NewYork fashion weekSteven Alan doesn't go in for concepts much. This season, per usual, he kept things matter-of-fact, taking a simple blue band-collared shirt as his starting point and building his collection from there. The focus was on fabric, volume, proportion—nuts and bolts, in other words, out of which Alan put together a collection that transcended its parts. Some of that had to do with tone: There was something ethereal and romantic about these clothes, what with the soft palette, mannerist long shapes, and easy, floating volumes. And much of the success of this outing had to do with Alan's materials, especially his sheer-ish white tulles and soft, Japanese discharge print denim. The fabrics really helped to elevate the collection.

Alan did have one "concept" group here, too: The bold floral pajamalike pieces were, he explained, his take on Japanese "roomwear," the relaxed clothes people wear at home. These looks didn't exactly sit with the rest of the collection, but they weren't disruptive either. And anyway, "roomwear" is a fantastic idea and should be widely adopted. Alan's shows have always featured good clothes, which fly out of his expanding empire of stores, but this was his first collection that seemed to have more of a vision in place. It will be interesting to see what's next.

Fashion Brand: Steven Alan | www.stevenalan.com

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