Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2009: Designer Review
10. Sep, 2008 by Teresa Morisco 
2 Comments
Rain or shine, we had the chance to see some fabulous shows at this year’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week event. We focused on the lesser-known labels to bring you something new and fresh, with Charlotte Ronson, Andy & Debb and Tony Cohen among the list. Upcoming trends for the Spring 09 season include ultra-feminine silhouettes, sheer, lightweight fabrics, figure-flattering cuts, earth tones, pastels, splashes of bright colors, and dresses!
Charlotte Ronson’s Spring 2009 collection was youthful and carefree with lots of bare shoulders, asymmetrical necklines and belted looks, many of which were rocker inspired. Her color palette consisted of muted grays, blues, corals and stripes. Dresses ruled the runway, mostly fitted along with sheer, drapey fabrics. With very cool details, prints and cuts; the looks didn’t need many accessories. Her zipper front platform wedges look very similar to the gladiator sandal trend that is still prevalent on the streets and young Hollywood. You can get her Fall collection at ShopBop.
For their US debut, Seoul based husband and wife Andy Kim and Debbie Yoon of Andy & Debb presented very beautiful, well-tailored fabrics with a neutral color palette of black and off-white with splashes of crimson red and various yellow hues.
The pair had quirky one-of-a-kind patterns created by illustrator Chang Sub Choi inspired by cupcakes and their children (now that’s keeping it in the family!) Each look had a very classic and vintage feel with its 50s and 60s silhouettes and necklines. The sole accessory on the runway was a vibrant red lip that stood in stark contrast to the soft colors of the clothing. Billowy layers and intricate detailing on the backside of the pieces ensured that the models looked fabulous coming and going off the runway!
Last, but definitely not the least was Tony Cohen’s collection.
His Spring 2009 line was filled with drapey, flowing dresses in earth tones. Feminine silhouettes with copious amounts of ruffles and fabrics that move dominated the runway, along with fierce wedges with cut-out heels. Juxtaposed with voluminous hair and strong, defined makeup, Cohen’s ethereal pieces strikes a fine balance between fantasy and ready-to-wear. Check out some current Tony Cohen at ShopStyle.
What do you think about these designers? Are you happy to see dresses take center stage for another season?
I love that shape-defining waistlines are still around for spring. Unfortunately, I cannot help but note that the last model in this post looks like a skeleton. I get that designers like the way clothes hang on thin models, but please! If designers don’t think that their clothes look good on woman with at least a little something between her skin and her bones (like, heaven forbid, a 6″ woman who weighs over 130 [or 120!] pounds), perhaps the designers need to work on their skills. Teresa — Any idea if the skeleton look will ever end? I have to think it will, as fashion constantly evolves, but it’s been awhile now. Eighties fashions came back (yipes), but the healthy looking (yet still thin) models from the ’80s — e.g., Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer, etc. — their look apparently has not.
You hit one of my pet peeves Karen!
What I’ve noticed (especially when I was a buyer) was that the new designers (such as the ones featured here) don’t know how to design for a REAL woman’s body and are just used to draping on body forms. That’s why they need the skinny models. They are not designing for women, they are designing for design’s sake and their first year is fraught with super tiny sizes.
However, if you look at the older designers who “get it” such as Diane von Furstenberg, MaxMara, Yves St Laurent, they KNOW how to create clothing that makes a woman look and feel beautiful. What you see on the runway are collections they put together on an extremely tight deadline (thus they drape on forms and fit on the models so that everything is just one size) but when they sell their collections to retailers, everything is adjusted to their ideal client. That’s why I say find a few designers that fits you well and stick with them — their fit model is probably proportioned like you.