Donna Karan [Pre Fall - 2014]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 09, 2013
New York

By Nicole Phelps

Prices on summer clothes slashed by Memorial Day.
Pre-Fall collections in stores by early June. Shoppers can't help but be
confused, and more and more, designers are right behind them. Donna Karan's retort to the mixed-up seasons? "I wanted these clothes to be seasonless," she said at her informal show this morning.

In contrast to a Spring outing that felt heavy at times—too much print,
too many embellishments—Karan's Pre-Fall offering was pared back to just
the essentials. The color palette was strictly white, black, putty, and
gold. The clothing straightforward. For the most part, it came down to
just three classic items: jacket, blouse, and wrap skirt. Proving that
she meant business when she said seasonless, fabrics for those pieces
ranged from buttery suede and leather to easy jerseys and airy,
needle-punched linens. Karan saved the artisanal details so signature to
her brand for the evening looks. It meant that glorified T-shirt
dresses and tank gowns had a real wow factor despite their rather simple
shapes. A strapless black jersey column splashed with a gold
brushstroke print, and a floor-length sleeveless sheath with a sheer
inset up one side will turn heads on the red carpet.