"The collection before the next collection" is how Donna Karan introduced her new lineup this morning at a small show in her studio. It's telling that she didn't use the word Resort. These were clothes designed not for getaways but for city dwellers with a calendar full of holiday parties to attend. Even the palette—cement gray, black, and white, with hits of nude and lipstick pink—was inspired by the urban landscape.
This is familiar territory, of course, for Karan, and her draped and folded silk jackets with crystal closures had a confident allure. Same goes for a cowl-neck sleeveless top tucked into an asymmetrical-waistline pencil skirt. In contrast, the origami-like folds on paper taffeta party dresses and full skirts added heft to the silhouette rather than flattered it. But Karan was back on form with a pair of evening columns: the first in sleeveless hot pink with an architectural bow at the back and the second in plunge-front white with chain straps. The best look in the show was a white lapel-less blazer with a cutaway back worn with high-waisted black pants. She said that anybody who's a size 2 (sample size) could borrow anything for tonight's CFDA Awards. If we could see any of today's looks on the red carpet, it'd be that one.
