Spring '08 New York Fashion Week: The Week Winds Down • Luxe Knitwear Evolves • TSE • Malo

Fashion Week is sputtering to a close with a half-day schedule today. Pretty much everyone seems to agree that it's been a rough series of shows between the slightly shortened schedule, the intense humidity, yesterday's midday deluge and the increased number of presentations in far flung locations all over Manhattan. The brief taxi strike didn't help matters either. So far, it's hard to see a clear style direction to things, and there doesn't seem to be a huge amount of buzz around any particular shows besides Marc Jacobs' surrealist extravaganza and the continuing industry lovefest over Proenza Schouler, which is not entirely unwarranted. Generally, things are looking safe on the runways. With economic uncertainty on the horizon, many designers have chosen to stick to what they know best, which, while disappointing to critics hungry for the new, is often a pleasure for customers.  Even Francisco Costa's Calvin Klein show looks like a return to classic minimalist Calvin, perhaps in a bid to lure back the old-school collection customers who haven't been as pleased with his new directions as the press has. As for other shows, we were amused to finally receive an invitation to Heatherette, and looking forward to a fun, over the top show, but after waiting a half hour past the start time without even checking in, and calculating that getting in the door would take at least that much time again if we even got in at all, we ditched it. Call us crotchety, but we do have our limits, and so, apparently do quite a few other people we saw walking away from the show clutching Heatherette invitations with disgusted looks on their faces.
After the jump, Malo and TSE continue their transitions from sweater brands to full lifestyle collections.

Sept. 6, Lux Studios 456 West 18th Street • TSE
TSE is making a fresh start this fall as it moves its flagship from Madison Avenue to Wooster Street in SoHo. Designer Tess Giberson has settled in nicely as creative director, for the label. Still seen by many as a cashmere resource, Giberson emphasised the sporty side of the line with bold colors and a loosely fitted silhouette featuring luxe anoraks and draped shift dresses, some with elegant back detailing. Vivid colors like marigold, cyan blue and kelly green were a departure from her signature neutrals and emphasized slightly exaggerated shapes that recalled, yes, the '80s, but not in a "Dynasty shoulder pads" sort of way. Rather, it was the more experimental, architectural side of the period that Giberson recalled with her plays of proportion and textured, draped knitwear. Giberson made a strong case for the complete collection which should look good hanging in the new SoHo store.

Sept. 10, The Celeste Bartos Forum, New York Public Library • MALO
Malo has been undergoing a transition as well. Long known as a source for extravagant cashmere knitwear, changes in ownership have pointed the label down the "lifestyle brand" path. Designers Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi (whose own label 6267 is shown in Milan) went for opulent glamor in their third collection for the brand. The duo's Chinese inspirations manifested in elaborate beading and braided detailing. There was the inevitable jacket with frog closures, but the impression was more Forbidden City luxury than Pearl River Mart. Blue and white export porcelain patterns gave way to shiny black and red lacquer effects and finally, gilded snakeskin in sculptured jackets and vests. Some of the effects seemed a bit heavy for spring, but the innovative beading, a signature of the team's work for Malo, was remarkable, and sure to send the retail prices into the stratosphere. The knits were still there, but disguised in intricate openwork tops and hidden under embroideries. Malo is always an entertaining show, as they bring a more European atmosphere to the proceedings, and while the celebrity quotient was low, the presence of important editors from Elle and French and Italian Vogue should soon move Aquilano and Rimondi beyond their "insider's secret" status.