And after years of excitement and intrigue, we say goodbye to the tents at Bryant Park and say hello to the Lincoln Center for the very first Spring/Summer collection to take place off of Bryant Park grounds in years. During the Spring/Summer 2010 collections, the theme was travel; with styled installations of fabulous luggage and vanities on display.
Life was good - and it still is. However, this year's girl and guy are much more mature and serious. Simplicity has returned once more to fashion, and designers' collections are not as high maintenance as they once were.
It would seem that this season, designers put more work into their collections than to their respective front rows.
BCBGMAXAZARIA was fun with funky patterns and youthfully-cut shapes that took a good ten years off of the collection. The collection wasn't dated. Instead, it was mature and edgy - an earnest effort and combination.
Cynthia Steffe was brilliant. The designer Shaun Kearney always does a great job of creating looks that are wearable and realistic. The Cynthia Steffe girl is practical, sexy, and fancy when she needs to be. I especially enjoyed the outerwear teamed with knee highs. When it is all said and done, fashion is for the consumer and you can tell that the designer catered to her perspective.
On another note, Project Runway alum/winner Christian Siriano's collection was a breath of fresh air. On the show, the designer showed us that he had a knack for garment construction. His looks were impeccably made this season to compliment each model. His color selections especially popped. The dark magentas and royal blues added a visually pleasing element to his collection.
Blue seemed to be a mainstay at the tents this season. Perry Ellis' collection of menswear was wonderful with strong blues, maroons, and blacks that all blended together famously.
On another note, Tent favorite, Michael Kors always presents a collection that is solid. This season was no different. His collection of fall/winter looks was consistent with other collections. You could tell that the designer headed this collection because his perspective could be felt through each look. The best thing about his collections is that his perspective always stays the same, but manifests in different forms. Seeing his collection was like catching up with an old friend.
And lastly, Tommy Hilfiger who is almost always the last designer to show at the tents, presented a different collection this season. I was pleasantly surprised to see the designer's showing of fun colors and patterns. The collection was different, because the designer tends to be more on the uniform side when presenting his looks. His collection shows that you can still have fun even in a crappy economy.
This move was planned, but until the day when the first collection hits the runway, no one can predict how this new venue will measure up. For some loyal tent dwellers - the move is bittersweet. But the anticipation for some, will translate well in September when stilettos invade Lincoln Center.