NYFW diary: East and West Coast patriotism at Derek Lam, DKNY, and Thakoon’s September 11th shows

Arguably Toronto’s biggest shopper, Stacey Kimel has been making her rounds at some of New York Fashion Week’s biggest shows (Prabal Gurung, Thakoon, and more!), but judging from her front row appearance at yesterday morning’s show, home-grown talent Jeremy Laing is also on her spring shopping list (lucky boy!). While I can’t picture her sporting the Yohji Yamamoto meets Marky Mark one-strap overalls, the windswept asymmetrical gowns, linen palazzo pants, and sheer flowing tunic tops in shades of pumpkin, crème, and silvery grey are a sure bet.

Meanwhile uptown, Derek Lam showed his California Dreamin’, the collection of my dreams. Inspired by ‘60s mid-century modern design, the white leather lattice cut-outs reminded me of the Parker Palm Springs front wall, and the crisp clean-lined American sportswear, filled with bold colour and geometric prints in tobacco, coral, navy, and peppermint got, in the words of Frank Sinatra, deep in the heart of me. Come spring, Lam will have the ladies running to the registers, wishing they all could be California girls.

Also feeling patriotic, and how appropriate on such a historic day for the US of A, Donna Karan‘s September 11th DKNY show brought out the red, white, and blue with girls in digital-poppy prints, asymmetrical silk shirt-dresses, bold horizontal-stripe caftans, sporty anoraks, and floppy beach hats parading down the runway to the tune of the Guess Who‘s “American Woman.”

If Lam was representing the West Coast, and Donna the East, Thakoon made it clear that he was all about the South West with his India-by-way-of-Texas offerings. Pointy, steel-toe stiletto booties in turquoise and orange ostrich, embroidered lace appliques and wild wild west silk shirtings done in ornate Kashmiri paisleys. Calling all cowgirls, the rodeo just got glam.

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