The Wright Wreport: MBFW Day 6: A Man With a Plan and Other Cool Customers

HEAD’S UP: Continuing the approach we adopted commencing with the Fall 2012 edition of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York, VEVLYN'S PEN will put emphasis on the truly inspirational on the runway, rather than a sort of “best of the lot, even if it’s not that good.” Why the change? Simply put, we have grown weary of watching far too many collections that lack imagination because too much attention has been paid to the bottomline. If nothing inspires, we will tell you so and tell you why. We still endeavor, however, to provide a roundup of the best, worst and most interesting Yours Truly (and others) witnesses, from trends to sightings to the rather unusual/bizarre.

Day 6
(SOME of the players at the tents and elsewhere): Tory Burch, J.Crew, Brandon Sun, Badgley Mischka, Vera Wang, John Bartlett, Jenny Packham, Diesel Black Gold, Naeem Khan, Candela, Osklen, Falguni and Shane Peacock, Dona Daneshi, Rachel Roy, Perry Ellis by Duckie Brown, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta, Ankar Sweden

OSCAR de la Renta is a smooth operator.

For several seasons, and perhaps longer, he has been courting a younger customer, shortening the length of dresses, skirts and sleeves, adding more cinches, exposing more shoulder and neckline. Nothing too, too drastic, though the pink tutu dress begs to differ. (See video above).

ODLR continues the courtship with confident machinations for Spring 2013 with a lace-heavy, skin-baring collection with interjections of neon-leather. It embraces the young while keeping his core customer – the chic matron and chic matron-in-training – happy and distracted by the likes of the belted-white cropped-sleeve shirt and skirt ensemble with lace detail.

A look from the Tory Burch Spring-Summer 2013 collection. Photo by Slaven Vlasic.

While ODLR never disappoints, he is not alone in this regard. Day 6 of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week was better for having Vera Wang come “Out of India” with an exquisite rendering of lace jacquard and Indian damask. She is frontrunner for “best presentation.” She has competition, though, from Falguni & Shane Peacock’s “Moto Crew.” These motleys clearly booked a passage where no man (or woman) has gone before and encountered The Borg and some Klingons in bad temper. Both species taught them well the inner workings of prints both cyber graphic and galactic graphic.

Elsewhere, the gurls at Rodarte deserve honorable mention for even attempting to reinterpret medievel fantasy into frock wearable.

Let’s also show some luv to ANKAR Sweden for the welcome breakfast (including croissants, fresh fruit, bagels, cream cheese and lox). It complemented the label’s latest collection, evoking the image of American boys on Martha’s Vineyard and in the Hamptons – with an ANKAR spin, of course.

And the breakfast contributed to the enjoyment of the captivating sights filling the cavernous windows at P.J. Clarke’s. More on all and a word about Dona Daneshi later. Until then, enjoy the picture show.

On Deck today, Day 7: Bibhu Mohapatra, Michael Kors, Nanette Lepore, Douglas Hannant, Philosophy, Jeremy Scott, Rachel Zoe, J.Mendel, Milly by Michelle Smith, Gant by Michael Bastian, Marchesa, Anna Sui, Louise Goldin, Proenza Schouler, Holmes & Yang, Fotina, NY Republica Dominicana Fashion Week, EleVen by Venus Williams, Whitney Eve, Soojin-Lee, Vivienne Tam, Homo Consommatus

Visit http://www.mbfashionweek.com to learn more about Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, including show information and videos.

Day 6 Pictorial
Vera Wang