It is the purest piece of truth that the future of fashion, as the insatiable fashion flock may acknowledge with relief, is, in fact, perpetually now.  Seems a senseless effort setting your chrono, as the current moment, has, essentially, passed, and the future one is zipping by faster than you can even bat a lovely lash. In fashion, the long arm of time which is, this season, likely enveloped in a fabulous flounce of layers or a deliciously sheer veil of boudoir lace, stretches out endlessly and infinitely into eternity and exists as an embodiment of past, present, and future.  It’s all the same, really.  New will soon be nixed and old will be adored all over again.  As the great Karl Lagerfeld is said to have stated, “Fashion is a train that waits for nobody.  Get on it, or it’s gone.”

The ‘train’ leaves the station for fall 2008 traveling with heavy cargo that allows us to feel, paradoxically and pristinely, light.  By the gracious generosity of fashion greats worldwide, we’ve been blessed with a season’s worth of sumptuous stock we can really fall for….collections were bold…beautiful…and varied?  Very.  An abundance of motifs revealed their relevancy on the runways in a season that boasts strength of silhouette and modern updates that call us ‘aboard’ to follow…and obey.  Though it’s a sweet, sweet surrender we’re happy to allow.

As fall sweeps in with all her lovely laudables, one is instantaneously indebted to those who have chosen to prod her into such a powerful and palatable direction.  The look is lady.  Precisely what type of lady is subject to the marvelously miscellaneous interpretations of design darlings whose creativity knows no bounds.  The feeling is clarifyingly fresh and, concurrently, nostalgic, and the modes of expression are expansive.  We have, in the same moment, pulled back and charged ahead.  It’s a lovely little dance between restraint and rebellion that delights and delivers.  Shapes are sculptural and lines are long and lean.  The mood is one of stylish severity and the color palettes are darkly decadent with a restricted richness.  Even the most disenchanted of the fashion pack will fawn over fall, as the upper establishment has endowed us with garments to gush over and accessories to satisfy our appetites…aptly.  Chunky statement necklaces abound to adorn our delicate necks.  Tights are just right, whether printed with patterns or bedecked with bold colors.  Towering platforms persist in their racy relevance, and pieces that are more sculpture than shoe are nourishment for our soles.

Exactly how did this volume of variety evolve?  Recall, doll, the laying of the fundamental foundation at the New York shows last February, during which such design greats as Peter and Proenza (that’s Som and Schouler) brought forth dazzling displays of various shades of lady.  For thine own ready-to-wear refresher, Som’s designs were based upon his interpretation of photographs by Diane Arbus and the Madmen series from the advertising world in the late 1950’s.  With a desire to convey an offbeat, quirky femininity, he placed tartan plaids and furs atop floral printed cocktail dresses with a clever and cavalier credibility.  The designer presented covetable coats in tweed that were intricately shot through with metallic threads and one luxurious lady-like number with cropped sleeves and delicate textured bands of fur.  A most playful Peter also dabbled in a divine diversity of fabrics, presenting a laminated, crackled leather blazer, a plaid flannel skirt with “mille-feuille” tiers of pleated chiffon, and blouses of silk blend matelaisse in a predominately blue color palette flecked with shots of plums and greens.  And his standout number for fall was undoubtedly the sleeveless sheath dress with the ingeniously crafted skirt of died guinea feathers, delicately beaded top, and belt of raffia and plastic cinching in the waist.

And Jack and Laz?  Likewise, all that jazz.  The Proenza Schouler lady emerged as one of gorgeous gentility all decked out in delicious bows and swathed in sumptuous fur.  The consideration of contrast between natural and synthetic fabrics proved to be a pervasive theme this fall, and team Proenza played a most profitable hand in this regard.  Designers Jack McCullough and Lazaro Hernandez Proenza dipped into a variety of textures, turning out gleaming metallic pieces adorned with sequins and frocks with outstanding origami-esque flaps and folds of fabric in warm, autumnal shades of mustard yellow, deep forest green, and eggplant.  Tights in a variety of hues and bright suede pumps provided a delightfully unexpected pop of color to the subdued, yet rich color palette.  With a nod to the ‘Studio 54’ scene referenced by so many designers this season, McCullough and Hernandez sent out a few slinky stunners in the form of a long, loose metallic trouser and a dazzling little mini with a brilliant bronze sheen.

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