I had the great pleasure of meeting the brilliant and entertaining fashion guru Ken Downing, the creative director for Neiman Marcus, in one of his rare visits to Washington DC. When I heard he would be hosting a fashion show in DC, I commented that I would rather see him in New York. I was concerned that the fashion show would be filled with frumpy DC fashion. After being assured that this would not be the case, I headed off to the intimate “Fashion Trend” event. Ken did not disappoint.
Ken Downing styled model
Mixing Textures/Colors:
This look displayed the overall trend of mixing different textures and of layering. He was into the boldness of these different shades of pinks and oranges. The textures are all mixed together with a long chiffon shirt/dress, a cashmere coat, wool/cotton pants and satin pumps.
Jewelry and Accessories
The jewelry is big and she is laden with multiple rings. The look is brought together by the beautiful Nancy Gonzolaz alligator purse carried in the crook of the arm. Yes…he has changed his mind about carrying your purse this way and all the models showed this new trend. Note how the trend is to wear your coat draped over the shoulders as a sort of cape. I loved the way the jewels on the necklace looked like flowers, accenting the flowers on the purse.
Ken Downing showing Gucci purse
Industrial Medal/Leather and Fur
The model to the right is wearing the long, subtly pleated(i.e. pleats that make you look taller not wider) Gucci red leather skirt. In this picture, Ken Downing is showing off the “it girl” structured Gucci purse with its suede and industrial medals detailed with hand painted flowers. I have only been able to find this exact purse in the USA (In Europe they did it either without the hand painted flowers or with the hand painted flowers but with a dusty rose-colored suede instead of red).
Ken finishes the look with a pair of jewel colored satin Manolo Blahniks and a fur trimmed coat (draped over the shoulders), keeping with the trend of mixing colors textures and styles.
Gucci purse
Inspired by Gucci’s Alessandro Michele:
Ken Downing commented that he was impressed by Gucci’s new creative director, Alessandro Michele. Alessandro is considered daring and compelling with a streak of mystery and eccentricity. Alessandro Michele believes that fashion is about creating emotion which is not necessarily rational. For this collection, he took inspiration from the movie Birdman. Alessandro translates the striking red-painted corridor in the movie, with its industrial-metal floor and walls paved with subway tiles into his collection. We can see this in the pieces Ken Downing picked out for his Trend Report event (and in Gucci’s overall woman’s collection).
Chanel suite with sparkle
A Nod to DC – Pure Elegance With A Sparkle:
While this look was more classic than then others, it is hard to not love it. A classic Chanel suite looks great in New York as well as Washington DC. Pair it with multi-strand sparkling necklaces, earrings and elegant black satin sandals with jeweled accents and your look goes from elegant to fabulous.
Avery Tip: Make it Edgy: For an edgy look, pair this Chanel jacket with a pair of dark skinny jeans and black boots (either riding or motorcycle). Add chunky silver rings. Hermes makes great black riding boots. If you go for the moto look, I like these Jimmy Choo buckled moto boots.
Jimmy Choo Moto Boots
