Fashionistas in New York for the spring 2012 shows may be jittery about the possible terror threat in the city, but the designers who unveiled collections displayed nothing but confident joy. Organisers of fashion week in the Big Apple said they were taking the threat linked to the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks seriously, and were in constant contact with city authorities and law enforcement. Security checks were stepped up at fashion central in Manhattan’s Lincoln Center, as they have been across the city – those without the proper badges were turned away. Several police vehicles were parked nearby. On the catwalks, those fears quickly melted away, thanks to the exuberance of the collections for next spring and summer. Jason Wu, who skyrocketed to fashion stardom when he was selected to design First Lady Michelle Obama’s inaugural ball gown, impressed with lots of black and white prints, infused with bursts of bright yellows and pinks. Wu deliberately mixed up silhouettes and materials, to “break out from the usual look”. Rebecca Taylor offered silk dresses with plenty of flounces, belts knotted at the waist, and paired them with strappy red or gold sandals – creating an airy, ultra-feminine look. And Peter Som dared to be bold with dresses and trousers in huge multi-colored floral prints. Sportswear king Tommy Hilfiger broke away from the usual venue, staging his men’s spring show in the early evening on the High Line, a section of former elevated railway converted into a park not far from the Hudson River. Impeccably coiffed models strutted in polo shirts and camouflage-patterned cashmere sweaters, wide-striped trousers and yellow leather trench coats – Hilfiger’s latest interpretation of the preppy, sporty student. The suits were more classic — in sky blue or with pinstripes, and neatly tailored. The shows in the Big Apple will run through September 15. New York is the first stop in a month-long style marathon that will take the fashion world’s elite to London, Milan and Paris.
