New York Fashion Week Spring '09: Jenni Kayne
NEW YORK—Jenni Kayne examined the theme of power dressing for Spring. It was a nod to the late 1970s and early ’80s when the power suit reigned supreme. Kayne explored ways to update the look into a softer, cleaner version for the woman of today. The collection was presented on mannequins in a semi-circle formation at a raw studio space in Manhattan’s West Village. The presentation format worked well for a very pregnant Kayne who couldn’t fly to New York for the Sept. 5 event.The collection reflected the dichotomy of masculine and feminine merging structured shapes with feminine silhouettes and fabrications. The look was elegant and chic—the Park Avenue classic Americana sportswear look, which is becoming Kayne’s signature. Silhouettes were clean in a subtle palette of gray, black, blue and yellow. And there was plenty of easy-to-wear options—chambray smocked dresses, paper bag-waist pants and blazer and short ensembles.The key to modernizing the look was the mix of fabrics. Kayne merchandised the collection with vintage-inspired watercolor floral prints, jackets made with Shibori-print techniques and cocktail dresses encrusted in sequins. —N. Jayne Seward
