New York Fashion Week 2013
Fashion Week proved to bring out a resilient bunch of people. Even with winter storm Nemo touching down in New York and dumping a hefty (and messy) amount of snow, the shows truly didn’t skip a beat, and went on as scheduled, forcing show attendees to rethink their sartorial choices over the course of the storm and its aftermath.
The most important decision to be made was how to adapt footwear to match the needs of the fashionable set, in order to navigate through the slush in the streets and on to the shows. A great majority of the show attendees opted for practical, inclement weather shoes, wearing everything from rain boots to motorcycle booties, as well as waterproof leather over-the-knee styles, combat, hiking, and snow boots.
SOREL was a popular choice, and was easy to spot throughout the course of the storm – found on the feet of everyone from editors, photographers, publicists and makeup artists backstage, with the most popular styles seen ranging from the classic Caribou® to the Tivoli™, Cate the Great™, and Joan of Arctic™ in a bevy of colors and fabrications. Most often, pants were tucked neatly inside of the boots, while others styled them with thick tights and a great dress or skirt, proving that despite inclement weather and a need for functioning footwear, one can still achieve great style.
Comfort, warmth and practicality are certainly important for winter 2013 footwear, however, some show attendees over the course of the storm still went ahead with open-toed sandals, wedge sneakers, stiletto booties, and pumps in fabrics such as suede, velvet, snakeskin, and patent leather. They were paired with mini skirts or bodycon dresses and no socks or hosiery; proving that sometimes fashion, and footwear, doesn’t pay attention to the weather.
From the runways, trends for fall 2013 footwear showed the continuation of heavy adornment, such as studs, spikes, and sequins, as well as the introduction of thick metal, cuff-like decoration, found on booties and boots. Styles from the shows include retro silhouettes, moving from the rounded to a pointier toe, with higher toe boxes and shorter, thick heels. Materials were both varied and luxe with texture being key, such as velvet, pony hair, exotic animal skins and nubby leather. Important colors certainly include the ever-classic black, but also eschew great colorful options such as red, teal, purple, and blue.
Let’s hope that next winter no one has to deal with blizzard conditions for a fashionable event, but if it does happen, at least we’ll be equipped with how to pair stylish boots with our existing wardrobe!
