The Establishment - MICHAEL KORS:
This colorful, fast paced, highly energetic and upbeat show was for many (myself included), one of the more joyful and welcome highlights of the week. Michael has always been inspired by jet set icons- the ‘lives of the rich and famous’ if you will-and this time, his take on “sportswear with a romantic sense of glamour” was influenced and inspired by the Aegean Sea and specifically, the Greek Isles (“Greek Chic”) with a nod to la Liz (as in the stunning Liz Taylor in her Richard Burton days). Though I could still find hints of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis here and there – especially in the oversized shades- one could definitely imagine Liz wearing many of the clothes, amazing jewels, and luxurious yet sporty accessories Michael presented, vacationing with Richard aboard a splendid yacht somewhere in the Mediterranean. And all the aqua and turquoise would have been a perfect foil for Liz’s amazing violet eyes (not to mention Janis Savitt’s amazing turquoise jewelry). Aegean tones of aqua, seafoam and turquoise were played off black, white, and neutralized by tan, there were a lot of lavish embellishments through jewel encrusted pieces, and natural materials like rope and hemp happily coexisted with python, fur, gold.

Michael’s turquoise ombre mink jacket worn with ombre stripe cashmere pullover and white denim frayed jean set the tone for what was to follow- and there were jewel encrusted tiger printed chiffon caftan tops, marvelous sweaters and oversized, statement making mufflers, Bermudas (which Michael called Jamaica shorts), notable swimwear, terrific outerwear, crisply tailored shrunken blazers, and innocent lace peasant inspired dresses. There were also florals, stripes, batiks (sometimes mixed together), lots of soft cardigans – which often replaced the more traditional jacket as an evening cover-up, and the use of jersey and chiffon for evening dresses and gowns. A knee length draped white jersey plunge front dress accented with a turquoise stone was dubbed the ‘Liz’ dress, and he ended with a floor length white chiffon jersey crystal encrusted Goddess gown that was cut out on the sides. It was all quite rich and hardly subtle- a perfect example of the ‘More is More’ school of design.