The bold shoulder
Strong silhouettes and bright colors are in-store highlights for women’s fall lineup
Once a season’s worth of fashion weeks is in the rear-view mirror, Instagrammed, live-tweeted and trend-spotted, all that remains is the six months of prognostication, bet-hedging and second-guessing between runway and retail. Which trends had legs? Which high-profile pieces turned out to be catwalk only focus-pullers? And, in every label’s nightmare scenario, what if, in the half-year between catwalk and cash register, the world has spun off its axis in some way that makes the previous season’s pomp and pageantry come off as tonedeaf and out of touch?
Well, September is now upon us, and the fall and winter 2019 women’s ready-to-wear waiting time is over. And the good news is that the over-arching trend — bright, bold-shouldered power dressing — got the collective thumbs-up emoji. In fact, with the Amazon rainforest on fire, politics in the gutter and the economy in flux, the eye-catching take on armor feels more appropriate than it did during fashion weeks in February and March.
Strong shoulders
If you’re looking for a soft shoulder to lean on, move along; there’s nothing to see here. If you’re looking for a shoulder that says “lean in” like nobody’s business, you’ve got options. Givenchy’s collection was full of jackets with sculpted shoulders and a military vibe; the most memorable was a green belted number with rounded shoulders trimmed with a topstitched band ($3,530, available this month at Givenchy boutiques, including South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa).
Balenciaga is another luxury label with strong-shouldered silhouettes marching to retail, including a suspended-shoulder jacket in Masai red ($3,500, available for preorder online with delivery to stores — including the boutique in Beverly Hills — next month).
Rick Owens’ riff on the rounded, ridge-crested shoulder is served up in fabrications including a gray cashmere flight jacket ($6,272), a mixed-fabrication shearling bomber ($5,936) and an aluminum cow-hair bomber with exaggerated flanges ($7,034), which can be ordered online for delivery in early October, with some versions available at the L.A. boutique.
The Saint Laurent collection, obsessively focused on the angular shoulder silhouette, provides plenty of on-trend non-outerwear options, including a sleeveless geometric riff on the little black dress that features side cutouts ($3,690; online deliveries ship by Oct. 15 and stores include the 326 N. Rodeo Drive boutique).
At Alexander McQueen, creative director Sarah Burton showed us shoulders don’t need to be knife-sharp to be big and bold by giving a black, peak-lapel tuxedo jacket voluminous pink silk sleeves ($5,990, available in Alexander McQueen boutiques, including 457 N. Rodeo Drive, as well as online).
The more delicate take on the bold shoulder was a throughline in the Fendi collection — Karl Lagerfeld’s final one — the entirety of which is (or will be) available at retail.
Bold colors
The good news for lovers of vibrant hues is that the rivers of neon yellow and orange and pops of purple and pink have landed at retail too.
Several brands embraced bright shades for fall, including Balenciaga, where acid fuchsia, raincoat yellow and vibrant turquoise imprinted themselves on the optic nerve — the last shade making its way onto shell-shaped clutches and kidskin stiletto-heeled booties ($1,190, available at the label’s 338 N. Rodeo Drive boutique). Then there’s Saint Laurent, where blackand-white pieces were interspersed with gabardine minidresses and feathered tube dresses in fluorescent tangerine. Also, the label’s patent leather belts ($425, available online for pre-order with deliveries shipping by Oct. 15and at the Rodeo Drive boutique) were served up in neon pink or yellow.
Gucci, which has never shied from bold patterns or color, sent plenty of both down the runway, but one standout was a retro-looking ribbed wool mini-dress with puff sleeves and plunging neckline in fire-engine red ($2,600, available at select Gucci stores and online).
Finally, one of the most memorable pieces all season — Dries Van Noten’s faux fur wrap the color of molten lava — is $1,300 at retailers including Opening Ceremony (451 N. La Cienega Blvd.).