If there’s one city that should always be at the top of everyone’s “must visit” list, it’s New York City. On just one island, you can get kissed on top of the Empire State Building, go ice skating in Central Park, eat pretzels from a street vendor and go high fashion shopping on Madison Avenue. What more could you want? And no, I’m not just biased because the city has a street with my name on it. Well, maybe a little.
Though New York City is a wonderful place to be any time of year, the sartorially obsessed know there’s no better time to step out into the streets of the Big Apple than during New York Fashion Week. Whether you’re a seasoned fashion designer or just a blogger snapping pictures for Instagram, the hustle and bustle of New York Fashion Week is not to be missed.
This year’s Fall/Winter 2013 collections started showing Feb. 7 and came to a close Feb. 14. Even if you couldn’t make it to NYC and, instead, chose to watch the runways from the comfort of your dorm room, it is insanely hard to keep up with the chaos that is Fashion Week. With up to 14 shows a day and plenty of other presentations throughout the city, it’s a job in itself to keep up with all the collections. So, to save you some time trolling style.com, here’s a quick round up of some of my personal favorites from the past few days:
Valentino is one of my all-time favorite designers, whether on the red carpet or on the runway, so it’s no surprise that its younger line, Red Valentino, completely stole my heart. The Hansel and Gretel-inspired collection included sweet, feminine floral dresses that were adorable and wearable, but it was the outerwear that sent me squealing. The collection’s quilted peacoat, plaid, fur-trimmed jacket and rose-detailed capelet were age-appropriate and looked completely chic paired with the models’ knee-high socks and classic milkmaid braids. If getting caught in a German fairytale meant I could dress this well, then I would be hitting up the Brothers Grimm at this very moment.
There are quite a few designers out there who are attached to a signature piece — you hear their names and one type of clothing immediately comes to mind. For Hervé Léger, that piece is none other than the bandage dress. It has been seen on a handful of well-toned celebrities and is constantly present in the collection. This season was no different with the designers showcasing a host of long-sleeved, body conscious dresses in black, white, maroon and even a striking orange-gold. The collection also featured a few separates, including cropped shirts, maxi skirts and even a pair of loose-fitting sweatpants. Nevertheless, the looks kept a high fashion appeal with fur hoods, luxe baseball caps, dark nail polish, and — staying true to the Hervé Léger brand — a whole lot of womanly appeal.
If you’re over the whole edgy-grunge-goth-depressing scene that previously permeated the fashion world, check out Kate Spade’s 20th anniversary collection. Inspired by all that is NYC, the designer mixed the iconic symbols of the city with fun, fashionable pieces that are equal parts quirky and refined. The models donned bright red lips and cat eyeliner to accompany such pieces as an apple-printed skirt, a sweatshirt picturing a sprinkled donut and even taxi cab inspired heels. And in true Kate Spade fashion, the collection was tied together (no pun intended) with an abundance of bows, featured on everything from gloves, to bags, to dramatic blouses.
Though it will be a while until the seasons turn to fall and winter again, there’s no harm in getting some glamorous high fashion inspiration during the dreary days of February. And, luckily, it’s become easier than ever to see each collection through picture and video. All it takes is a quick trip over to [wbfashionweek.com](www.wbfashionweek.com) (or any of the other major fashion sites), and you can pretend that you’re sitting front row next to Anna Wintour, watching Karlie Kloss glide down the runway. And maybe one year, that’s exactly where you’ll be.
