Recession-Friendly Style

In light of the US dollar's continuing decline, retailers paid keen attention to domestic labels at the a/w '08 shows in New York earlier this month. Eager to capitalize on the interest, designers across the board executed their collections with top-notch production, and along the way, a new brand of conservatism—sometimes somber, sometimes confident and crisp—emerged.

Surprisingly, even Marc Jacobs, the city's resident fashion provocateur, wasn't in a naughty mood—aside from the mini-scandal regarding the designer allegedly paying bribes to the Armory superintendent. Jacobs' show wasn't absurdly late, he took his bow in a spiffy suit, and his moody, gray collection had an air of decorum that was quite a change of pace from his seductively kooky s/s '08 outing. There were floor-length velvet dresses, below-the-knee, high-waisted pencil skirts (a continuation of the s/s '08 maxi skirt trend, which was seen throughout the week), dresses with prudish necklines, and drop-waisted wool coats.

As reliable as Jacobs is unpredictable, Calvin Klein rigorously adhered to the brand's minimalist DNA, with Francisco Costa skillfully executing clean, well-tailored clothes reminiscent of the house's '90s heyday. Meanwhile, Narciso Rodriguez, who's built his career on a similar brand of exactness, has been turning his signature lean silhouettes into more accommodating proportions, as evidenced by this season's full wool skirts and jackets; a new business model, beckoning women of all sizes, perhaps?

3.1 Phillip Lim, on the other hand, has already mastered universal appeal, having successfully marketed its irresistibly girly clothes through a vast retail network. This season, however, the label trotted out a more sophisticated, grown-up collection that could also resonate with NYC's socialites—a group that Rachel Roy appeared to be avidly courting. Roy, a relative newcomer to Park Avenue power dressing, sent out luxurious satin tulip skirts and Indian-themed, raw-edged wool jackets. Peter Som, an expert in this genre of sartorial sophistication, showed two winning collections—one for his own eponymous label and the other as creative director of Bill Blass. Also well-suited to the older, moneyed crowd were Derek Lam's fur and wool coats worn over long-hemmed skirts, Halston's floor-sweeping jersey dresses, and Rodarte's multihued, gossamer cardigans.

While sticking to the season's modest approach to dressing, many designers told an enchanting chromatic story via prints, plaids, knits, and splashes of bold colors. After a run of disappointing seasons, Y-3 returned to form with luxe athletic wear featuring bright, layered plaids, peppered throughout with red—a color that exerted a strong presence throughout the week. Proenza Schouler presented a winning collection marked by both saturated and subdued palettes, while at Zero + Maria Cornejo, bold hues were in order. Victoria Bartlett at VPL hit her stride with the underwear-as-ready-to-wear concept, showing a tight collection of chromatically vibrant jersey pieces.

Chris Benz's offbeat pairings—a slouchy taupe jacket over a bowed peach blouse, a crisp navy blazer with billowy gray shorts, and a wrinkled brown leather jacket over a lavender top—were executed with aplomb. Benz's youthful, slightly disheveled take on refinement is fast becoming his signature and cementing his place on the city's ones-to-watch list. Though Jeremy Laing's baggy silhouettes were au courant, his collection's highlights were the kaleidoscopic prints dreamed up by former Nina Ricci designer Calla Haynes. Ohne Titel's ethnic prints and to-die-for chunky knits rivaled those of European designers, while Rachel Comey indulged her off-kilter sportswear with richly-hued, folksy patterns.

Other collections were more restrained. The usually colorful and whimsical palette of Three as Four gave way to grayscale; though perhaps more retail friendly, the collection lacked the sizzle of past efforts. Kai Kühne, an ex-member of the TAF collective, didn't suffer from the same pitfall: his pieces were exuberant, showcasing his signature origami-inspired pleats and large panels in lustrous coats and dresses. Black suited Alexander Wang perfectly, as he convinced us that his models—wearing wide-legged trousers, ripped stockings, and fitted tops—were bad girls, indeed.

Meanwhile, self-taught Canadian designer Rad Hourani's dark leather capes and coats, SWAT-team-inspired vests, and pockets peeking out of jackets made us miss Helmut Lang. Just in from London, Jonathan Saunders' glorious collection ended with a procession of floor-length dresses that flaunted his masterful pleating (à la Issey Miyake) and his talent at accentuating the female form with sharp architectural lines. Though NYFW was packed with must-see shows, Saunders proved himself a welcome and worthy addition.

—Robert Cordero