Dolls Eye View: NY Fall Fashion 2022

With life getting somewhat back to "normal," it seems we will be able to report on Fashion Month the way we like to.... that is, one city at a time. There are some designers are continue to show whenever they want, but for our purposes, we will only look at those who show within their own market's fashion week. You will notice that, exceptionally, most of the looks for this report were taken from a single fashion house: Michael Kors. We love this very simple collection because it is the face of what was, for many years, the face of classic Manhattan chic. These are timeless, no-nonsense clothes that flatter the modern working woman and never disappoint. The younger generation has been raised on the shock and awe of "concept clothes" and Met Gala mayhem. But that is not how the average professional woman puts herself together. Think of this as a "palette cleanser" of simple fare. A sort of "reset" button that goes back to the root of New York style. There is nothing "original" or "creative" here. Just fashion basics that are easy on the eye.

You will also notice that, throughout the various themes, you see the same silhouette but in different colors or fabrics. That is how ready-to-wear collections are constructed. The designer begins with an idea,then imagines that sole idea in a variety of colors, fabrics, lengths, treatments and detailing. In a show these looks are then grouped by color, fabric, category (casual, dressy, formal). One-off designs are limited to couture.

As a doll dressmaker, these are easy to make silhouettes. Have fun with the material or fabrics you. Have fun with the accessories.

BUTTERSCOTCH

(Otherwise known as CAMEL....) This is a rich, classic color that renders everything delicious.  The girls loved the monochrome color story spelled out in a number of rich materials: jerseys, suede, leather and wool. The coats and jackets with the portrait collars are roomy and super sumptuous. But the real focus here is the COLOR!!!! Dolly will want something in this tone, no matter the fabric! (Just ask her!!) 

For Emanuela, we kept things simple. A stretch jersey ribbed dress (cut from a sock) and a matching coat with a collar big enough to be worn as a hood is cut from suede. And yes...she insisted on the matching suede over the knee boots!

FRUIT PUNCH

It's always refreshing to see color in a Fall collection. Think tangerine, pumpkin, saffron, cherry red, fuschia, lemon. Again, the silhouettes are simple and quite tailored. And if you can get your hands on some cheerfully colored faux fur..go for it!

For Sybilla, we chose a simple orange wool sheath dress and throw a matching coat over her shoulders. What I did differently here was to borrow the rounded silhouette from the white version of this coat (featured near the bottom of this page). 

At the last minute, we swapped out the red dress in the lineup in exchange for this one which Akure thought was more interesting. This is a tunic with a shawl over the top, worn with trousers. The original dress has sleeves, but we felt it was a bit too much. Instead, she's wearing long leather gloves.

GREY SKIES

The skies may be grey but the overall look is anything but gloomy. The better the fabric, the more refined the look. Yes, it's basically the same as the looks in the themes above... but in shades of grey. 

A striped faux fur coat worn with a ribbed knit dress and stove pipe pants....such a subdued way to wear glamour in the middle of the day.

CITY SLICKER

Me and the girls love the shiny vinyls that have crept into mainstream fashion. The trick is to not do all fitted clothes so it doesn't come across as trashy. It should be styled like any other garment. Also notable...the sleek look of a black knit dress; the flare of an ankle length circle skirt belted over a jewel-neck bodice; an asymmetrical sweater with a corset belt worn over a side draped skirt.

For Domina, we went the way of this over-the-knee shiny vinyl 2-piece dress. The original dress has a cut-out on one side which is not only unnecessarily complicated, it doesn't make any sense. For Dovima's dress: the top has a dolman sleeve and we played around with the front volume, tacking it to one side. It is belted over a pencil skirt. I do admit that the end result looks very.... Thierry Mugler! (And yes, those are matching boots).

For Morgan, we made this funnel neck jersey dress designed with a single sleeve. We did not, in this case, cut a slit in the front because this is a winter collection.

ANIMAL MAGNETISM

My girls love the chubby jackets with the mid-thigh skirts, head to toe leopard spots and the sheen of leather or reptile embossed "skins." 

I confess. For this coat, all I had to do was to borrow one of my Hommes' jackets to toss over the shoulders of Iman. The craft stores once sold embossed squares, but to find something similar now you'll have to look online (Amazon). 

Again, this is another "styled" look. The elements are simple and you probably have some of the pieces already. A funnel neck stop, a wrap skirt and a chubby fur jacket. Since this is a winter collection, Veronique has chosen to thigh high boots! 

You don't have to use faux fur. We thought we'd have some fun with this look by J. Mendel. Instead of a curly fur jacket, Anna opted for one made with yarn. Pure fun.

A TOUCH OF LUXE

These are simple, classic looks with just enough fur to wink at Hollywood. Think fur collars, boas or even a rim around the shoulders. 

We love allure behind this look, but Margot wanted to tweak it just a bit. So instead of lavender we used a light blue denim, trimmed with white fur instead of brown. The dress consists of two parts, a corset top over a pencil thin skirt worn with matching leather boots.

We love white worn with black leather stocking boots. So for Nicki, we slid a fluffy white faux fur coat over her black dress and boots. (Note the silhouette of the white wool jacket. That was the inspiration behind the one we cut from tangerine wool in our second theme!)

MIDNIGHT IN MANHATTAN

Measured glam. As we emerge from the pandemic, there is the desire to reach for the luxury fabrics and dress up to the nines. But easy does it! It is not the time to go to the extreme. What works now are simple, elegant and somewhat understated column dresses. 

We've seen this silhouette before. A one shouldered gown that wraps around the shoulder into a single long sleeve. This one is cut from black iridescent sequins. Chic! 

The cherry on the cake...this red carpet satin dress by Badgley Mischka. Noor loves the ribbons on this strapless sheath. Even more, she loves the ribbon topped matching gloves. 

And at the back of this dress, we went one step further and added a big satin bow at the back!

Next up: the girls are headed to Europe.

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