When I moved to Italy from New York just over a decade ago, a co-worker commented on how ‘New York’ I dressed. Which struck me as odd because we were similarly outfitted. The only difference, she pointed out to me, was that I was head-to-toe black 24/7, while she also wore black but not as tirelessly as I. I looked down at her emerald green shoes. She was right, at the time my wardrobe was mostly black. And it still is, though now I have emerald green shoes!
As I browsed through the shots from Mercedes Fashion Week, I was reminded that in a way, my co-worker had been right, though not an absolute truth, there was some truth to New York’s attraction to black and it took centre stage on many runways this season. Of course with such a cornucopia of designers on show, colours and prints abounded as well, but I found myself drawn once again to beloved black and its versatility and endless possibilities – edgy and avant-gard at Vera Wang, as the backdrop to prints at Tocca or red-carpet perfection at Reema Acra. Whether chunky knits or streamlined and impeccably tailored silhouettes as offered by Tse or the sensual and dramatic styles created by Jason Wu and last but not least the ever contemporary and perfectly cut designs from the Queen of New…
