What’s hot right now?
Navy is the new black. Fat is in. Women drinking whiskey is sexy. Smoking is not. Red lipstick is a must. Cartoons are a great medium. Juicing is the new eating. Saturdays’ tees with tiny skirts. Sexy heels all day everyday. Minimal mid-century furniture. Fried rhubarb chips. Gourmet Societies. Tasteful pornographic photography. Bangs!

What item is on heavy rotation in your wardrobe?
Jeans. I love that all types of cuts of denim are hot right now. From skinny to flare, you can rock it all and you’ll still be on trend.

What are the must-have items for women right now?
It’s been raining every day for the past two weeks in New York, but thanks to my head-to-toe waterproof (not water resistant) outfit I’ve manage to stay dry and look good without having to deal with flimsy umbrellas. Must spring buys are: waterproof hat from Bailey of Hollywood (water literally beads off the hat even during torrential rainstorms,) a waterproof Patagonia trench and 6” Jil Sander platform boots with grip soles.

Designers adopted dramatic hemline lengths to dictate a departure from skinny minis, a trend that was echoed on the city streets with skirts ranging from urban romantic (long and languid over sturdy boots) to sweetly feminine (ankle length chiffon). Mandy Coon featured a floor sweeping iteration in black, Gregory Parkinson adorned his in dizzying prints, Y-3 channeled Yohji Yamamoto’s ’80s-era fullness and Thom Browne’s eccentric collection yielded bold skirts in bulbous shapes and graphic, geometric layers. While Browne heavily translated his menswear approach into this womenswear outing, other designers translated the equally androgynous, fashionably disheveled looks of early ’90s grunge. Richard Chai’s contemporary line Love featured long and lean skirts paired with slouchy tops, Jeremy Laing’s floor-length chiffons seemed slightly worn-in and Band of Outsiders layered skirts over additional skirts as well as trousers. Marc Jacobs, who was famously fired from Perry Ellis for promoting the grunge look in the early ’90s, interpreted the long skirt trend with a high-wasted, lean and conservatively cut silhouette.

Dresses also took some cues from this prim approach to skirts, but for the most part cultivated a separate stylistic message. Prabal Gurung’s devil may care take on glamour produced washed silk dresses with worn-in appeal, while Erin Fetherston’s new contemporary line, Erin, is designed to ensure that her sweet dresses are available in more closets. Victoria Beckham, on the other hand, is sticking to her upmakret clientele, which this season will have some beautiful, minimally rendered marigold and red dresses that are perfect for red carpet and cocktail affairs. Kevork Kiledjian also had sexy short frocks with fringes in velvet and leather, while Jason Wu produced polished dresses perfect for conservative formal dinners and red carpet flashbulb glamour.

By contrast, American outerwear also received serious attention this season. Alexander Wang worked tough looking jackets into cape-like proportions and placed padded panels into jackets, a technique that was prevalent throughout many collections. Rad Hourani, who has been forging an androgynous look with severe geometry, loosened up his lines to produce delightfully angular coats with wide lapels, while Altuzarra paired utilitarian parkas with floral printed skirts and slip dresses. Moncler Grenoble’s flash mob presentation at Grand Central Station, meanwhile, gave slope-ready apparel a decidedly urban appeal. Elsewhere, Rodarte’s long, quilt-like coats had a quiet elegance, Reed Krakoff modernized the toggle coat, Calvin Klein distended overcoat shapes and 3.1 Phillip Lim featured some cool lapels (one of which looked like a bow).

Rag & Bone’s winterwear begged to be noticed, but the label’s mixture of bright blue and orange into several paneled pieces was the most visually compelling. Similarly, Suno told a high contrast color story with grandma-chic designs in artfully mismatched fabrics that will be utterly irresistible to in-the-know urbanites. Edun’s abstract prints in rich saturated colors exceeded its humble sustainability-based roots, and Thakoon’s use of bright Masai plaids (a big trend this season) in a belted jacket and dresses was a perfect fit for city slickers. Proenza Schouler, however, created digitally rendered Navajo prints to make beautiful patterns that showed up on many of its achingly cool, yet luxe pieces. Preen dabbled in prints too, exploring a cubic theme that proved most winning in knits.

Libertine, which has been on hiatus, is back with tailored suiting that was splashed with shocking, electric hues like blue and pink. By contrast, ever-present Ralph Lauren turned out masculine trousers, suits and pinstripe workwear pieces, which exuded the inherent utility at the heart of American fashion. Narciso Rodriguez, meanwhile, lent his predilection for taut, architectural dresses to mannish jacket and coats.

The footwear that impressario Nicholas Kirkwood created for Prabal Gurung has six buckles to buckle—one at the ankle, five circling the leg—for an effect that’s part slinky, part gladiator. The leather and laytex appeared in neutral colors, which cast an even more effective spotlight on the drama of the design.

When not hidden by lovely billowing fabric, Risto Bimbiloski’s shoes had an architectural quality reminiscent of childhood wooden blocks and cobbled pathways, but given that his collection has been repeatedly described as “lunar,” any mention of his footwear almost begs for a moonwalk comment as well. Julian Louie’s complementary Ikat print wedges for Aldo, meanwhile, made so much of a statement that the company reversed its decision to not produce them.

Loeffler Randall’s shoes for Suno gave the brand’s signature bold and colorful graphics a lift—literally—with a platform wood wedge in speckled yellow, red and black floral. The shoes featured little ties to fasten around the ankle for an extra swish of color that accentuated an already standout collection. Ohne Titel’s collection, meanwhile, was offset by large swaths of blocky black and white around the ankle, but the color presence was visible thanks to fluorescent flashes of neon and lots of bold cerulean blue.

In the realm of other accessories, meanwhile, it was hard to overlook Rad Hourani’s square Mykita sunglasses—a shape that was retro-future to perfection—as well as Victoria Beckham’s impeccable bags.

Alexander Wang led the pack with a collection of airy garments that billowed down the runway with a lilting ease. His masterfully simple use of drapery and volume translated into overlapping layers, loose embellishments and the occasional use of effective tiers on busts and shoulders. Models were adorned with shimmery face and body makeup that accentuated the otherwise matte knits, feathery cotton and occasional silk, giving an overall feeling of crisp simplicity.

Preen also gave into the allure of white—albeit with somewhat more variety. Creamy ivories and pale taupes were subtly contrasted against stark, starched hospital hues and sheer fabrics in a surprising range of anti-colors. With its usual dexterity, the label balanced the minimalistic aesthetic with superb tailoring that flirted with inventive techniques such as pleating and layering.

Rad Hourani used white as a source of contrast among his architectural shirts and jackets as well as with geometric paneling, making for a sharp overall effect. Wes Gordon, by comparison, used the contrast effect as a subtle accent to pale shades of yellow, camel and gray.

Thakoon, meanwhile, emphasized the color in a variety of items—from a twill jacket to a shift with chiffon sleeves—and Wayne flirted with its optical illusion potential in a series of asymmetrical shirts and dresses. Derek Lam rounded out the bunch with a few knockout items, such as a double-breasted, belted coat and a slit-sleeved short dress.

White-hot indeed.

Lea–lithe, delicate, and at least as striking as her peers–also happens to be transgender. Her inclusion in Tisci’s lineup shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone following sartorial or pop culture these days. In fact, signs point to faces (and bodies) like Lea T.’s becoming the wave of the future.

Fashion’s current yen for androgyny, manifest in labels like Rad Hourani, Rick Owens, and Tisci’s Givenchy, has undoubtedly allowed for the blurring of lines once thought clearly demarcated. Granted, the wheels have been in motion for some time now: Andre J’s gender-bending Paris Vogue cover appeared in August 2007; transgender A contestant Isis made her television debut nearly two years ago. Ditto actress Candis Cayne’s stint on Dirty Sexy Money. Add shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race and VH1’s TRANSform Me to the pot and you might be tempted to argue that masculine/feminine dichotomies are becoming mainstream. On the publishing front, Candy, the just-launched magazine “dedicated to celebrating transvestism, transexuality, cross dressing, and androgyny, in all its manifestations” boasts photography from fashion heavyweights Bruce Weber, Tim Walker, and Terry Richardson.

For her part, the twentysomething, part-Brazilian Lea T. is exotic, supremely stylish on and off camera, and has ambitions beyond the modeling world (Tisci told WWD that she’ll be studying veterinary medicine in Milan). Regardless of whether she remains a fixture in the high fashion world, Lea T. will be regarded as a groundbreaker. Paradoxically perhaps, she will also be considered emblematic of a natural progression already in the works.

While animal-friendly faux fur alternatives have increasingly appeared in more collections, the real deal was all over the recent runways. Derek Lam knit fox into a black and white cardigan, Halston’s Marios Schwab embellished the sleeves of a sweater dress and Marc Jacobs used it on the lapels of a see-thru trench. Fresh off his Swiss Textiles Award win, Alexander Wang experimented with a number of different fabrics, backing a zip-away leather jacket and criss-crossing lapels with mink. Many of these looks will show up at H&M and Forever 21 too, albeit in decidedly less expensive manifestations. The heretofore fur-free designer’s unfortunate use of pelts in his show makes sense given recent supported from Saga, but thankfully some of it won’t be produced for stores.

Leather was the most common go-to fabric for fitted, asymmetrical jackets. It was also used in more novel ways, as in the case of men’s leggings at both Maria Cornejo and Rad Hourani. To wit, Joseph Altuzarra held high-slit pencil skirts together with straps of leather, lending the pieces a vaguely S&M vibe. Threeasfour, meanwhile, paired it with wool to create a collared, almost hood-like coat and Ohne Titel’s Flora Gill and Alexa Adams coupled it with silk to fashion a chic, patchwork drawstring skirt. In addition to singular pieces, expect to see leather—both real and faux—used as embellishment or in conjunction with fabrics like wool, cashmere and twill.

Velvet’s sartorial connotations ran the gamut—little girl party dress, “festive” formal wear, hippie-chic topper—but there’s little doubt we can escape it for fall. Elise Øverland showed a velvet menswear-inspired suit and tuxedo wrap dress, while Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs fashioned a lace and velvet cap-sleeved dress for their semi-eponymous label. In keeping with his naughty schoolgirl vibe, Peter Jensen’s take was admittedly cheekier (tartan bloomers), while Zac Posen’s conjured thoughts of chi-chi late ’70s holiday parties.

Cutouts continue as a reining trend. When strategically placed they imbue basic black with some much-needed sex appeal, but not-so-gym-toned flesh might be better kept under wraps in any of the season’s other trends. Max Azria’s designs for Hervé Léger have never been a go-to for the faint of heart, so it’s little surprise that his sheer-paneled cutouts came courtesy of some killer mini-dresses. Speaking of itty bitty, Halston incorporated the technique into Grecian-style party gowns, featuring artfully exposed flesh and miles of leg. Preen offered what was perhaps the most wearable take in bandeau bra topped silk and cashmere dresses that revealed the areas above and below the décolletage—and leaving just enough to the imagination.

Behind the glitz and glamour, the founding purpose of New York Fashion Week is to sell designs to buyers. But with designers parading the most practical, rational collections of recent memory down runways last season, this intention seemed to eclipse everything else. Fortunately spring/summer ‘10 seems to offer excitement again, although the question still remains: how will designers sell the clothes, and how will the consumers pay for them? “All you really need is passion and a point of view,” Lazaro Hernandez, one half of the design team at Proenza Schouler, optimistically argued at a seminar on the future of fashion at Milk Studios during the last day of New York Fashion Week. With this is mind, JC Report lists the ten best New York collections of the season, all of which defy a temporary economic environment in favor of enduring aesthetic appeal that’s also functional.

Altuzarra
Joseph Altuzarra’s presentation last season was an intimate affair among industry insiders, including Carine Roitfeld of French Vogue. But this season, the Swarthmore educated and Givenchy trained designer saw his star power grow among the young Hollywood elite, which included having Leighton Meester and Rachel McAdams sitting front row at his presentation. Most designers try to marry European sensibility with New York practicality, but more often than not this approach falls flat. Altuzarra’s work for s/s ‘10, by contrast, is pitch perfect. As one of the best presenters at New York Fashion week, he offered patchworks of luxe eyelet fabric with silk, gathered suede skirts (which Roitfeld would love) and flirty dresses that had assymetrical hems. Unlike his peers, the shy Altuzarra is relatively quiet in the media—fortunately for him, he packs enough talent that his work does all the talking.

Hervé Léger by Max Azria
While we understand the easy currency of a fitted, banded dress, after the one thousandth viewing, Hervé Léger by Max Azria’s go-to status for modern sexy had lost appeal. Fortunately, the brand bounced back to life with the s/s ‘10 collection, which evolved beyond its one-trick pony status. The banded dress picked up new features such as braided denim and crochet, while much of the collection appeared in soft neutral tones and black, which will have women (including hardcore fashionistas) dashing to score their fitted dress of the season.

Oscar de la Renta
In some circles Oscar de la Renta is known as the godfather of American fashion. While our tastes lean to the more progressive side, it was hard to ignore the drop-dead chic of De la Renta’s s/s ‘10 collection: daytime safari jackets paired with pencil pants, off the shoulder nautical knits and culottes or criss-cross bib front dresses rendered in a to-die-for palette of jewel tones, sand and graphic black-and-white. Let’s just say, when it’s good, it’s good.

Proenza Schouler
Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, the duo behind Proenza Schouler, showed a youthful collection brimming with optimism. The label, which in recent seasons took more experimental turns, returned to its past glory with a collection that conjured up pieces every well-moneyed cool girl could want. There were colorful short dresses with the label’s signature breast cup shape, fun tye-dye tight shirts, mini skirts with metallic, lace and marabou embelishments as well as a series of beautiful printed silk shifts with blockbuster sell through potential.

Marc by Marc Jacobs
One of Marc Jacobs’ best skills is his ability to capture the zeitgeist with a masterful mix of divergent references that seamlessly coalesce in each collection. Jacobs’ recent s/s ‘10 collection harnessed an infectiously vibrant energy seen in African prints and bright colors on large voluminous skirts, onesies, rolled up trousers and flirty dresses with tiered skirts. There were also pieces from the early ’90s such as slouchy knitted sweaters and oversize electric yellow t-shirts with zebra prints that make fantastic daywear staples for young fashion folks. Though Marc by Marc Jacobs hinted at the brand’s collection line, the retail friendly and less convoluted interpretations earned more points.

Donna Karan
Donna Karan also returned to the functional, yet utterly feminine fashion beat that her multi-national company is built on. She’s already known to flatter women’s curves and accentuate all the best parts without being too overtly sexy, so naturally the latest collection featured gorgeous body-hugging jersey dresses. The pieces showed off the shoulder (the most beautiful part of woman’s body according to Karan’s aesthetic) with drapey tops that had a Kimono vibe, which allows for a shoulder cover up thanks to asymmetrical sleeves and buttonless jackets with clever crinkled ruching. With this outing, Karan reminded us why she’s a true Seventh Avenue stalwart.

Sophie Theallet
Sophie Theallet’s shows are always attended by power industry players who are never disappointed by the French, Brooklyn-based designer. For ladies who are more concerned with looking classic rather than trendy, it doesn’t get any better than Theallet’s unforced feminine offerings. For s/s ‘10, Theallet served up easy cotton dress shifts with drawstrings that slightly tug at the waist, silk tops with biased cut shoulders and chic cotton wrap dresses with a deep neckline and puffy sleeves. Though rudimentary in theory, these pieces easily fill a wardrobe and are made with precision and luxurious fabrics.

Jeremy Laing
Geometry isn’t the sexiest of references, but Jeremy Laing used the subject as a starting point for his technically sound collection. The visually appealing grouping rid the staid topic of its nerdy connotations, but employed its structure to effective ends. There was striking perspective on draped dresses, panelling on taut pants that added a visual lift on one’s height and sharp jackets that were at once fashion forward and wearable. But Laing also used soft fabrics to counter the rigidity of his lines with drapey dresses that appeared to be just put on the body, cropped tops and a gorgeous black lace dress with a nude under layer. Though Laing has been showing for a few seasons now, this is easily a break-out collection that will take him to new heights.

Rad Hourani
There was electricity in the room at Rad Hourani’s collection as one giant model after another took to the runway in skinny black, white and metal unisex combinations. It easily could have been one of Hourani’s past collections, but instead the s/s ‘10 style worked in the designer’s favor, helping to clarify his lazer sharp focus on a new modern uniform. We liken his approach to the original Helmut Lang and are closely watching his brand’s evolution.

Phi
The consummate underdog, Phi may not get all the love that it deserves, but with Andreas Melbostad at the helm, the label has turned out stellar collections season after season. Naturally, s/s ‘10 is no different. Continuing in the tough girl chic, bodycon vein, Melbostad kept us riveted with banded leggings, some of which sported plaiting up the sides, re-worked military buckle details wrapping the waist of corset-like fitted tops, dressed up by loose fitting and cropped blazers. Phi’s collection featured tons of ideas that will no doubt inspire many others for the coming seasons.

—Jason Campbell, Robert Cordero, Michael Miller

Bruno Grizzo
Take a break from runway shows with Bruno Grizzo’s New York Fashion Shorts on Friday September 11. Curated by artist Konstantinos Memelaou, this film presentation will showcase 14 fashion short videos and films from across the world in a late night screening at the Tribeca Grand. If you’re feeling up for partying—Fashion Week will still be young after all—Misshapes will be DJing after the screening.

Bensoni

Taking varied inspiration from all kinds of pop culture relics—including Serge Gainsbourg and a 1954 erotic French novel, The Story of O—Bensoni create cacophonous clothing, walking the line between elegant and edgy all at once. Started by Sonia Yoon and Benjamin Channing Clyburn as a senior thesis project at Parsons, the young label—they had their fist runway show last February at autumn/winter New York Fashion Week—bears the energy, enthusiasm, and sincere lack of cynicism that only a couple of newcomers could muster up. Their show from last fashion week was a highlight—a supernova burst in the midst of a predominantly black sky—and this season’s showcase promises to be even better as the designers continue to refine their skills.

Bland
Last season, way off the beaten path, buried deep into the Lower East Side—it may as well have been Chinatown—we stumbled upon designer Teddy Willoughby’s Bland showcase. Willoughby called his collection a “meditation on the nevulous contours of blackness, absence and light, and, keeping in line with this, the collection looked straight out of a nightmare. With the campy theatricality of a horror film and the meditative seriousness of a ’40s detective film, Willoughby found an extraneous synthesis of functionality and avant-garde experimentation. His attention to detail, interest in flashiness and perhaps most importantly, his emphasis on wearability make the Bland line one of the most promising collections of the New York Fashion Week.

Rad Hourani
Less of a clothing designer and more of a builder of body armor—or maybe it’s a geometry lesson?—Rad Hourani’s autumn/winter showcase at Soho’s Openhouse Gallery was one of the highlights of last season. While many designers scaled back, Hourani threw caution entirely to the wind: tight leather pants, oversized blazers with dangling fabric, sequins, directionless zippers, angular, clunky shapes—it was pure aesthetic experimentation, with function thrown out the window. The collection made Hourani into one of the most buzzed about young designers in the industry. He’s a safe bet to be a highlight this season as well.

—Jason Campbell