Last February, fall was in the air. In New York City, Feb. 9-16, 2012 brought designers and design lovers galore to witness fall fashions conquer the runway during New York Fashion Week. Today, fall is, literally, in the air. As the official day of fall— September 22— quickly arrives, the leaves change along with people’s wardrobes.
What did leading American designers showcase back in February that can now move beyond the runway and into people’s day-to-day attire?
Marc Jacobs
Marc lovers are easy to find. The Parsons School of Design graduate has won numerous awards for his menswear, womenswear, and accessories, and brought Louis Vuitton back to life. His Marc by Marc Jacobs womenswear lines frequently cater to the young and the restless: youthful women who prefer feminine styles with masculine touches.
“Yes, the Marc by Marc look is a bit younger and always with a he-she edge, but this was a lineup that, in pieces, had generational edge,” wrote Nandini D’Souza in her Fall 2012 Fashion Week coverage for Harper’s BAZAAR.
For fall 2012, an adult sophistication meshed with the usual feminine-masculine marriage of his collection. Crisp men’s shirts and delicate blouses plus belted coats were runway highlights that a collegiate on the go to class or out to see the capital’s sights can easily flaunt this fall.
Add an opaque, orange-red hue to lips— another Marc fall 2012 favorite, according to ELLE magazine—and a chic fashion statement is inevitable.
Calvin Klein
“Definitely for fall they’re going for brighter colors,” stated University of Maryland senior studio art major Ricki Weinstein. “They’re going with more reds, blues, greens— colors that the everyday person would want to wear that you can match with different styles.”
This three-time Klein intern in the dresses department has a point. Klein’s pops of color amidst the sea of classic black invigorated the catwalk’s collection no matter the garment’s style. There were dresses galore, usually cinched with a belt, that would inspire any industrious college intern’s workday wear.
“They focused a lot on career items for the fall, because people going back to work need things they can wear that are still fashionable, especially for the women,” explained Weinstein. “My favorite aspect was definitely the matte jersey dresses. It’s a fabric that’s very malleable so it stretches with you so if you don’t like the way it sits on your body you can definitely position it another way.”
Alexander Wang
To be fashion forward, take a step in some seriously stylish footwear. Get inspired by Alexander Wang’s show-stopping Equestrian waxed leather boots, which Glamour magazine listed in their roundup of the best shoes from fall 2012.
“The glossy finish coupled with a hyper-sleek silhouette results in a polished, grown-up sense of luxury; and will undoubtedly be one of the must-have boots for fall,” wrote Kate Davidson Hudson, ELLE magazine’s accessories director.
This Californian designer and 2008 recipient of Vogue and the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Fashion Fund already won CFDA’s Best Accessory Designer of the Year award once in 2011 and was nominated again for this year’s award. These boots are a testament to his way with accessories.
Slide into a pair of sleek riding boots in a neutral tone to wear with jeans, leggings or even a fall-appropriate dress when strutting across campus.
“I hope to see people being more adventurous with their footwear choices this fall,” commented University of Maryland senior American studies major Lalique Goonewardene. “The same black leggings, long t-shirt and cardigan combo can look so much better with the right boots.”
Can’t afford the designers’ fall collection price tags? Use the designs as inspiration to shop smart and craft a fabulous fall wardrobe with zero financial woes.
“Marc by Marc Jacobs’ red lips and belted coats are great for college fashionistas on a budget,” noted Goonewardene. “Adding a belt to last year’s coat can give it a whole new look without costing anything.”
PHOTOS: All model images from the Harper’s BAZAAR story, credited to imaxtree; boots image from the Glamour story, credited to Mark Leibowitz