Photos courtesy of Donna Karan. Text by Baille Gelwicks.
Donna Karan had little to do with color this season and much to do with draping and construction. Like women warriors, these models were ready to do battle with the fashion scene with slicked back ponytails, stark eyes, and pale faces. The clothes were commanding, giving a new identity to power dressing. Karan’s signature wrap skirt revealed opaque tight covered thighs (also made sexy by Donna Karan). Suede shoe booties and Oxford heels toughened the sex appeal with a bit of masculine to all that feminine. Not a single jewel or precious metal was needed for added interest here; that would have spoiled the minimalistic nature.
Capes as capes, capes added to coats, and capes on dresses made it clear that this trend was as good indoors as it was outdoors. Black on black on black was never dull thanks to varying textures: sheer insets on dresses, leather, silk, velvet against supple stretch jersey, and luscious fur with sleek fabrics. Where black was luxurious, brown had a rugged appeal with leather, suede, and tonal furs in order to vary the texture for these monochromatic looks. Evening looks favored ankle strapped heel — another trend to look out for this coming fall. The wrap skirt appeared again in a longer version of itself, still revealing just as much thigh. Sheer insets and shoulder bearing cuts prove once again that skin is in and this trend isn’t going away anytime soon. Although skin still rocks the runway and will continue to, a more covered approach is trending this season for evening. Sleeves and hemline long and neck high, the only thing you’ll be showing off in these will be your figure… behind hip hugging cloth that is. There’s not a woman in the room that couldn’t feel powerful in Donna Karan’s FW13 collection.
1