Elie Tahari Fall 2014

There’s a reason why Elie Tahari has been around for 40 years. His fall 2014 collection was a beautiful example of how, in the right hands, a collection can find the right mix of being functional and fashion forward.

Of course in Tahari’s creative hands, functional seems too pedestrian a term for such beautifully made clothing. But for his fall 2014 collection, Tahari turned his focus to staples of a winter wardrobe, especially for city women.

The theme of “lightning through darkness” seemed to not only refer to the color palette of a winter landscape—grays, quiet blues, a couple of pops of red and pink as with a sunset—but also to the quiet elegance and seeming simplicity of the collection. There is a way to create a collection of fall classics and infuse it with creativity.

The creative touches were everywhere. Tahari’s version of the little black dress, for example, was done with calf hair and snake tweed and paired with a cozy-looking shearling biker jacket. A pair of pants were given an extra oomph of luxury when made from croc tweed and denim. Other luxurious touches included leather trims and inserts and intriguing combinations of neoprene with knits and leather.

Knits played a major role throughout the collection. And Tahari also offered a wide assortment of coats with all manner of intriguing touches—an alpaca knit sleeve coat, several shearlings including a hooded shearling bomber.

—Karyn D. Collins