It is a fact that Hwan Heo is a Korean designer and that his young brand is based in Seoul. But is that information relevant? Heo studied design in London. He presented his first five collections there, and the latest he debuted in Milan. Beyond that, though, you wonder about the relevance of Heohwan Simulation‘s geographic origins because it’s so difficult to locate anything specifically “Korean” about the label’s clothes. They have an international passport, you might say. This season, for instance, Heo was riffing on the not-very-Korean themes of eighties metal bands and, er, Kant. As in Immanuel Kant, the 18th-century philosopher. The link between these two themes was both simple and hilarious: Metallica’s second album is called Ride the Lightning, while Kant located beauty in the sublime of nature, e.g., awe-inspiring spectacles such as lightning. Duh. That translated into an appealing lightning motif through much of the collection, and lush floral prints and one collaged from the covers of old hair-metal albums. Apropos of the latter, this collection had a nice sense of fun—for all the rather dour black jackets and coats, with their cocoonish, Claude Montana-ish cuts, there were also pieces like a white leather bomber with black lace and fringe, which seemed the very apotheosis of late eighties L.A. groupie-chic. But then there were also items with a really artisanal loveliness, like those in a graphic, black-and-white wool fabric that seemed to be unraveling. All in all, this was a collection that showed a lot of promise—Heo hasn’t quite defined himself yet, but he’s full of good ideas and capable of making some very desirable clothes.
—Maya Singer
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Phoebe English continues to impress. The neophyte London-based designer is evolving her brand only incrementally, and this season, like the last, felt more exploratory than finished and whole. But the ideas English is playing with are genuinely interesting, and with this collection, you can see her larger ambitions beginning to emerge. The thing about English—the thing that makes her work surprising but that also limits her, for now—is that she builds her collections from the materials up. This season, for instance, her standout pieces featured ticking—striped upholstery fabric—densely ruched and sewn together in bands. Elsewhere, English deftly draped latex and made arresting use of her signature tulle. But her textile sense puts her in danger of a kind of myopia. Even given an aesthetic preference for easy pieces and layered silhouettes, English’s collections veer a little too close to shapelessness. More definition, some sharpness, is required to make this brand grow.
—Maya Singer
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Back in 2006, Lindsey Thornburg launched her namesake collection with witchy cloaks whipped up from deadstock Pendleton blankets. Over the years, the free-spirited designer has expanded to offer a full ready-to-wear range, but she remains best known for her capes, so it makes sense that she decided to keep the focus on them this season. Thornburg has built a strong relationship with Pendleton, and since Fall ’12 she’s been officially partnering with the historic Portland, Oregon-based mill on a co-branded line. Their latest collaboration stars in the Fall ’14 lookbook and its corresponding video, which features models stalking around a dry forest like high priestesses in some coven in Thornburg’s signature, sweeping toggled cloaks. What the collection lacked in scope was reconciled by its breadth of vibrant, graphic prints that were either custom-developed or Pendleton originals. To be sure, these bold patterns were the most psychedelic Thornburg has done to date, with highlights including a warped, Technicolor plaid, as well as an American-flag-inspired “stars and stripes” motif and a landscape print that evoked what the designer called a “cactus mirage in the middle of a peyote trip.” The result was Thornburg at her bohemian best, but we’d still like to see her make a more concerted push into other categories.
—Brittany Adams
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“Resort means nothing. Who buys clothes exclusively for going to a resort?” asked Oscar de la Renta at his presentation today. Who indeed? Even the rarefied crowd who shops for and wears four- and five-figure designer clothes wants value. De la Renta imbued his new collection with a good deal of that, opening his salon presentation with smart black-and-white looks, including a trim skirtsuit in tweed bouclé and a graphic coatdress with short, elbow-length sleeves. But just as often, he seemed eager to inject a fair bit of fun into the proceedings. That black-and-white coatdress was accessorized with fuchsia pumps, part of a renewed emphasis on footwear. Meanwhile, a silk faille bustier bared the midriff above a hip-slung skirt, and a bandeau top and shorts in Lurex-shot navy moire exposed plenty of shoulder and thigh. If those two looks seemed like something of a reach for the debonair De la Renta, it would take no stretch of the imagination to envision one of his ladies in the tomato red version of that bandeau top worn with wide-leg black culottes.

In the end, anyway, those daytime looks were just a preamble. The evening dresses were the undisputed winners of this collection. A long-sleeved, black lace ankle-length gown with contrasting lace trim struck an elegant yet youthful note, while a strapless dress in hot pink with bullion filigree and multicolored floral embroidery was exuberant and joyous—not to mention a breeze to maneuver in with its just-below-the-knee length. It would’ve been a major hit on the Met Gala red carpet last week.
—Nicole Phelps
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Tomas Maier has had a signature collection since 1997. The lifestyle brand is sold in his own shops in Palm Beach and East Hampton and more than fifty other retailers including Barneys and Net-a-Porter, and his neoprene bathing suits are pretty much the ne plus ultra of swimwear. But up until now, the label has taken something of a back seat to his work at Bottega Veneta, the Italian luxury goods company he’s turned into a $ 1.35 billion business. Thanks to a recent investment from Kering, the parent company of BV, that’s about to change. A Tomas Maier store is set to open at 956 Madison Avenue in New York this October, and when it does, the expanded Resort collection he presented at his new showroom today—with newly added categories like wovens, leather goods, and shoes and sandals—will be there.

“This is not another collection for the runway, this is not editorial, it’s not about a very high price point,” Maier said, adding, “I’m not going to compete against another line I design.” What separates Tomas Maier the collection from Bottega Veneta is its focus on everyday clothes and accessories. “Casual,” Maier said, “but still designed.” In his thirteen years at Bottega, Maier has distinguished himself as one of fashion’s most thoughtful designers, attentive to the tiniest details of fabric and finishings. But where sublime workmanship is the holy grail at BV, simplicity is what counts for him at his own line. In his new Resort offering, you’ll find a raw-edged wool peacoat; a Japanese denim dress; a white button-down with a fit lifted from the boy’s department; skinny jeans; and a fleece tracksuit to wear on overnight flights, among other elevated essentials.

There’s a keen sense of practicality to the clothes, and it extends to the accessories. From lace-up gladiators to Moroccan satin slippers, all of the shoes are flat, and most of the handbags will retail for less than $ 1,000, a remarkable figure considering most European-made bags start at $ 1,600 or $ 2,400. A few of the dresses will go for less than $ 500. Numbers like those, Maier pointed out, can’t be achieved with a lot of overhead, so you won’t be seeing a Tomas Maier runway show or ad campaign anytime soon, but that’s just the way he likes it. “I like the challenge, I like proving to the industry that maybe we can do something different.” Odds are, the customers are going to like it a hell of a lot, too.
—Nicole Phelps
Runway Feed