The Coterie: testing the limits of texturing

The unofficial test for whether an item of clothing deserves to make the jump from the store shelf to my closet's shelf is that it has to strike me immediately and it has to strike me hard.

Occasionally, that must-have-it jolt comes in the form of a vibrant color or dramatic silhouette, other times I find it in the form of a unique sleeve, but most often, what most consistently draws me in and won't let me go is when I come across a skirt, blouse, jacket or dress whose showpiece nature is defined by its well-executed texturing.

Unlike a color or a cut, texturing, when done well and done tastefully, can make the difference between a dress that, at first blush, looks ho-hum and status-quo but upon closer inspection reveals the kind of detailing that makes its wearer feel as if she's walking around in a one-of-a-kind.

A textured shoulder will be the detail that separates your simple black sheath from the sea of other simple black sheaths in your office; a Winter coat that incorporates one type of texturing along the hem and another down the back is what will earn you -not the many J. Crew peacoaters- all those on-the-street "Oh my God, your coat is so cute!" compliments; a textured neckline is the distinguishing feature that makes the Stella & Jamie LLJ pictured above miles more memorable than its boring, boxy Wilson's counterpart.

I love texturing. Always have. But what I saw on Monday in nearly every designer's Fall/Winter '08 collection challenged my longstanding allegiance toward all cuts simple and sophisticated.

For what I saw was not just a textured back or a textured hem but rather a textured back and a textured hem and a textured neck, and across the bodice, a multitude of pleats, drapes, overlays, pintucks and dramatic interruptions of each of these with other pleats, drapes, overlays and pintucks.

During my run last night, I spent the entire hour -and thus missed the first half of "The Biggest Loser," despite its being directly in front of my face- dismissing ideas of what to call this particular trend.

Ultimately, I just went for the obvious -- texture upon texture (upon texture).

Enjoy.

Roping, ruching, and rolling at the neck
Jill Stuart

Cashmere blouson sleeves meet a series of grosgrain and satin overlays on the left,
silk crepe swathed in pleated mesh, cinched by canvas and leather on the right
Mint by Jodi Arnold

Lurex shoulders and dramatic jersey draping drawn in by a bow-shaped cummerbund
Julie Haus
Mesh-winged matte silk pleats buoyed by darted taffeta and bifurcated by velvet.
I want. I reeeeally want.
Bensoni

A veritable buffet of texturing, from tight blocks of ruching at the neck and hem, to a sprawling effect across the shoulders, to thin, longitudinal pleats on the bodice, to simple draping down the skirt
Iódice

This dress was on the short list for favorite item of the entire show, an honor earned more for its back than its front -- simply stunning.

Black mesh collides with ivory quilting collides with neon leather -- an '80s explosion!
Single Dress

The Coterie: a structured affair

So this...Got me into here:

No wait, here:

And once inside, I realized my Chocolate Factory comparison from last week may have been written with my tongue pressed a little too firmly in my cheek.

This place was, in all seriousness, a veritable wonderland for anyone who loves to talk, look, buy and breathe fashion.

I expected all along to gravitate toward ASJiNE standbys like Robert Rodriguez, Mint and Karen Zambos Vintage Couture, but as the hours ticked by and my red satin flats logged another lap, I found myself no longer looking for a familiar name on a placard but rather drawn toward uniquely-cut pieces, the majority of which, it turned out, came from a crop of brilliant, unfamiliar lines like Stella & Jamie, Erik Hart and Form.

Considering the volume of information and inspiration with which all this Coterie-ing hath filled my head, I decided it'd be better for you in terms of keeping your 'scroll finger' from developing a callus and for me in terms of not losing my mind trying to weave everything into a single cohesive post, that I break down my 180+ photos, my eight identified trends and my five newly-in-love-with designer discoveries into more manageable, one-per-day portions.

Today's focus is on a hugely popular trend I hope is here and here to stay: structure.

Enjoy.

Oh, and please, try to remember that a decent camera does not a decent photographer make.

From the stiff sleeves to the hard-pleated neckline to the giveless fabric - I found in this dress a piece of pure, structured perfection.

Ardistia*

The pretty party frock's perfect date -- a structured silk topper.
Biba

So strictly structured I half expected to find hinges -not a zipper- on its side.
Chace

No double-sided tape required on this securely stayin'-in-place kimono-sleeve dress.
Candela NYC

Even the handbags have lost their slouch
Jack Rabbit

What I imagine the Dita von Teese of the Victorian Age might have worn on her way home from work...
Mackage

Hervé Léger + Salvador Dali = strikingly structured strapless.
Iódice

The wearable-for-work version of Miu Miu's Spring '08 structured runway skirt
Chloe & Reese

And because I'm an unabashed fan of reality TV and all the people it has launched into semi-stardom, looksies at whosies I bumped into while making my way over to the Anlo booth:
So entranced by the extent of Jeffery's unique tattage -not to mention the charming contradiction of his preppy ensemble- I found it quite difficult to keep my hand steady and my celebriwhoreitis under control.

Thankfully for her and me, only LC's (ahem, underwhelming) eponymous collection was present at yesterday's show...

*unfortunately, the Ardistia representatives wouldn't allow me to take any photographs of what was hands-down my favorite collection of the entire show. So that you could still enjoy the view of one of their Mouret-inspired designs, I included an image from their website.

Don't care how, I WANT IT NOW!

A week from yesterday, today and tomorrow, I will be in New York City wearing the equivalent of a Wonka Golden Ticket around my neck.

This accessory, which is actually a press badge not an easy-button necklace with one-click transport into Georgina Chapman's life, will not only grant me three-day admission to a fashion trade show the size of Micronesia but will also give me the opportunity to bring back to you, my readers, months in advance, a peek into the "new Autumn arrivals" displays at boutiques such as Bop, Revolve, Barney's Co-op, Muleh, Pink Mascara, La Garçonne, among others.

The event is called The Coterie, it's held at the Show Piers on the Hudson, and its list of participating vendors reads like the ultimate wishlist of ASJiNE-adored fashion lines:

Robert Rodriguez, Milly, Tracy Reese, Anlo, Diane von Furstenberg, Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent, Rich & Skinny, Dolce Vita, Twig, Karen Zambos Vintage Couture, Mara Hoffman, Goldenbleu, Madison Marcus, Elijah, Paul & Joe, Foley & Corinna, Alice + Olivia, Cacharel, Rebecca Minkoff, Castle Starr, Shelly Steffee -- the list literally goes on forever.

For those of you who, like myself, hadn't heard of this biannual event until very recently, its primary purpose is to serve as an in-person lookbook for personal stylists like Rachel Zoe and buyers attached to independent boutiques like Urban Chic and department stores like Neiman Marcus. Closed to the general public, The Coterie, unlike Fashion Week, is a cut to the chase, all-business atmosphere; sure, those in attendance will likely be dressed Sartorialist-cool -working on your feet 10 hours a day for 3 straight days is no excuse, after all- but I've been told on good authority to make like a fly on the wall the first two days and to just "observe," take in the well-oiled machine that is the designer-to-buyer transaction. Tuesday, the reported quiet after the stressful storm, is when I'll actually attempt to dialogue with the designers and/or their representatives to better understand the directions and influences behind their Fall/Winter collections.

And to fawn. To involuntarily and shamelessly fawn.

Why I'm taking two days leave from work, cashing in R's generous Amtrak Christmas giftcard and sleeping consecutive nights away from my life partner to attend The Coterie is threefold:

First, I want to identify with first-hand authority what the next season's trends will be from the smaller fashion lines.

Second, since I'm planning to conduct a series of post-Coterie interviews with DC-based boutiques' buyers to discuss the processes through which they "edit" their selections, I thought it important I, too, have firsthand familiarity with the collections.

And third, I just really want my Veruca Salt in the Golden Goose nursery moment.

As mature and collected as I know I'll need to be around these fashion insiders, you better believe my inner-dialogue as I walk past the new Robert Rodriguez dresses, Anlo straight-leg jeans and prim, slim, Karen Zambos blouses will look a whole lot like this: