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Hippie-chic styles highlight day
Fashion Week Fall 2004
By ALEV AKTAR
DAILY NEWS FASHION and BEAUTY EDITOR
Tanned and nonchalant in her shield sunglasses and cigarette pants, Patti Hansen sat in the front row at Michael Kors, watching the tanned and nonchalant models swing down the runway in shields and ciggie pants.
Once again, Kors hit his mark. The master of jet-set style was inspired by the easy glamour of American idols like Keith Richards and his model wife, and he captured it perfectly.
You could just picture Jade Jagger - who also was in the audience - wearing Kors' slouchy jersey dress belted low on the hips with a floppy hat and shades on the streets of Ibiza. And which member of Rock Royalty wouldn't want to throw on Kors' fluffy lavender mink poncho or hit the hotspots in his lilac paisley fringed halter dress?
"It's my homage to Kate Hudson and Chris Robinson," said the exuberant designer, who works hard but lives the life. "Even when she walks the dog, she KILLS me."
Proenza Schouler, the fledgling label created by 25-year-old Parsons grads Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough, staged its third presentation. Perky Katie Couric took it in from the front row. It's hard to imagine Couric - or anyone else on morning TV - wearing the dark, hard-edged, almost apocalyptic pieces. The design duo played with proportion, juxtaposing skinny, cropped pants and skirts with more voluminous jackets and parkas.
Evening was ultra-fitted and feminine: Corset dresses with piped seams came in juicy cherry silk and glittery silver sequins. Already the darlings of the fashion crowd, Hernandez and McCullough are sophisticated far beyond their years.
Matthew Williamson and Anna Sui are fun beyond theirs. As usual, both collections were a confusion of color. Sui's was a hysterical hodgepodge of florals and tweeds with patterned stockings and glittery accessories thrown in for good measure, while Williamson's brights had more of a Mexican - or was that Indian? - feel. Sui also showed festive menswear, which Ja Rule declared "a little Prince-ish" for his taste.
Vera Wang's fluid, weightless collection was half daywear - not her strongest suit - and half exquisite body-skimming evening dresses in muted shades of chiffon and silk tulle. She sprinkled tiny gold sequins here and there and wrapped waists with decorative lamé ribbon.
Wang's taupe twisted-and-tied backless evening gown was light as a whisper and drew applause in the middle of the show, but fair-skinned Oscar nominees should think twice before wearing it on the big day. Anyone who remembers the disastrous beige drooper that Jennifer Connolly wore to pick up her award knows that flesh tones wash out on camera. Still, the delicate frock was a wonder of workmanship.
"It was ravishing, ethereal," said a youthful Holly Hunter, whose blond mane reaches almost to her waist. "I've worn Vera for years. She designed the dress I won the Oscar in!"
Charlize Theron, who's heavily favored to win Best Actress later this month, wore Vera to the Oscars in 2000 and won raves. Could be a winning combination.
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