Living in Providence during the winter months is pretty brutal. The wind never seems to stop whipping your face. It rains. It snows. You slip on your way to your 9AM class. That said, if I must slip on some ice on my way to calculus, I would rather it be gracefully and in style. It appears that great minds really do think alike: several designers took winter conditions into account in their designs and certainly followed through. Instead of suffocating in a clunky sweater, a vest, and a Michelin-Man style winter jacket, I will be upgrading my winter wears to a chicer level inspired by blanketed wraps and folded pieces that were abundant in the collections.
Christian Siriano was one of my favorites designers on Project Runway and I was thoroughly pleased when I viewed his 2013 collection. Usually, I’m not a huge fan of pink but the simplicity of the pastels and cuts of this collection exude elegance and class. Simplicity, however, is in no way synonymous with boring. Siriano gives a new shape to the ever-popular peplum dress. He also uses flowing fabric colored with subtle tie dyed patterns. To contribute to the wearability of the aesthetic, six inch heels were substituted for purple metallic boat shoes.
Betsey Johnson’s 2013 collection was lively and enthralling. As always, Ms. Johnson has taken classic cuts and has given them new life through bold prints, sparkles, and original texture pairings. To close the show, the designer took part in a hilarious exercise routine alongside her models and landed a killer cartwheel-split combination at the end. Safe to say her show was my favorite!