded Age's first women's collection looks a little more grunge than say, Trovata. The worn-thin flannel shirts, levis-inspired oversized denim, and square, low-slung shorts reminded us of our days as an adolescent in the nineties. For the less boyish Gilded Age customers, they put out some cotton frocks and thin floral-printed separates that are more prep-school friendly.
For the first time ever, British menswear designer Oliver Spencer is giving up something for the ladies, namely, smaller sizes. Following in the footsteps of brands like Corpus, Steven Alan, Trovata, and Seize Sur Vingt, Oliver Spencer has started his womenswear label by making a small collection of pieces appropriated from the menswear patterns. So, we see a pair of shorts and jumper dress made no doubt exclusively for the women but, more often than not, we see little oxfords, raincoats, and blazers that are identical to the men's options. This formula is as much about cutting costs as it is about giving female customers what they've always wanted. It's likely, that is, that more than just a few women have dreamt of an Oliver Spencer oxford hanging on their side of the closet.
Form Spring 09 might be the one collection that we preferred to see on the runway rather than in the showroom. That's not to say that the clothing isn't well made or interesting up close, on the contrary it excels in both respects. The catch is that no matter how feminine or light Form's recent collections might be, there is still the fact of seeing the clothing on a body in order to take in its, ahem, form. What did stand out, on the other hand, were the sequined numbers that we only vaguely remember from the runway show. One blue (left) and one black frock were hanging in the showroom today and were truly impressive. The sequins on these two garments are much finer than what you might find on a pair of American Apparel leggings, for example, making the fabric look like a skin of sorts. Form continues to be one of our favorite New York brands, no matter our preference for seeing one garment on the runway and the other in the showroom. We're just being picky because we know they'd indulge that sort of thing.
To see more Form Spring 09, check out our backstage coverage with photographer Robert Malmberg.
