Daily Front Row

2009 March 9

Runway Reviews

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Sophia Kokosalaki Fall 2009
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(PARIS) Sophia Kokosalaki
Le Greek, c'est chic--this season, more than ever. Last season, Sophia Kokosalaki looked back to her roots with a bright homage to Byzantium--but Fall was future-focused, and the rock-chick vibe was one of the most mature one seen on runways this season. Sheer black tulle dresses were constructed to a point, then allowed to ramble about the body. Loose leather pants were studded in scatters--both modern and cliché-free. The lamé pieces--a Kokosalaki signature--were beautifully restrained. No matter how bravely this girl dresses, she manages to keep it cool. Chronic red carpet dwellers need to put in some calls.

Issey Miyake
Dai Fujiwara gave his fall collection plenty of kick, with a karate-inspired line heavy on the loose trousers and laden with energy. (In fact, some real experts demonstrated the clothes' extreme functionality by performing some moves on-stage.) Red cocoon jackets and high-tech suits in similarly relaxed shapes were offset by silk jackets forged of a geometric cube pattern. Overall, the collection looked younger than ever--and maybe this designer was the shot-in-the-arm the brand needed.

Yohji Yamamoto
Chances are, come winter, you'll need a coat--and if so, look no further than Yohji Yamamoto, who meditated on them almost exclusively in his Fall 2009 runway show. They are narrow and unstructured, buttoned-up or blissfully liberated from fastenings, weighed down with pockets or light and adornment-free as can be. A few flashes of red--painted in the hair, worn on the feet, and eventually punctuating the parade of black with a complete look of its own--made the idea all the more dramatic.

Isabel Marant
This French purveyor of fashion-set favorites isn't exactly revered for her furs on the level of Revillion, but this season, she offered up so many fabulous jackets (incorporating mostly fox and rabbit) that Ms. Marant should prepare for a booming outerwear business. Aside from that, Marant regulars abounded, like perfect little tweedy dresses, sweetly sheer cotton tees, and just-mini-enough patterned skirts. When is that New York store opening again?