Deliveries

It's almost time to stop editorializing fall which we can hardly believe because it feels like the season has just begun--before it creeps up on us we must give a nod to Aminaka Wilmont. We met the designers last week at the Centre For Fashion Enterprise pop-up showroom and got to gush over their Spring offerings. That said, the experience would never have been so great had we not first learned about the brand through their Fall 08. Aminaka Wilmont, at first glance, looks like the kind of apocalyptic or gothic clothing that should be grouped with brands like Rick Owens and Rad Hourani--upon further inspection, though, you'll see a more glamorous and classic tone of voice and it is this combination that makes us really appreciate their aesthetic. To see the Fall 2008 Aminaka Wilmont collection, click here.

All this sample sale talk frankly has us overwhelmed and so we've decided to take a moment to appreciate a man who makes it all look like black and white. Narciso Rodriguez Spring 2009 might be a bit more lively in the color department but for Fall, only a shot of orange and a glimpse of blue, made its way into the collection. What was left were a slew of chic basics for women who like to keep it simple. It's medicinal really, for times when there are just too many long lines and discounted options. To see the entire Narciso Rodriguez Fall 2008 collection, click here.

Stella McCartney's clothing is often just as likable on the runway as it is when it appears in stores--this is probably because she always strikes a nice balance between a unified concept (runway) and attention to individual garments (stores). We're loving the lace and navy velvet looks from her Fall 08 collection and the shearling jackets that are were so voluminous they looked like fur. Maybe that's McCartney's way of showing the industry that vegans are no less luxe. To see the Stella McCartney Fall 08 collection, click here.

Oscar de la Renta is a designer who doesn't create collections that pivot too much on concept--he is known, in other words, for his individual garments rather than his specific collections. It should come at no surprise, then, that his Resort business is strong...so strong, in fact, that we can only keep the Fall and Resort deliveries straight with the seasonal notion of color and fabric as our guide. Whether it's a distressed shearling leather jacket or a pair of luxe high waist pants, we think the Oscar de la Renta customer will be so consumed by the purchase itself they may very well forget all about the business of seasons. To see the Oscar de la Renta Fall 08 collection, click here, and for the Resort 09 collection, click here.

One of our favorite rituals here on Coutorture is to pit the runway photos against the e-commerce deliveries and examine how the collection changes in our mind once the clothes hit the shelves. Rag & Bone, a brand that doesn't wow on the runway so much as it does on the retail floor or, in fact, on your body, is a perfect brand for our Deliveries feature. If you're in search of a heavy overcoat or military inspired blazer--look no more. If you like to keep it simple under such things, again, you're in the right place. We wouldn't call it basic so much as smart, tailored, and long-lasting and, interestingly, those adjectives don't translate on the runway as well as they do in your shopping bag. In any case, to see the Fall 08 Rag & Bone runway collection, click here. Just don't forget to check it out online, or in the stores, for a second opinion.