Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City brings together designers, buyers, press, and the general public to exhibit the following seasons’ trends twice a year. This includes one week in February and another in September. It is one of the four major fashion weeks in the world, which also includes London, Paris, and Milan fashion weeks. Designers such as Tory Burch, Rebecca Minkoff, Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang, Nanette Lepore, Ralph Lauren, Diane von Furstenberg and many more show off what they have been working on for months in 15 minutes or less.
After 8 days of noteworthy talent being debuted in countless collections on February 6-13, it’s time for the best of the best, and the worst of the best. All of the designers put incredible amounts of time and effort into their collections, so it’s difficult to say anyone would be considered the “worst,” but when comparing show after show, a few, naturally, are subpar. Although, most are absolutely exquisite, which makes this incredibly difficult and my job that much harder.
The Best
DESIGUAL—This put-together collection was stunning and I still can’t stop thinking about it. Desigual brought mixing patterns and textures to a new level. They absolutely killed it and set themselves apart from the rest.
J. CREW—We know J.Crew as a preppy brand, but a stylish one at that. They brought their A-game with thoughtful and alluring outfits that are absolute must-haves in regards to trends for the fall that anyone and everyone can wear, preppy or not.
MARA HOFFMAN—Mara Hoffman stole the show and caught my eye immediately with her use of colorful geometric fabrics with beautiful metallic accents, and pastel pairs that were just heavenly. Her creativity never fails us!
ANNA SUI—It is hard to choose favorites, but Anna Sui makes it easy. Her choice of texture, color, and print combinations were drop-dead gorgeous. She captured all of the Fall/Winter 2014 trends effortlessly.
J. MENDEL—He’s done it again folks. The elegance and perfection in this collection left me speechless. Let’s hope to see one of these amazing masterpieces on the Red Carpet stat!
The Worst of the Best
TOME—Although the trends were attempted, the execution was flawed. The looks in this collection could have been eye-catching, but they were lackluster.
MARK AND ESTEL—Mark and Estel had fun and unique garments, but their gothic vibe was not achieved completely. The looks did not look thoughtful, but instead sloppy.
CUTECIRCUIT—CuteCircuit had a Miley Cyrus-like look that could have worked in their favor, but much like Mark and Estel, it was executed poorly and looked unkempt.
Must-Have Trends from MBFW
- Beaded fringe and fringe on dresses, bags, whatever you please
- Plushed fur, Alpaca fur, shaved fur, and more fur – lots and lots of fur, on any part of your outfit
- Velvet jacket or suits for men
- Mixing of prints/florals/stripes and any texture you feel
- Braids with forever be in
- Lace, leather, heavy sweaters – this fall you can’t overdue the textures
- Asymmetry
- Reformed rock chic, according to MBFW
- All black attire is still all the rage if you add a pop of texture or metallic
- Sheer and feminine necklines
- 1940’s hemlines – A blast from the past never felt so right
Color Trends
- Neutrals – cream, slate, jet-black to camel brown
- All shades of brown and gray – camel to cream
- Pastel pinks, blues, purples, and more
- Moss and emerald green
- Mahogany and maroon – and all shades of red! Bright is here to stay
- Cobalt, navy, turquoise and many shades of blue
- Hot pink
- Metallics – antique brass, gold, shimmer and shine makes a great accent