NYFW ROUND-UP

A peek at my fall mood board and purchases, my thoughts on SS24 thus far, and what I wore during NYFW

Sep 19, 2023

Hello dear readers, my deepest apologies for the delay. I know that I owe you all a rousing declaration on my fall mood board, and I promise it is in the works. For the time being, here are three things on my mind for fall:

J.Crew 1989 Heritage Anorak- (Talk about the Fall mood board, just take a look at the J.Crew Fall campaign, and for sure you will be inspired.) If you have a little more to spend, let me direct you to the Stoffa Anorak, which has these really fantastic mother-of-pearl buttons.
Louis Vuitton Epi Speedy- Jenny Walton penned a remarkable ode to the Speedy, and I had the privilege of meeting her for breakfast and seeing her Speedy adorned with vintage charms. Needless to say, it's an impeccable choice for autumn—a splendid alternative to a top-handle frame bag. It exudes the elegance of a 50s or 60s lady, and the 30 or 35 size is my personal favorite.
Calvin Klein 205W39NYC Leopard Print Coat- (First a moment of silence for the Calvin Klein rebrand that was 205W39NYC.) If you have been a subscriber for a while, you may remember that I mentioned in my midsummer wardrobe building blocks Anne Bancroft in The Graduate. Well… I have not gotten her and her fabulous leopard coat out of my head, and neither should you! (There is also this version from Chloe for a fraction of the price.)

I hope to release my full thoughts on fall before all the leaves have turned. Wish me godspeed on that front!

SS24 POV

Now before I launch into the looks I wore during NYFW, here are my quick thoughts on the season thus far.

In my humble opinion, NYFW was quite a bore, and I (as I presumed most people) were ready to write off SS24 as a wash. However, I will say London has presented some really solid collections. Notably, Erdem's Barbour opera coats and jewel-encrusted slips, JW Anderson's inventive claymations and down feather cargos, and also Daniel Lee for Burberry. How could anyone say no to those knitted military jackets and drop-waist trenches? Though I sometimes feel that London almost exists as an anomaly to the rest of the season, I think this season it folds beautifully into what I think the theme of the season is all about - chaotic adulthood and in some cases you could argue that the collections are really wrestling with the notion of the lady. While the 90s revival continues its resurgence (do we ever truly leave it behind?), these collections hint at a reevaluation of what is contemporary adulthood?

This notion stems from a retrospective examination of our stance during the SS22 collections, a time when we gingerly ventured back into the world, rediscovering how to dress in a post-lockdown reality. SS22 was marked by vibrant mini skirts and dresses, platforms shimmering in various states of splendor, and, most notably, an air of youthful euphoria. These clothes were meant to encapsulate intoxicating joy and carefree attitudes. However, the exuberant Technicolor world of SS22 swiftly gave way to stark reality—war, mass erosion of women's rights, economic turmoil, and more. Weighty events demand substantial attire, but the term "serious" scarcely captures the essence of our present moment.Our clothing choices are adopting a more conservative tone.

Now, let's direct our attention to New York. Altuzarra's collection, inspired by Ira Levin's "Rosemary's Baby" (later adapted into Roman Polanski's 1968 film starring Mia Farrow), featured stunning satin coats in lipstick red, butter yellow, and ivory, gauzy embroidered slip skirts, leather full skirts, and concluded with two tulle baby doll dresses reminiscent of cake toppers. While conservatism isn't the first word that comes to mind for Laquan Smith, his recent collection exhibited maturity. Skirts remained short, and mesh still abounded, but the runway portrayed an image of adulthood in his croc-embossed numbers and long dresses.

Before I conclude, I'd like to mention that although New York may have seemed a bit drab overall, there were some commendable collections. I particularly admired Altuzarra's Prada-inspired ladies, Tory Burch's mod-inspired creations, Proenza Schouler, Willy Chavarria, and Luar. I found these collections appealing because they felt rather distinct in a season marked by murkiness. While these pieces may not have been entirely novel, one cannot help but desire something from each—whether it's one of those Panama short suits from Willy or those wonderfully understated shoes from Proenza.

(I plan on revisiting this once the season concludes; let's see what my opinion is in October!)

What I Wore

I won't embark on a lengthy discourse about each outfit listed below. Regrettably, some outfits didn't make the cut due to Substack's limited capacity (limitations, curses!). Furthermore, the sequence of these outfits lacks a particular order; they are merely thoughtfully curated selections for your enjoyment I throughly enjoyed wearing all of these looks, thought I put my foot throughout quite an ordeal all for the sake of trotting around in Prada heels, it was all worth it. ( Special mention goes to the Vibi Venezia velvet slippers, which I stashed in my bag and slipped into whenever the opportunity to remove my heels arose!)

Look 1