Learnings from NY Fashion Week

I'm not a big devotee of fashion week(s). I'm not buying designer apparel; most days my life consists of a tank top and shorts underneath my work apron in the studio. Hardly glamorous. And when I'm working an art show, it would be ridiculous to wear high end clothing - it would be ruined, most likely, and also it doesn't exactly fit in with the aesthetic.

That said, I follow a few "style" blogs whose writers attend fashion weeks (most recently, NYFW) and I enjoy their updates because I *am* a big devotee of design. And I'm always pleased to see new and interesting designs, whether they're for apparel, home, jewelry, doesn't matter. It's all good.

Here are a few things that caught my eye this week:

Alexander Wang. source

Beautiful! The detail and ethereal lightness of these pieces is amazing. I love the sort of hide-and-seek effect with the nude panels against the white.

Also:

Marc Jacobs shows himself to be the color and pattern mixmaster of the country. Seriously, how good is this guy?? I don't mix patterns because I just can't get it right and this man is a pro. While you might not like all the individual items, or the colors, you've got to grant him the eye. And even I might be convinced to at least try on the second dress above if I saw it in a store.  :)

The proportions of the outfits might not suit every figure (some of these I don't even think flatter the models' figures) but the pattern play is absolutely sublime. Also, forget those shoes! Yikes! But I love the exuberance of this look and its slight ragamuffin chic.

I firmly believe that good design isn't limited to high end clothing (or jewelry, or furniture) though. It's more a question of space and proportion. And it can be found at any price...it's just that sometimes you have to look a little harder for it.  :)

marc jacobs photos from the sartorialist