New York Fashion Week: Marc Jacobs Returns to Elegance

So everyone has been raving about the new Marc Jacobs show- and fashion.psfk is no different. Moving on from the girlie looks of the last season, the designer is expertly championing a return to elegance.  The influence of the current resurgence in etiquette, deportment and all things aristocratic could be seen in the beautifully refined, ladylike outfits that showcased a wealth of luxurous fabrications, and came complete with wide-brimmed hats and delicate gloves.

The colour palette of softened navy, black and greys with accents of rich wine, maroon and mustard was shown across simple clothing shapes in longer lengths and finely tailored outfits. trousers are straight and clean (slim but not skinny), necklines were high, skirts were below the knee, and skin was nowhere to be seen. Even the eveningwear in high sheen satins, rich velvets and sequinned fabrics was sensible and subdued- yet still eminently wearable.

Hats seemed to be a key focus and thanks milliner Steven Jones whose wonderful fedoras with knitted wool crowns and structured cloche styles adorned the heads all but a very few of the models- watch out for copies of those hitting all the shops, along with the beautiful two-tone elbow-length gloves.

Clearly inspired by the elegance of the Twenties (cloche hats, drop-waisted dresses etc), the main focus of the collection however was Marc’s passion for the Seventies, saying of the era "It is everything I’ve always loved: boring, beautiful- and Bertolucci". If past seasons are anthing to go by, this collection  will be a clear inspiration for the high-street. Susy Menkes‘ description of the show- "his collection announced the return of fashion, as in wearable pieces for ordinarily fashionable women" sets the bar high for discount retailers- how will they possibly translate this for the masses?