Cheryl Shops

Porter Grey
A contemporary line found at the likes of Shopbop, Porter Grey has a slightly girly vibe, but with an interesting edge. There were a lot of sculpted coats, richly colored and printed silk dresses, and sexier fitted dresses with cutout details. It was kind of something-for-everyone, but when it all looks this good, who cares?

Mara Hoffman
Late start aside, a very pregnant Mara Hoffman herself presided over her Thursday-afternoon presentation, which included a live band and carried a very mystical-spiritual vibe. She complemented her signature kaleidoscopic prints with thick knits and detail like braiding, cutouts, and hoods. Fans will snap up the sexier maxi dresses and cozy sweater jackets.



Jonathan Simkhai
By the time I got to Jonathan Simkhai's presentation, I had had two glasses of wine and was eager to continue celebrating at the IFB Conference after-party. So it was fortunate that the models were rotating spots so quickly--I was able to see the entire collection in about 5 minutes. The problem was that I didn't give the collection a proper look; thankfully, that's why I take pictures of everything! Simkhai's reform-school-girls of spring have evolved into a more sophisticated, refined level for fall. There are still beautifully tailored pieces and a strong preppy influence, but Simkhai added sexy cutout dresses and richer-looking fabrics to the mix.

Dannijo
Finally, on Tuesday evening, Dannijo held a roaring '20s–meets–True Grit presentation to show their increasingly intricate and layered jewelry. Littered with Swarovski crystals and featuring bold Art Deco shapes, the line is evolving from its edgy, piled-on-chains roots. These are definitely statement pieces, but I liked that they showed them with not-so-basic clothing, proving that jewelry doesn't have to overpower the rest of one's outfit.

Twinkle by Wenlan
For spring, Wenlan Chia was inspired by novelist Haruki Murakami, who's one of my favorite authors--and if you're unfamiliar with his work, it's very surreal, so I didn't quite know what to expect (for example, two of the characters in one of his books are Colonel Sanders and Johnnie Walker). Thankfully, Chia interpreted it loosely, focusing on the awkwardly beautiful heroines of Murakami's books. In an adorable presentation, in which models pretended to read books, play chess, and knit, they showed off Chia's latest round of feminine dresses and separates, this time in black, dusty mauve, and deep sapphire blue. Special details like open-work necklines, cutouts, and exposed zippers retained just enough edge--Wenlan's looks are consistently girly, but always with a quirky-cool edge.

Jonathan Simkhai
In his second-ever Fashion Week presentation, Jonathan Skimkhai rounded up a bunch of reform-school girls, mixing sports-jersey-like tops and varsity cardigans with '50s-inspired dirndl or pencil skirts (some in leather!), pleated shorts, and skinny-slouchy pants. The styling was fantastic, as was the Hall & Oates music playing in the background; but even taken out of the Rizzo-esque context, there were a lot of strong pieces, like the leather bustier dress and the plaid shorts, that one doesn't have to be a bad girl to wear.