URBANE PLANNING: Fall's Bold Shapes, a Blueprint for Fabulous

by Barbara Barton Sloane

If it’s classics you’re craving for fall, you’re in luck. The designers have put a new spin on retro with sculpted shapes and silhouettes a bit more streamlined. As for the volume we’ve seen in past seasons, fall’s shapes are more restrained. Looks are both strong and feminine, lady-like not with girliness but in super-chic way. That said, the question of the moment is, simply, what should we buy this season and, hopefully be able to wear for years to come.

Diane von Furstenberg’s singular focus was on dresses. At her show, we saw her signature wrap done in ruffled black taffeta that hinted of Spanish influences. Many of the dresses came with matching coats – a nod toward the designer’s sense of practicality making these outfits work on many levels.

Swingy frocks with a touch of detail were offered up by BCBG Max Azria. Raffish, magpie styles that Kate Moss and Sienna Miller favor were strutted down the runway. He showed an adorable toast-colored, double-breasted short coat with three-quarter sleeves worn with long leather gloves and cropped pants, a look bound to appeal to the BCBG customer.

Strong yet feminine was the theme of Calvin Klein’s fall presentation. There was a funnel-neck coat in lead gray, the non-color of the season, with sloping shoulders and gently curving seams to the knee. His dresses hugged every curve his models had. A particular hit was his marble-print wool-felt sheath with face-framing collar. From his White Label line, Klein showed a real winner: a simple pale peach, knee-length sheath circled loosely with a narrow black belt. So very Calvin, so eminently easy to wear and suitable for all body types.

Grown-up elegance is Giorgio Armani’s signature. However, for fall, he took this collection in a decidedly more youthful direction. It felt almost like prom night as his baby blues, Bazooka pinks and minidresses paraded down the runway. He worked his way through a teenage army of tiny frocks: A-lines, innocent baby dolls, and swingy trapezes accented with bows or crystals. Armani kept pants to the sidelines, and the few he did show were cropped and worn with abbreviated jackets.


The designs of Anne Klein have, through the years, defined American sportswear. This season marked the debut of Isabel Toledo as the designer of this brand with the lion’s-head logo. While the collection didn’t come out roaring, it did contain many solid pieces like a navy cashmere cardigan with an asymmetrical closure. Her camel robe coat was an enviable addition to anyone’s wardrobe with true staying-power.

Revisiting one of her earliest signatures, Donna Karan built fall’s collection around bodysuits. They introduced a welcome dose of ease to hourglass silhouettes in silk satin. There was an interesting interplay of matte and shine (stretch satin belts cinching wool double knits) and bright shots of chartreuse, teal and violet against black. In her DKNY line, a particularly cheery number was a cherry-red suit with Peter Pan collar and swingy mid-thigh skirt worn with black tights. Fall is all about the black leg. Whether matte or shiny, black tights are the ticket – and they make legs look great!

Now, happily, we can all start wearing our leather boots again. This season’s best are ankle-length or mid-calf in black or burnished brown leather and are definitely made for walking …. straight into fashion’s bright colors and pretty, wearable designs for Fall.