NewYork fashion weekNEW YORK, September 10, 2010

By Matthew Schneier

Steven Alan is in a voyaging mood. "Mediterranean," he said, remembering a trip to Spain taken with his brother. "Sort of getting out of New York, but having the New York sensibilities in a different place." Departing is apropos for a collection he calls a major departure for his ever-enlarging brand (not to mention that this is the label's first formal presentation, comprising men's and women's clothing, shoes, and accessories, after seasons of viewings by showroom appointment only). "The stores that we sell to have been requesting more of a story," Alan went on. "This feels a lot more like a collection."

Alan made his name, and still makes a lot of his bottom line, on one piece of the wardrobe: the men's shirt—that's the opposite of a collection. But he's shrewdly growing into much more than a supplier of standards. For both mens and womens, the offerings here felt breezily casual, more muted and more refined than in the past. Simplicity was a strength. Having mastered the shirt, he's moving on to perfecting the pant—and the gusseted, cinched-waist mountain pant he's offering as an alternative to denim is a solid contender. For the ladies, it's a wide-leg "beach trouser" in cotton or linen. A pleated minidress in indigo cupro? Just toss it in your overnight bag and go. The feeling you took away from the whole was salt-aired and sun-bleached—and that's a sensation that sounds pretty salable, even if you're not going any farther than the next subway stop.

Fashion Brand: Steven Alan | www.stevenalan.com

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