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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1 8 , 2 0 0 9 PAGE 1 3 Welcome back Alexis Carrington It was bound to happen sooner or later — power dressing a la ‘Dynasty’ hit the catwalks at Fashion Week. Expect the look in a store near you soon BY SAMANTHA CRITCHELL AP, NEW YORK audience wanting more after a glimpse of MISS SIXTY bareness from a back-closure keyhole opening or Miss Sixty kicked off its show Sunday with a a slit on the back of a skirt. black, acid-wash denim romper with a low-slung There was very little that was overtly sexy waist with a chain detail, with a strapless acid- — and that’s what was so tantalizing: The clothes wash jumpsuit right on its heels. draped the models just the right way and were Designer Wichy Hassan followed those looks made of slinky-yet-sophisticated fabrics. Karan up with nylon puffer pieces and a colorful pop-art captured strength that has become a trend here, print of fashion-magazine covers that was best but there was also a womanliness that not every designer has embraced this season. used on a windbreaker that was worn with skinny The crowd included White House social jeans and a tank top covered in “peace” graphics. secretary Desiree Rogers, who had one of the Most of the jeans had the skinniest of legs, best seats in the house next to Vogue Editor in some looking painted on the models. The lower Chief Anna Wintour. waist was in most instances refreshing, but the dropped-crotch trousers that almost hung to CAROLINA HERRERA knees were silly and unflattering. While everyone else might be obsessed with the CALVIN KLEIN MENSWEAR 1980s, Carolina Herrera looked to the decorative elements of the 18th century for the fall collection The new armor for the working man is made of she debuted Monday. molded foam, a fabric that repels anything you And the copper hardware that mimicked those throw at it. old architectural details added the most modern Calvin Klein menswear designer Italo touches to the dominant fitted shape with a tight, Zucchelli used this fabric for modern-day high waist. Michelin-man suits worn as if were just another The mixing of textured silk, reflective jacquard, day at the office. lace, suede and a recurring floral motif created a Of course the Calvin Klein way is to send luxurious patchwork quilt, and she also created an a powerful message using understated style, eye-catching draped wrap with long sleeves that so Zucchelli introduced this fashion-forward, was worn over gowns, many of which had a corset futuristic look in basic shades of gray and they peeking out from underneath. were woven into the larger fall collection, which was mostly slim, monochromatic two-button CYNTHIA ROWLEY suits offered in gray-black-taupe colors named The usually effervescent party girl in Cynthia anthracite, vapor and zinc. Rowley’s clothes went into mourning for the ERIN FETHERSTON economy, showing up in black with I’m-too-over- worked-to-care hair. A first glance at Erin Fetherston’s mini hoop The majority of the 1940s-inspired looks were skirts renders a verdict of cute-but-not-wearable. entirely black, though Rowley kept it interesting However, when the designer herself wore a black by mixing textures in silk, velvet and leather version of this kooky teacup silhouette, she dresses. Basket-weaved strips of black silk made looked pretty darned cute. wide Obi belts that offset stern black silk dresses. The theme of Fetherston’s show on Sunday was The somber mood was only occasionally life-size dolls, complete with girlie bows and Swiss- broken up by the few shots of electric blue, dot gloves. The collection, dubbed Tinderbox, was green, white, orange and blood red, which were gimmicky, but there was something fresh in the sprinkled in through silk strips or accessories like unabashed femininity, which has been a rare sight giant bib necklaces. at the previews of fall styles. Rowley drew design inspiration from women’s Fetherston embraced delicate tops in chiffon, shoulders. ruffled necklines and a floral print of a magnolia Exaggerated structure created drama in blossom. She also used a delicate lavender and PHOTO: REUTERS conservative blouses and dresses where layers of PHOTO: AP a rich cranberry color to break up all the black folded silks resulted in huge princess sleeves. and white. emember the 1980s, when big hair and even bigger shoulders were the BETSEY JOHNSON height of chic? The designers at Can’t afford to have a fete in a recession? Throw a Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week won’t house party! let you forget. Yes, the shoulder pad is That’s what designer Betsey Johnson did to back. Add that to power suits, Robert show off her fall 2009 looks, unleashing a 25-piece Palmer-style second-skin dresses, collection inspired by food at her Manhattan dark lipstick and even, at Miss Sixty, showroom, recreated as an apartment. acid-wash jeans. It’s probably safe to The theme of the collection was snacks: knitted say that there were more shoulder dresses and tops paired with fringe, sequins and pads at Goodwill drop-off bins than at fashion layers of petticoats for frothy skirts resembling Rboutiques in recent years. something Cyndi Lauper might have worn in the But big shoulders edged onto the runways days of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. And Johnson of Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan, Alexander Wang, didn’t settle on a morose color palette: her looks Diane von Furstenberg and others as New ran through colors like a rainbow. York Fashion Week ended its fourth day of fall previews Monday. JILL STUART “Shoulder pads scare people but remember, The sound track to Jill Stuart’s fall runway show runway is a fairy tale,’’ said Gloria Baume, fashion could have been Leather and Lace. The designer director at Teen Vogue. “Now we have to figure out cited French singer Francoise Hardy as an how to make it real.” influence, but it was hard not to see at least a little Done right, though, sharp shoulders can give Stevie Nicks in the mix of billowy, sheer chiffon a new confidence to women left weary by the with tough-as-nails motorcycle leather. economy, said Stephanie Solomon, Bloomingdale’s The most dramatic and striking silhouettes were fashion director. “Toughness is confidence. It’s her more delicate looks, including a white mini- a way of saying, ‘You can’t bring me down.’” dress surrounded by cascading ruffles that turned Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week runs through Friday. sexy when it was backlit by the runway lights. For the more hard-core rock ’n’ roll girl, there MARC JACOBS were plenty of black skinny jeans and barely-there Marc Jacobs’ punk princess was the prom queen tops. And for everyone else, there were Stuart’s with a rebellious streak, the one who wears short strapless dresses, the bread-and-butter of oversized cardigans with zipper details and a series many of her collections. of tight pencil skirts. She has a few outfits with sexy cutouts and a black, slashed dress that allows TRACY REESE flashes of pink and green to peek through. Tracy Reese bounced between the boardroom, And, of course, she has the biggest shoulder bedroom and boyfriend’s closet for clothes that hit pads of the week. many of the trends emerging for fall without being Jacobs is considered to be one of the most a slave to them. influential designers in New York, if not the most The aggressiveness that’s been all over the influential, so be ready for copycat satin party catwalks was represented in Reese’s show with dresses in hot pink, purple, blue and green in every wide shoulders and a bronze brocade outfit. Her mall later this year. prints, though, were artful, and her shapes softer Far fewer fashionistas saw the Jacobs show than the sharp 1980s silhouette that is making a than normal — and the paparazzi missed the typical comeback. parade of stars — because the designer cut back Paris and Nicky Hilton were among those the guest list significantly and started the show watching in the front row. even before the appointed time on the invitation. The collection was dedicated to her mother, who died last week. DONNA KARAN Her front-row seat was empty save a bouquet There’s more to seduction than skin and sin. of flowers that she normally would have handed Donna Karan’s smoldering fall looks left the to her daughter. PHOTO: AP PHOTO: EPA TT-980218-P13-IB.indd 1 2009/2/17 08:54:35.