Looks Fashion News

If you were to compare Frederick Anderson’s fall collection to his previous spring one, you would be met with quite the shock: His former Barbie-pink-everything assortment took a dramatic turn this season, with the designer focusing on a mostly black color palette instead. Anderson admitted he was feeling a bit down for fall. “We’re in a tough time,” he said, pointing to the current political mood. “And when I’m in a tough time, I often pull into myself and try to find something deeper.”

His clothes weren’t meant to be a downer, however—in fact, quite the opposite. By forgoing sugary hues, Anderson wanted to focus on strong silhouettes and textures that imbued his women with a sense of power and strength. His muses for the season were soulful or blues singers such as Amy Winehouse and Nina Simone, two women who were known to always command a room with their aura. (Singer Amber Iman opened the show, singing Simone’s “Feeling Good.”)

The designer said he greatly admired the ways these two style icons would wear classic little black dresses, and that exploring his versions of the LBD today felt right for the moment. “It’s a great piece—when you’re in a moment of angst, you don’t want to wear anything too complicated,” he said. That came through in a multitude of ways. Tweed-like shift dresses had lace cutouts on each side of the waist; long-sleeved minis were covered in horizontal panels of swishy fringe.

In some instances, Anderson took the black dress to an extreme—like a totally-sheer halter version, complete with a spiked skirt protruding out like porcupine quills. The problem with such naked dressing, though, is that not every woman would view such a garment as empowering. The totally-nude look is freeing to some—but it can be seen as degrading by others. The dedication to such a trendy look felt heavy-handed, and at times a dash inelegant, and overshadowed his finer offerings.

But Anderson’s more subdued explorations made up for it; some of the simpler pieces were his best. Not everything was black, either: His tan jumpsuit, with a scooped low neckline, hit the right notes of sexy yet classy, and was fitted to perfection. A shiny blue kimono-like dress had puffed sleeves, and made just the right amount of a statement. His strongest, though, was the long, metallic-silver sleeveless dress, complete with stamping of a floral print all over it—like a prettier version of armor. If Anderson’s goal was to give his customer something they could feel protected in, that chic piece would be it.