Season after season, while others play with dressing up women in their takes on their favorite persona or try to wring inspiration from walks in the woods or an idyllic stroll through an art gallery, Michael Kors finds ways to create clothes that relate the way real women want to dress.
His fall/winter 2013 collection, the picture perfect embodiment of the city woman—on the go, “athletic and chic” as his notes to his models put it, but also with a certain straightforward manner and yes, a bit of urban cool.
While there were certainly plenty of pieces in black—the fallback fashion favorite and a theme for the season overall, Kors’ real statement was his use of bold, cityscape-inspired colors—taxicab yellow, safety cone orange and a rich cobalt blue (recycling bins? the Smurfs?).
Kitschy city color references aside, the collection was infused with energy. Some creations riffed on scuba suits with a contoured look complete with rounded shoulders. A number of tops—for women as well as the men— had the ease and vibrant energy of athletic gear with easy cuts through the shoulders. Accents of black leather strips and patent leather seaming added to the raciness.
Even when Kors dipped into the 40s for inspiration with off the shoulder suit jackets and pencil skirts, he found a way to give things an edge, whether with a few cleverly placed black zippers, or strategically placed leather trim.
If there was a weakness to the collection it came in the evening wear, especially in a final series of sequined mini dresses that Kors inexplicably festooned with billowing silk asymmetrical overskirts. Though a colorful flourish, the skirts trivialized what would have otherwise been a smashing series of dresses.Still, these were merely minor blips in an otherwise powerful collection.
For patterns, Kors turned to two traditional standbys but cleverly riffed on two very different traditions. His “Dogstooth” separates mixing the cityscape palate with black were just the right blend of sass and brass. And Kors took the clever quotient to another level with his use of traditional camouflage, especially a cobalt, black and white version whichKors used in silk and even for a mink coat.
A mink coat in a cobalt blue camouflage? Who else but Michael Kors.
—Karyn D. Collins
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