By: Rebecca Lowthorpe Follow @Rebecca_ELLE
It took one hour to get out of the gridlocked traffic after the , which took place last night at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Dragging everyone out of tha siddy is one thing, but not letting them get back in is quite another.
It could have been a disaster for Wang had the show not been one of his strongest. Pah! Strong doesnt even come close: Ferocious, more like. But what was this? Military, sporty, utility, futurist, techno? His models looked like a highly organised squad of killing machines, in their pencil grey, multi-pocketed coats designed to carry bullets and possibly the odd hand grenade. Saddle bags, slung purposefully across one shoulder and stiff leather thigh-high boots (with a white Cuban heel) also had futuristic army stamped all over them.
The setting was Blade Runner-industrial, with glinting silver pillars and a revolving floor that carried Wangs warrior women around for a spectacular finale. If great fashion is all about delivering one focused message, then this was great. And there were fabulous pieces: a blue canvas jacket, a rippling sweater with a high white neck, big, boxy, sports-mesh jackets seamed in shearling, and wide leather sweat pants. But I couldnt help wondering who (not in the fashion world) would wear such stiff, intense fabrics. It all felt a bit fantasy fembot to me.
Altuzarra A/W 2014
This collection is as much about what something looks like on the outside as what it looks like on the inside, said Altuzarra, who had been thinking about the meaning of luxury. He had also been concentrating on artisanal craft, which is why he sent hand-woven dresses and tapestry tops down the runway, their loose threads hanging. It was hard to imagine the same woman who will slip on one of his coats tackling such awkward, roughly woven shapes; these looked forced alongside slippery satin dresses and sinuous pale sheaths sliced with vibrant silks.
The biggest departure for Altuzarra was colour and he nailed this best with his intarsia fur coats, patchworked in vibrant checks. Those and the shearling thermal jackets cut generously big will be the standout buys from this collection.