Los Angeles Times - 08.09.2019

Strong

shoul-

ders:

Giv-

enchy

Strong shoul-

ders at Fendi

Once a season’s worth of fash-
ion weeks is in the rear-view mirror,
Instagrammed, live-tweeted and
trend-spotted, all that remains is
the six months of prognostication,
bet-hedging and second-guessing
between runway and retail. Which
trends had legs? Which high-pro-
file pieces turned out to be catwalk-
only focus-pullers? And, in every
label’s nightmare scenario, what if,
in the half-year between catwalk
and cash register, the world has
spun off its axis in some way that
makes the previous season’s pomp
and pageantry come off as tone-
deaf and out of touch?
Well, September is now upon us,
and the fall and winter 2019 wom-
en’s ready-to-wear waiting time is
over. And the good news is that the
over-arching trend — bright, bold-
shouldered power dressing — got
the collective thumbs-up emoji. In
fact, with the Amazon rainforest
on fire, politics in the gutter and
the economy in flux, the eye-catch-
ing take on armor feels more ap-
propriate than it did during fash-
ion weeks in February and March.

Strong shoulders

If you’re looking for a soft shoul-
der to lean on, move along; there’s
nothing to see here. If you’re look-
ing for a shoulder that says “lean
in” like nobody’s business, you’ve
got options. Givenchy’s collection
was full of jackets with sculpted
shoulders and a military vibe; the
most memorable was a green bel-
ted number with rounded shoul-
ders trimmed with a topstitched

band ($3,530, available this month

at Givenchy boutiques, including

South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa).

Balenciaga is another luxury la-

bel with strong-shouldered silhou-

ettes marching to retail, including

a suspended-shoulder jacket in

Masai red ($3,500, available for pre-

order online with delivery to stores

— including the boutique in Bever-

ly Hills — next month).

Rick Owens’ riff on the rounded,

ridge-crested shoulder is served up

in fabrications including a gray

cashmere flight jacket ($6,272), a

mixed-fabrication shearling

bomber ($5,936) and an aluminum

cowhair bomber with exaggerated

flanges ($7,034), which can be or-

dered online for delivery in early

October, with some versions avail-

able at the L.A. boutique.

The Saint Laurent collection,

obsessively focused on the angular

shoulder silhouette, provides

plenty of on-trend non-outerwear

options, including a sleeveless geo-

metric riff on the little black dress

that features side cutouts ($3,690;

online deliveries ship by Oct. 15 and

stores include the 326 N. Rodeo

Drive boutique).

At Alexander McQueen, cre-

ative director Sarah Burton

showed us shoulders don’t need to

be knife-sharp to be big and bold by

giving a black, peak-lapel tuxedo

jacket voluminous pink silk sleeves

($5,990, available in Alexander Mc-

Queen boutiques, including 457 N.

Rodeo Drive, as well as online).

The more delicate take on the

bold shoulder was a throughline in

the Fendi collection — Karl Lager-

feld’s final one — the entirety of

which is (or will be) available at re-

tail. Among the offerings are a

black micromesh jacket ($1,790) in

which the lightweight fabrication

perfectly balances the padded

shoulders and tall collar.

Bold colors

The good news for lovers of vi-

brant hues is that the rivers of neon

yellow and orange and pops of pur-

ple and pink have landed at retail

too.

Several brands embraced

bright shades for fall, including Ba-

lenciaga, where acid fuchsia, rain-

coat yellow and vibrant turquoise

imprinted themselves on the optic

nerve — the last shade making its

way onto shell-shaped clutches

and kidskin stiletto-heeled booties

($1,190, available at the label’s 338

N. Rodeo Drive boutique). Then

there’s Saint Laurent, where black-

and-white pieces were inter-

spersed with gabardine mini-

dresses and feathered tube dresses

in fluorescent tangerine. Also, the

label’s patent leather belts ($425,

available online for pre-order with

deliveries shipping by Oct. 15and at

the Rodeo Drive boutique) were

served up in neon pink or yellow.

Gucci, which has never shied

from bold patterns or color, sent

plenty of both down the runway,

but one standout was a retro-look-

ing ribbed wool mini-dress with

puff sleeves and plunging neckline

in fire-engine red ($2,600, available

at select Gucci stores and online).

Finally, one of the most memo-

rable pieces all season — Dries Van

Noten’s faux fur wrap the color of

molten lava — is $1,300 at retailers

including Opening Ceremony (451

N. La Cienega Blvd.).

RICK Owens’

ridge-crested

cowhair coat.

Rick Owens

Thomas SamsonAFP

THE SILK

shoulders on

an Alexander

McQueen

jacket were

inspired by

roses.

Alexander

McQueen

The bold shoulder

Strong silhouettes and bright colors are in-store highlights for women’s fall lineup

By Adam Tschorn

SAINTLaurent’s bold belt.

Saint Laurent

Fendi

DRIES VAN NOTEN’S shimmering orange faux-fur wrap.

Balenciaga

BALENCIAGA

goes bold with

turquoise kidskin

stiletto-heeled

booties.

GIVENCHY’Smilitary vibe, Gucci’s puff-sleeved mini-dress and Fendi’s micromesh jacket.

Givenchy Gucci

P8 SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2019 LATIMES.COM/IMAGE

{ FALL FASHION}