Nicole Miller Fall 2014

It’s not enough to be a tough girl. Fall 2014 seems to be the season of the Warrior Woman.

Nicole Miller’s fall 2014 collection is just one of many this season arming women for battle. Her show notes gave nods to some of the fiercest women around—real and fictional including the Deadly Viper villainess Elle Driver, anime’s Princess Mononoke, Terminator Model t-x, and the Japanese samurai Hangaku Gozen.

Of course since this is fashion, Miller’s weaponry was of the sartorial kind. Metallics, leather, neoprene and feathers formed the framework for Miller’s neo-punk warriors. A note about these neo-punk warriors: in Miller’s world they are still definitely ladies with a penchant for glam, dark though it may be.

There was beading on vests and sleeves as well as trims—waistbands, for example, showing off an arresting pattern that resembled a coat of armor. Miller’s embellished sweatshirt with neoprene sleeves (worn with a glazed, plaid skirt) was one of the many examples of the designer’s glammed up warriors. Another winning look was a faux leather and metal jacket with embellished sleeves.

Miller’s use of feathers and a feather print were particularly effective. The mirrored-feather print was utilized beautifully in a wool coat and a wool jacket over an eye-catching metal sequined dress. To add extra oomph, Miller used real feathers such as the flyaway ostrich feathers on a mirrored feather print dress.

Even fur was given a feather effect such as a miniskirt and vest made of fox fur but dyed to look like feathers. These seemed clever, but a bit odd since the designer was using real feathers with such skillful abandon elsewhere. But here perhaps was evidence of Miller’s tendency to push too hard to show her cleverness and skill.

More satisfying were pieces like Miller’s peacock feather pieces—a skirt, a top and then a sheath dress. A bit over the top? Perhaps so. Impractical? Maybe a tad. But they wowed and flirted with the eye and the imagination as good fashion should. And isn’t that the point?

—Karyn D. Collins