NYFW Diary: Wild West at Ralph Lauren and minimalism at Jeremy Laing

It’s the last day of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week but it’s not a teary farewell.  After all, I get to start my morning off with a little classic Americana–Ralph Lauren!

Judging from all the fringe, cowgirl jackets, suede and blanket patterns seen on his spring runway, it looks like we’re heading to the ranch with Ralph. Even Lauren’s wife, Ricky Lauren, got into the country cool spirit in her fringe-y little jacket.

Soft billowy gowns with light-as-air ruffles complemented the cool, casual side of Lauren’s collection.

The fabric du jour? Suede.

Your fashion dare for next spring: leg-o-mutton sleeves.

RL took the reins on this Victorian-inspired trend and made it look modern (and, dare we say, elegant) as a cropped jacket.  Get yourself one of his oversized belt buckles (the size of a rib eye) and you’ll be ready to gallop into spring.

Over at Jeremy Laing things moved in a different direction, toward the modern minimalist.  This is why I love fashion so much, the only constant is change.

Laing’s signature draping was evident but this season he did away with his prints (other than a single rose) and focused on mixing texture, angular accents, sheer overlays (so many sheer tops on the runways this season!), horizontal stripes, bodysuits and a stark colour palette. Laing’s grey and orange colour combo?  Pure genius.

New York. Check. London, Milan and Paris to go.  I am passing the fashion torch over to our lovely Western editor, Rebecca Tay (who has never met a platform shoe she didn’t like). She will be covering the London shows.

Click the images below to see pics from Ralph Lauren, Oscar de la Renta and Calvin Klein and read our full coverage of New York Fashion Week»

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