“What a strange power there is in clothing”–Isaac Bashevis Singer

Fashion Week is in full swing in New York City! It’s a very exciting time! All the Spring 2007 looks that we’ll see in the pages of Vogue, Elle, and Harper’s Bazaar make their debut on these very catwalks. It’s a glamorous way to participate in fashion history.

If you’re not some super important person, it’s hard to get invited to all the top shows without an ‘in’…meaning an invite or a hook up at a fashion mag.

I decided not to let ‘lack of an invite’ stop me from seeing at least one show. On Saturday, I attended a show by Jenni Kayne, a budding West Coast designer who has been showing collections since Fall 0f 2003. I was blessed to absolutely finesse my way into the second row of the show (yay me!)

Anyway, in general I thought Kayne’s collection was kind of plain, but also very wearable. Sometimes fashion designers send outrageous clothes down the runway just to make an impression, but at the same time, the typical woman would never dream of wearing these clothes in their day to day lives. Jenni’s collection is great for the everyday yet chic woman.

Kayne definitely had a seventies vibe in her pieces…lots of wedge heels, hot pants, floppy hats, flowy dresses, and leather trench coats. It seems as if every era makes a come back in some form at some point. Usually I feel that designers can revise and remix an ‘era’ aesthetic to the point where it is reminiscent of a prior time, but not a complete embodiment. Not for Ms. Kayne. I didn’t see anything that truly screamed ‘NEW!’. However I did like the following pieces becaues of their pretty color combinations (think citron yellow, mustard, and forest green):

The Shaft type leather jacket comes in unexpected colors. The mustard and forest green are calm enough to actually sort of fit into one’s wardrobe as a “daring” piece, but is still luxurious (tailored leather ain’t cheap).

I absolutely loved this dress with lattice stitch work at the collar bone (it seems this type of design is part of her signature. She sent dresses in different colors and different lengths down the catwalk with a similar design on the front of the dress and back, all by the collarbone). The pairing of this deep blue flowing dress with the citron hoody was beautiful, the colors worked well together and made the look extremely striking.

This smart cropped red leather jacket over black dress was actually one of the few very modern looks in the show. It screams fashion, but is also very practical. I’d wear the outfit for a night out or fancy dinner, and would rock that jacket to work perhaps over a white shirt with black pants and pumps (along with a hot black leather handbag)!

Forgive the blurry images, I just have a lonely digital camera, but…hopefully you get the point. I’m hoping to frequent a few more shows this week with a few more notable designers. Will let you know what I think, and also present you looks you can use day to day.

For more info on Jenni Kayne, visit her website: www.jennikayne.com (and forgive the music–I couldn’t figure out how to turn it off!).

Smootches!