NYFW – Emerson A/W 2013 collection

The Emerson by Jackie Fraser-Swan show got off to a late start, even by fashion week standards, due to snowstorm “Nemo” making flight from Boston – the collection’s home base – impossible. 

While the designer was already in Manhattan, her daughters were not. As the show was put on by People’s Revolution, Kelly Cutrone implored the audience to wait for the girls to arrive from Penn Station so they could sit front row. Once the girls were seated (after entering to much applause), the show commenced without a problem. 

Gone were the breezy, ultra-feminine looks of the Emerson spring collection, and present were sleeker, more uniformed designs wholly appropriate for the A/W season. Purple, yellow and black—with hints of red—ruled the runway. Tartan fabric consisting of combinations of these colours was used in dresses, skirts, blouses, and jackets—basically everything but pants. Plenty of leather, sheer and sequined elements assured that the multiple all-black looks were anything but boring. In fact, many of the monochromatic pieces tended to be most interesting and worthy of high intrigue. 

While there was nothing especially retro about the collection, the models wore 60s-inspired eyeliner and teased ponytails, adding lighter touches to the heavier appearance of the line. A common theme of Jackie Fraser-Swan’s designs is that it isn’t difficult to imagine them in an everyday setting. One might not find an extravagant gown for a gala, but one would definitely find a collection of sportswear easy to incorporate into any wardrobe, and there’s something to be said for that.

Emily Kirn

Photos: Theresa Balderas