Critics Embrace Kors’s Glam Sportswear, Tire of Vera Wang’s Parkas

Fashion Week is drawing to a close, and the critics are weighing in on some of the big-name shows.Michael Kors, celebrating 30 years in business, impressed with his languid, glamorous collection of greatest hits.Oscar de la Rentaplayed to his strengths— and his customers— with in-your-face opulence, whileSophie Thealletcharmed with her breezy Parisian-chic aesthetic. And while some appreciatedVera Wang's fur-trimmed parkas and ethereal gowns, others found the looks repetitive. Read the rest of the reviews below.

THE HITS:
Michael Kors
•"{T}he show was pure Kors… Mr. Kors sells happiness and a good time, like a Broadway show for the entire family."{NYT}

•"You wouldn't be wrong if you called this a greatest-hits collection… His MO this time around: playing luxe tailoring against languid draping… The operative word here was sleek; even the furs were knitted to eliminate some of their inherent bulk… If you want relaxed but unalloyed glamour, this collection proved that 30 years on, Kors is still the man to give it to you."{Style.com}

•"Even by Kors standards, this was the purest of collections… Evening was about sparkly drama….{menswear had} the sleek kind of sexiness that feels perfectly at home in Gotham."{WWD}

•"Through the juxtaposition of sharp tailoring with languid Seventies draping techniques, a new silhouette for winter emerged that was polished yet easy - a definitively Kors refined and simplified take on classic American luxury… taut, trim cuts and glamorous reimagining of classic all-American luxury sportswear."{Vogue UK}

The exception:
•"{A} sleek, sensual take on American sportswear… Kors does not vary his stylistic pitch that much, but even so this season he was very much in tune… {C}onsistency, while admirable, ultimately means a lot of restraint, and for that reason this fall 2011 collection lacked one key defining element - the thrill of the new."{Fashion Wire Daily}

See the Complete Fall 2011 Michael Kors Collection

Oscar de la Renta
•"{A}ll was snug in the world of Oscar de la Renta; opulent, too, in its offering of Eastern textures… The details were impressive… many pieces were great theater, something he can get away with."{NYT}

•"This is one designer who was never tempted by the recent minimalism trend, but if he'd curbed his taste for glorious excess in the face of the recession over the last couple of years, his Fall collection signaled an end to that… The ascetics in the room didn't leave happy, but de le Renta isn't aiming to please them. Plenty of others found his exuberance spellbinding."{Style.com}

•"The collection he showed for fall was about unbridled luxury, and it was breathtaking… Evening was as opulent and spectacular in its diversity… his madras-print chiffon and a gorgeous embroidered patchwork column were both artful and alluring."{WWD}

•"His unwavering attention to the merits of unabashed luxury look fresh after a season of casual, street style blog ready wares… His clothes this season are womanly and developed, with an idiosyncratic sense of mystique."{Vogue UK}

See the Complete Fall 2011 Oscar de la Renta Collection

Sophie Theallet
•"Sophie Theallet, though not widely known, has among the best color sense of any designer in New York or Europe… The clothes were wonderful on their own… her clothes connect with people on an emotional level. She doesn’t resort to tricks."{NYT}

•"{W}herever Ms. Theallet found her color palette, it was a lovely, lively mix of juicy orange, wine red, salmon pink, crimson and cobalt blue. Anchored by dark French berets and a black tape at the neck, the show had the merit of juiced-up simplicity."{IHT}

•"Thallet certainly pushed into new territory, tightening up the typically blousy lines of her bohemian silhouettes…there was still a sweetness to the look."{Style.com}

•"{Theallet’s} artistic and off-beat Gallic style is a breath of fresh air… Theallet’s collections, that while often the product of complex construction techniques, suggest an ease and effortlessness…an ode to Parisian charm."{Vogue UK}

See the Complete Fall 2011 Sophie Theallet Collection

MIXED:
Vera Wang
•"Listen, anything could have been going on under those hooded parkas of Ms. Wang’s. She could have been cooking an entire meal for her family. Honestly, they were pretty great, even in a big parka season… This was a somber collection for Ms. Wang, with many long, pleated chiffon dresses. It could have benefited from a color tastier than cardamom."{NYT}

•"All this was brought together with the clarity of a designer who senses fashion change— but interprets it in her own graceful way."{IHT}

•"A thoroughly chic statement of contemporary fashion… Wang has always been a savvy draper, and a series of gathered chiffon dresses all looked great…{it had} it had all the authority, panache and hint of seductive scandal."{Fashion Wire Daily}

•"Wang returned to her more usual subdued palette for Fall… Wang is clearly trying out a new direction—there was no jewelry and no clusters of crystal and tulle in today's show. But with all the focus on just two big ideas, you eventually missed the richness of some of this designer's former outings."{Style.com}

•"Wang’s combination conjured the prettiest of tough girls, and it worked beautifully, to a point… Look by look, the clothes impressed. But in a sea of look-alikes, even the most interesting girl on the block will see her powers of fascination wane. Thus, Wang’s single-minded brigade would have benefited from a small shot of diversity."{WWD}

•"{O}ne of Wang's more subdued outings… It was all very pretty, but still this show begged the question: how many fur-trimmed coats and pleated frocks does any one woman need? We're sure Wang has a Plan B in the form of more varied offerings in the commercial collection that will be produced for stores."{Vogue UK}

See the Complete Fall 2011 Vera Wang Collection

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