Rebecca Minkoff Fall 2014

Instead of working around a complicated concept like she has in recent seasons (Spring channeled strong Latin American women, and her previous outing transported us to outer space), Rebecca Minkoff kept things relatively simple this time around, riffing on a quintessential girl-meets-boy theme. Nixing the elaborate narrative was a smart decision, considering the designer’s contemporary customers aren’t generally coming to her for fiesta wares or astronaut suits. What Minkoff’s fans really want are cool, fashion-forward clothes and accessories to wear on an everyday basis, which is exactly what she delivered for Fall.

“It’s about taking menswear-inspired silhouettes and translating them into feminine colors and silhouettes,” Minkoff said backstage. Classic wool Crombie coats and faux fur toppers were shown with feminine, printed silk dresses underneath. Elsewhere, Minkoff added a bit of flash to the mix with gold lamé button-ups and relaxed trousers, which nicely offset the mannish, Oxford stripe pieces they were paired with. This modern contrast was also evident in the carefully considered color palette. Petal pink was teamed with oxblood, and bright teal complemented navy. Minkoff doubled up on accessories, styling several noteworthy looks with not one but two chain-link purses. She also made an argument for belt bags: “If a backpack can make a comeback, fanny packs can too.”