Alexander Wang - Cocooning Returns

Perhaps he was having a go at so called 'luxury'.  But if he was, he succeeeded in making us all hanker for luxurious winter garments that would envelope and protect us again.  Not just the outside elements but from the attitudes that we meet on the street.

In a collection that was heavy on casual layering that could hide a multitude of sins, Wang chose to protect us with padded capes and boots - the latter, curiously, were peep toe - and jackets with reinforced elbow and shoulder joints.  It was cocooning at its most modern.  Lots of oversized garments including tailored sleeveless jackets - sadly a little unnecessarily shapeless - and wide structured ponchos.

Some of it was undeniably sporty in places and yet the clothes bucked the svelte 'show us your gym body' vibe with slinky silks and satins that skimmed the body but never clung. I couldn't help thinking that the collection would work for skinny women and larger women, but that anyone medium sized might seem a bit over laden with fabric and could therefore project 'nondescript'.  Adding to the bulk were mink collars, mink shoes and mink trimmed sunglasses. 

It was all very 'fashion accessory' in places but if you looked at the some of the more delightful messages, such as the ribbon hem tops and skirts towards the end and the fabulous colours of buttermilk, nudes and dove greys, you'd see that it was these details and the assymetrical pieces that were the standouts of the show.  So, whilst not a classic Wang ensemble, it nonetheless shows edgy continuity from a designer that is so lauded by the New York glitterati.