From the Dust Bowl to ’50s Hollywood, designers embraced America as Fashion Week drew to a close Thursday – fitting themes, given the U.S. fashion industry’s current struggle for survival.
Ralph Lauren showed a collection inspired by “the character of the worker,” specifically those who toiled through the Great Depression.
But the clothes are for today’s worker, who’s suffering through the same concerns. There was faded, beat-up denim and button-downs and vests, along with bandanas and newsboy caps (and, you know, super-practical stilettos).
When the runway gave way to evening wear – floor-length dresses and pants in charmeuse, silk and chiffon – the colors stayed denim blue. Prairie girls softened the tough men’s-wear-inspired looks with soft-pink and cornflower-blue floral-print cotton dresses.
For a season so inspired by classic Americana, it was fitting that Lauren’s end-of-show walk (as he stopped to kiss front-rower Janet Jackson) was set to a vintage Bob Dylan.
Isaac Mizrahi set his show on an old movie set – giant spotlights lined the runway and a waterfall rained down, as though the hapless starlets had been caught in a sudden shower (thank goodness, then, for the umbrella holder).
Amid the inclement weather, Mizrahi unveiled a collection of soft, knee-length skirts, boyish tuxedo jackets, and hourglass gowns that would have made Ava Gardner giggle.
With other legendary American designers doing their things, it was only fitting that Calvin Klein joined the fray.
Creative director Francisco Costa sent out classic Calvin: crinkled pieces in neutrals and pastels, adding drama to casual fabrics. Dewy models looked freshly dipped and ready to mingle poolside.
At Tommy Hilfiger, the last show of the season, the models were fresh off the beaches of Southern California. Breezy silk blouses were paired with cuffed shorts and jodhpurs; there were strapless minis and ‘70s jersey gowns with thigh-high slits to give an American classic a little sex appeal
