NYFW: In a Tradition Now, Nicholas K Gets It Started

An ensemble from the Emerson Spring 2012 collection. Photo by Paul Maffi.

IN a few hours at (9 a.m. or thereabouts), Nicholas K will rule the runway, kickstarting the eight-day relay known as Fashion Week, or more formally, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York Spring 2012. This season marks the first full year at Lincoln Center.

Designers and siblings Nicholas and Christopher Kunz have been mum about Spring 2012 but it is not expected that they will stray from form. That is, smartly deconstructed classic silhouettes for men and women that take to layering, mixing/matching and throwing a nice wrench into a look that wants to be too buttoned down. All is subtle, including the colors.

Others showing today, which is a short one owing to Fashion’s Night Out (http://www.fashionsnightout.com/), include Porter Grey, BCBG Max Azria, Richard Chai, Francis Hendyupima and Catherine Malandrino.

As with every season there are new faces. One for Spring 2012 is the Boston-based Emerson. According to Emerson’s pr, the “collection embodies the powerful and free-spirited modern woman. “

The new face of the entryway into the main tent at Lincoln Center. Photo courtesy of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

Designer Jackie Fraser-Swan hues toward dichotomy: rock&romance, couture&contemporary, black&white. Dichotomy is part of human nature and even more so for JF-S whose label, Emerson, is taken from both her middle name and that of progenitor Ralph Waldo E.

In things new elsewhere at Fashion Week, the façade at the main tent has been spruced up. And many of the shows this season, including Nicholas K, will be streamed live (http://www.youtube.com/liverunway) …

Visit http://www.mbfashionweek.com/ to learn more about Mercedes-Benz New York.