Peplums! Party skirts! Bold prints! You’ve seen them on the runway, but can you see them in your closet?
According to eight NYC designers, absolutely! Pulse talked to some of the city’s most celebrated style savants, getting the scoop on their favorite fall creations and how to wear them off the catwalk. The consensus? Don’t let those runway ensembles intimidate you. Add a few staple pieces, mix in some styling tricks and voila! — you too can rock the best fall fashion like your name is Naomi. What could be better —LEAH FAYE COOPER WITH ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY ANAHITA MOUSSAVIAN
(Above) Timo Weiland (left) and Alan Eckstein are wild for their fur-trimmed coat (next slide.)
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Timo Weiland “Amanda” coat
Alan Eckstein and Timo Weiland, who co-design the label Timo Weiland, love this piece’s versatility. A hidden zipper crops the coat at its raccoon-fur trim, instantly making it more casual. “I would [wear this] with a cigarette pant,” says Weiland of the cropped style, “something really slim since there’s volume just above the waist.” The double-breasted wool look can layer over day or night outfits. “The beauty of a coat is that it can go over anything,” says Eckstein, “a fancy dress or jeans and a T-shirt.”
$978 at Barneys, 660 Madison Ave.
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Erin Fetherston
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Erin Fetherston fitted ponte peplum dress
A vibrant shade of red and an on-trend peplum make this Fetherston’s favorite holiday frock. “If you were wearing it in the daytime you could definitely pair it with tights and a wedge bootie,” she says, adding that a cropped jacket would play-up the dress’ defined waistline. For evening she’d style it with ankle-strap statement heels. “I think it goes great with black,” she says of the piece, “but it would also go really well with a camel color or a deep brown.”
$275 at Bloomingdale’s, 1000 Third Ave.
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Sophie Buhai (top left) and Lisa Mayock of Vena Cava
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Vena Cava “Preminger” dress
Sophie Buhai and Lisa Mayock, co-designers of the Vena Cava line, adore this piece’s ’40s silhouette and wrinkle-free georgette fabric, but it’s the print that they’re especially crazy about. “It’s just really vibrant,” says Mayock. “It’s a great way to have an outfit in one, easy step — you just put on the dress and you’re done.” To amplify the look for night, “you can wear it with a blazer and heels and look totally dressed up,” she says. Buhai recently took another route for daytime. “I wore it with a skinny black turtleneck underneath [plus] tights and boots,” she says.
$528 at Barneys, 660 Madison Ave.
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Tibi designer Amy Smilovic
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Tibi bonded vinyl pencil skirt
“To me it’s the perfect length, the perfect color and the perfect weight,” says Tibi designer Amy Smilovic of her bold, burgundy number. Smilovic modernized the classic pencil shape with a leather-like polyurethane fabric. “I would throw a chunky sweater on with it and short boots [for] the office, and with a really gorgeous blouse and stilettos it’s a total nighttime look,” she says. Want to make it casual? Take a cue from the designer’s recent styling. “I wore it the other day with a plaid shirt and a pair of sneakers!”
$725 at tibi.com
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Cynthia Rowley
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Cynthia Rowley bonded leggings
“It’s a bonded fabric that’s slimming and looks great on everyone,” Cynthia Rowley says of her knit Lycra leggings. In an inventive floral print, they’re her current fall obsession. “During the day you can wear them with a ratty T-shirt and sneakers or boots,” she says. Come nightfall, Rowley advises styling them rolled up with heels and a sparkly top.
$235 at Cynthia Rowley, 376 Bleecker St.
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Designer Chris Benz
Patrick McMullan
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Chris Benz silk faille “Rei” skirt
“I love the idea of a big, fun party skirt,” says Benz, which explains why he’s crazy about this dramatic design. “[It’s] so fancy that you need to balance it with something a little simpler for real life.” Benz suggests pairing it with a white T-shirt, a jean jacket and flats; the silk overlay and raw-edged tulle are the statement-makers. “I love the personality it has,” Benz says.
$1,195 at Chris Benz, by appointment only, 212-244-2020
Zandy Mangold
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Lela Rose
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Lela Rose labyrinth organza boatneck dress
Distinguished by its fit-and-flare silhouette, the dress Lela Rose calls her fall favorite was inspired by the work of Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. Rose says that heels, earrings and an up-do make it an ideal special occasion piece, but notes that it can be dressed down just as easily. “You could pair it with tights and booties, and maybe a skinny belt at the waist,” she says. To pull off the sleeveless design as temps get cooler, Rose suggests slipping on a bolero jacket.
$1,795 at Bergdorf Goodman, 754 Fifth Ave.
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Tracy Reese
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Tracy Reese embellished shell top
Honoring her penchants for gold and embellishments, Tracy Reese sent this luxe shell down her fall runway. “It’s a really versatile piece and something that’s fun to play with,” she says of the cotton and cashmere top. To make it pop, she suggests pairing it with dark leather leggings, a denim jacket and booties. She’s a fan of glamming it up, too. “You could wear this with a taffeta ball skirt and it’d be so cool.”
$298 at Tracy Reese, 641 Hudson St.
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