RUNWAY REPORT: NEW YORK FASHION WEEK SPRING 2014

Jason Wu’s turn on the catwalk was a lesson in understated elegance in a week of unexpected new trends

From Jason Wu's 2014 spring collection.

WELL we’re well into the New York Fashion Week 2014 spring collections, but it hasn’t been without controversy. Unfortunately, it’s not just a frock fest. Discontent has been rumbling for some time and an unexpected new trend is emerging: Glamour and gossip are out. Protest and soul-searching are in, while others are calling for a reinvention of fashion week!

But let’s get back to what the week is all about: fashion and what we’ll all be wearing next season. Pastels and nudes are big. But there is colour – emerald green, yellow, coral pink, red and cobalt blue. Black and white reigned supreme and is on-trend for next season – again. Pleating was aplenty, while technical innovation saw designers play with cuts, treatments and fabrics – think sportswear. But overall there was a softness, a pared-back elegance and minimalism.

Expect deconstructed separates at Altuzarra, floral prints at Christian Siriano, and a play with modern materials and big prints and colour at Prabal Gurung. Relaxed dressing was crisp and commercial at DKNY and I absolutely adored the monochrome minimalism at Helmut Lang and Giulietta. Diane von Furstenberg appeared to be on safari, while it was a visual feast at Tracy Reese and Trina Turk. And of course Zimmermann didn’t disappoint in their NYFW debut.

But a standout for me was Jason Wu. His show always marks the start of the season in New York, and he didn’t disappoint.

His bias cut slip dresses were a nod to a previous decade, but the deceptively simple collection was a lesson in understated elegance. His unstructured suiting and soft flowing fabrics gave rise to a collection that was sexy and sophisticated but embraced the softer side of femininity.

Colour palettes ranged from barely there nudes and soft pastel shades of mint and blush through to midnight blue. Sparkles were oh so elegant and feminine; not too much, nor too little. Hemlines were long, shapes were generous and there was an interplay between light and dark, and soft and sheer. Very up-town chic.

A favourite designer of US First Lady Michelle Obama, you could almost picture her wearing some of these pieces. I believe that what makes a collection successful is when you can see yourself wearing nearly every piece. And, for me, Jason Wu did that in spades!

To see more of Wu’s collection and other designers at New York Fashion Week, go here at style.com.