Initially, I was surprised at the number of shows this season. With all of the news about retail stocks dramatically dipping, the credit crunch and designers backing out of full blown shows, I thought that there would be less.
But the old American sentiment of working hard and hoping for the best came through. We won't know until late fall how successful the end product really was.
It appears that no one demonstrated a sense of trepidation and caution displayed during the Fall 2008 shows. It appeared as if each designer was carving out a niche of distinction for themselves, and indeed, may report that the best-selling pieces are those that are unique and different.
There was also an influx of new or international designers taking the opportunity of a smaller show calendar to finally show during New York Fashion Week.
Overall, some of my personal favorites were, Lacoste, Alexander Wang, Georges Chakra, Catherine Malandrino, Derek Lam, Preen and Michael Kors (Style.com and YouTube carry great features of these shows.)
Still, I couldn't get the impending doom, gloom and darkness out of my head-- I'm looking forward to seeing the looks from Milan and Paris to piece everything together.
Photos: Karl Rothenberger
