Cognac Leather, Sheared Astrakhan. The Row AW16

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The Row designers came back to New York this season for their down-to-earth presentation, making a statement that Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen believe from the very beginning of the brand. Reduce. But keep it luxurious and of the top notch quality. Sheared astrakhan, double-face cashmere, cognac leather… should I list more of these pure and rich textiles and materials used in this harmonious wardrobe of must-have essentials? Among the sleek silhouettes of 40’s coats and flattering, high-waisted pants, the “spotlight” (if the minimal aesthetics of the Olsen twins would ever use that excessive word) was stolen by the delicate slip dresses and sheer, lilac-grey gowns. The The Row women – Guinevere Van Seenus, Jamie Bochert and Kristen Owen, just to mention a few – look stern and sophisticated in their minimal looks – but surely feel the comfort and fleecy touch of their ecru turtlenecks.

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Glory Box. Victoria Beckham AW16

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Victoria Beckham‘s creative vision for her brand seems to evolve – just like her view on femininity. The autumn-winter 2016 collection was all about a very lady-like, yet contemporary woman – meaning a downtown personality in a loosely sculpted midi dress, wearing simple, patent-leather flats. Seems to be trivial – but it looks so effective, when worn with a graceful red lipstick. Also, it feels like Beckham is having a moment with her well-tailored coats. One is masculine and with double buttons, while the second one is all about a baggy, slightly slouchy look. However, both look like the must-have, seasonless statements of the designer’s winter outing. It’s getting better and better with every season, Victoria.

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Natural Curiosity. Altuzarra AW16

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After minimal spring-summer 2016Joseph Altuzarra surprised everybody with his bohemian and much more risky autumn-winter outing. The designer openly confessed that he began imagining the new collection in his head after seeing the cult film Only Lovers Left Alive (to which I have referred while reviewing Rodarte’s last season and Haider Ackermann’s menswear) by Jim Jarmusch. The film, which had Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston play romantic vampires, made Joseph think of their elusive and sometimes lethal curiosity. “They have very esoteric interests, and they live in a lush but isolated world. I wanted this show to be about trying different things not necessarily connected.” And indeed, Altuzarra is wildly mixing prints and textiles for the upcoming winter, which seems more than new for the brand. Paisley, leg-exposing skirts, embroidered red carpet gowns, tribal knits and bohemian dresses with oriental patterns feel bold and open-minded for different cultures.

For the Altuzarra fans, the signatures are here, too, but they were revamped with lovely embroideries and delicate floral applications – the femme-fatale silhouettes and tailoring is always on point in the designer’s collections, just like the nomadic outerwear. But what distinctly felt like a break-down from the super-sleek Altuzarra woman was the models’ hair – curls and afros looked natural and real. Note Alice Metza, Binx Walton and Imaan Hammam, please.

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Sultry Punk. Alexander Wang AW16

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Sultry, defiant punk girls walked down the aisles of St. Barts Church in the heart of New York – it’s visible from the first sight that Alexander Wang pushed hard to provoke. But did he achieve his aim? Not really, even though the view of the Byzantine cupola was breath-taking. But lets not lie – in the Instagram age, it’s hard to shock with both, the clothes, and the venue. And if talking of the clothes, it’s visible that Wang again feels his NYC freedom he had before his three-year Balenciaga tenure – the looks ooze with “I don’t give a f***” attitude from every angle. Mohair cardigans and leg-giving mini-skirts smell with teen spirit, but not with Kurt Cobain – it’s more about dressing up as a “punk” girl of Sky Ferreira origins and putting on your Supreme beanie (I nearly thought the designer collaborated with Supreme on these “Strict”, “Tender” and “Girls” slogans). But what really described the Wang-gang girl were the cannabis-motif embroideries on patent white dresses. This felt both kinda youthful and Tumblr. However, I doubt a lot of 17’s and 18’s can afford this “high fashion” stuff.

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Self Management. A Détacher AW16

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Mona Kowalska, the Polish-born designer behind New York’s obsession-casuing label, A Détacher, envisions her woman in her signature, hearty way. Sometimes, the idea behind Kowalska’ collections are deeply rooted in the designer’s mind and seem to be hard to decode. However, A Détacher never disappoints to deliver a great outing of simple, yet beautiful clothes which are made with heart. When I saw the first looks of the collection, I was instantly in an autumnal forest with my head – blame the over-sized knits for that, which look so warm and down-to-earth. Moreover, note the inspiring silhouettes Mona presents for autumn-winter 2016 – the white tops are voluminous in the shoulders, while the cardigans are so XXL that they nearly cover the length of the pants, creating an optical illusion of long, long legs. From one side, the collection plays with effortless, everyday essentials – but from the other side, the result is mind-blowing due to the cool tricks Kowalska shares with her fashion-lovers. Such a pity that she sells only in New York…

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