It’s amazing what a few sequins and poppy colors can do to lighten the mood and fall business outlook.
That was one of several points retailers agreed on about the latest edition of New York Fashion Week, which officially closed Wednesday. Energized after attending — versus livestreaming — runway shows, executives are confident that shoppers also are enthusiastic about in-person events, especially social ones. And as many WFHers have returned to their offices, at least on a part-time basis or will be doing so soon, they know sweatpants and hoodies won’t cut it.
Khaite, Altuzarra, Peter Do, Gabriela Hearst, Proenza Schouler, Ulla Johnson, LaQuan Smith and Dion Lee were among the favorite collections this time around.
Despite the scaled-down NYFW calendar and ongoing global sourcing issue, retail executives predominantly focused on a blue skies ahead forecast. With this season’s NYFW absence of Ralph Lauren, Tom Ford and others, that allowed for a wave of younger names to gain more attention.
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Here is what retailers had to say about the season:
Rickie De Sole, women’s designer fashion and editorial director, Nordstrom
Standout collections: Khaite’s strong outerwear and modern eveningwear; Eckhaus Latta’s chunky knits and elevated yet wearable sequin pieces; Altuzarra’s romantic dresses; LaQuan Smith’s sexy body-conscious silhouettes, and Gabriela Hearst’s longer hemlines, graceful drapery, coordinating knit sets and oversize accessories.
Key trends: The return of the waist, A-line silhouettes, oversize bags, sophisticated strapless pieces, perfect little black dresses, punchy colors, novelty knitwear and unexpected pairings like Brandon Maxwell’s lace dresses with heavy knit scarves and Eckhaus Latta’s sequined skirt with a chunky sweater.
Different NYFW mood: “There was a sense of reunion in the industry. It was also a shining moment for the next generation of great New York designers with the calendar full of new talent like Puppets and Puppets, and the up-and-coming Saint Sintra.”
What will make people spend: “Women are getting dressed up again and designers took notice with great effortless cocktail options and grounded footwear. Customers are feeling inspired to venture out and dress up again and this season’s collections reflect that energy.”
Lisa Aiken, fashion and lifestyle director, Neiman Marcus
Standout collections: Khaite’s modern attitude, cool approach to evening and accessories; Altuzarra’s rich fabrications, tie-dye and outerwear; Gabriela Hearst’s most elaborate pieces; Proenza Schouler’s pops of color and immaculate tailoring. Also, Sergio Hudson, LaQuan Smith, Peter Do and Interior are “paving the way with a new perspective.”
Key trends: “Rather than the trends, we enjoyed the return of designers sticking to their DNA and presenting what we do best.” That equated to color for day and evening; luxury craftsmanship in rich textures, tie-dyes and embroideries; body-conscious, cozy and luxe knits and feminine silhouettes such as fitted tailoring.
Different NYFW mood: “Overall, there was optimism grounded in a sense of normalcy. For the first time in a while, it felt like we were back to business as usual, and designers were doing what they do best and what we love them for.”
What will make people spend: “The fact that they don’t want to dress casually anymore. Everyone wants to get dressed up again. Designers are giving us emotional fashion and are not just sticking to the essentials, which is exactly what we want. The runway has very much embraced this. It’s not loud fashion, it’s just emotional and makes the customer feel a sense of anticipation to self-express through fashion. There’s a luxury in feeling like the best version of yourself.”
Tiffany Hsu, vice president, womenswear and kidswear fashion buying, Mytheresa
Standout collections: “Dion Lee, Khaite and Peter Do were amazing. As always, these brands had a modern approach to femininity. In complete contrast, Area presented maximum drama and sparkles — a really fun and much needed bang for NYFW.”
Key trends: “Leather, masculine suiting, minimalist silhouettes, monochrome, cutouts and metallics. Khaite’s oversize blazers and draped tops; Area glitter bras, and Dion Lee’s Yves Klein blue knit set.”
Different NYFW mood: “NYFW was more quiet than usual. Many brands did not put on physical shows, especially the smaller independent designers. They held off this season.”
What will make people spend: “Casual dressing does not mean that consumers are not spending. Outstanding quality and craftsmanship, comfort and timelessness are really important. People are yearning to dress up and have somewhere to go. All this will come back once we are back to traveling more freely.”
Roopal Patel, senior vice president, fashion director, Saks Fifth Avenue
Standout collections: “Khaite’s urban-cool and everyday essentials; Altuzarra’s magical, ‘Moby Dick’-inspired collection playing on proportion, with cropped military-inspired jackets, full skirts layered over pants; Ulla Johnson’s bohemian, ’70s looks, color-blocked melange knits, printed florals and eclectic accessories; Michael Kors’ decadent sequins, sexy minidresses and luxe layers; Gabriela Hearst’s artisanal craftsmanship and crochet pieces; LaQuan Smith’s sexy, bold, body-con pieces; Oscar de la Renta’s Botticelli-inspired collection.”
Linda Fargo, senior vice president fashion office and store presentation, Bergdorf Goodman
Standout collections: “Peter Do was an utter standout. He articulates a new modernism in dressing defined by reenvisioned tailoring, which plays the sensuous across sharper lines. We were all-in on Proenza Schouler’s collection. Khaite delivered an intoxicating show with Jim Morrison tracks to take you along. Gabriela Hearst sent out one incredible look after the other. Other standouts were Altuzarra, Ulla Johnson, Carolina Herrera and Jason Wu.”
Key trends: “A new modernism; sculptural volumes; unexpected and fresh layering; being dressed up, dressed down; artisanal, and handcrafting. We’re happy to report more designers are working with sustainable materials and thoughtful resourcing.”
Misses: “Some New York designers were unable to show or present this season due to COVID-19-related challenges. We missed them out there on the calendar, but we’ll see them virtually or in the showroom.”
Different NYFW mood: “New Yorkers are, above all else, intrepid. they get there and get it done, no matter the obstacles. Though the mood on the streets was quieter and tamped down, it was appropriate given that safety is still top-of-mind. But many designers delivered some of their best work, thanks to the dig deep time provided by the suspension of the pandemic.”
Adjustments due to sourcing: “Assortments seem more edited, perhaps to limit the number of skus being produced and to ease pressure off supply and delivery. We’re still ordering at more robust levels than a year prior even with supply challenges. We expect demand to continue to rise.”
What will make people spend: “Some of the new elevated casual, yet definite dressed looks we saw this week will motivate shopping. We want to dress up, but we also want to be comfortable, and not look too studied. Relaxed, but cool, innovative takes on the familiar will hit the spot.”
Elizabeth von der Goltz, chief commercial officer, Matchesfashion
Standout collections: Proenza Schouler, Khaite, Altuzarra and Peter Do.
Key trends: Black and white, tonal dresses, tailoring’s new mood of softer suiting, the return of dressing up and easy eveningwear. We also saw menswear-inspired color palettes coming through in flannel, camel and chocolate brown.
Different NYFW mood: “There is a new energy and optimism surrounding NYFW this season. It is great to be back in the city and to kick off fashion month in such a positive way.”
What will make people spend: “We have seen our customer come back big for occasion dressing over the past few months, looking for emotional and fashion-forward pieces to empower them and make them feel good. In January, occasion dressing grew more than 145 percent versus last year and heels were over 280 percent [up]. Our customers also continue to invest in forever pieces that they will keep season after season, such as great outerwear, heritage handbags, one-of-a-kind Jacquie Aiche watches and joyful fine jewelry.”
Arielle Siboni, ready-to-wear fashion director, Bloomingdale’s
Standout collections: “Altuzarra’s strong knits, dip-dyed prints and stripes; Gabriela Hearst’s updated knitwear and expansion of leather; Khaite’s wearable cool girl uniform; Jason Wu’s eveningwear with oversize bows and abstract variations; Sergio Hudson’s dresses and suiting in head-to-toe hues; Staud’s leather pieces in fun colors and updated corsets, and Dion Lee’s corsets and easy monochromatic styling.”
Key trends: “A toughness and contrasting softness through feminine silhouettes and glam details; new variations of leather in apparel and in soft minimalist leather accessories; corsets and clothing with boning; monochromatic dressing, and party-ready looks in micro lengths, with high-shine details and pigmented hues.
Different NYFW mood: “There was a sense of familiarity that went hand-in-hand with the excitement of seeing shows in person and socializing with your peers. It’s always special to see how the clothes move and experience how the venue and music enhance the designer’s vision for the collection.”
Adjustments due to sourcing: “We’re working closely with our vendors and partners to mitigate disruptions and source products in a timely manner.”
What will make people spend: “The way people think about social occasions has shifted from being an occasional occurrence to a common part of their lives. With this shift comes a natural interest in finding clothes suited for these celebratory occasions, especially with the influx of weddings on the horizon…the trends we’re seeing have more of a sophisticated glam aesthetic that will make shoppers want to dress up and and invest in that special piece.”
Divya Mathur, chief merchant, Intermix
Standout collections: “LaQuan Smith’s color palette and unapologetic sex appeal; Ulla Johnson’s metallic dresses over pants, and Altuzarra’s military-inspired outerwear.”
Key trends: “Sequin and shine; bold colors like bright cobalt at Dion Lee; leather for dresses, skirts and more; modern suiting and the return of the blazer, and Y2K fashion like low-rise jeans, micro minis and cropped knits.”
Different NYFW mood: “The mood felt very focused on retailers and the trade without much of the buzzy celebrities and influencers. There was more of a presence of international buyers, and the show schedule felt a little light with some of the biggest names on the New York schedule not showing.”
Adjustments due to sourcing: “Collections felt very front-loaded into the first delivery months. We are seeing prices go up across the board, especially in raw materials like silk, cotton and leather. We are also seeing increases in transportation costs.”
What will make people spend: “Customers are responding to novelty and trend, and are very excited to move behind casual. She wants to invest in tailoring, emotional pieces, event dressing and build back her daytime wardrobe with strong blazers, outerwear, novelty knits and dresses.”
Stacy Smallwood, founder, owner, Hampden, in Charleston, S.C.
Standout collections: “Khaite’s outerwear, embellished dresses, attention to detail; Proenza Schouler showed range while remaining true to the brand’s DNA and had impressive eveningwear; Ulla Johnson’s use of fabric and texture pushed the brand forward; Victor Glemaud’s pops of orange amid classic black and the perfect evening statement dress below $500.”
Key trends: “Chocolate brown feels like a modern, rich neutral; bomber jackets in leather, shearling or knitted; platform shoes; ’90s back in a big way. Think oversize blazers paired with miniskirts and your boyfriend’s plaid shirt styled with a wide-leg jean; shades and tones of purple.”
Different NYFW mood: “While many designers chose not to show, the shows I did attend felt intimate yet impactful. You could really see the clothing detail and it felt great to be back together again. There is a contagious energy in New York that can never be denied.”
Adjustments due to sourcing: “Because of supply chain issues, many designers are trying to gather orders earlier than ever, so they begin production as soon as possible to ensure shipping windows are on track. We experienced significant delays with knitwear deliveries for fall 2021, so we saw many brands show more of their knitwear in their pre-fall collections, to front load the market and give the stores longer selling times.