10 X 10 : PEDRO LOURENCO

For most people 19 is an age of self discovery and the freshman 15; Pedro Lourenço is just a little different, he was already designing by the time he was a tween and his F/W Paris debut was astonishingly self assured. The fledgling Brazilian designer presented a highly covetable (and heavily hyped) set of little leather dresses, military influenced jackets and latex boots, not the most user friendly lineup but there was something fascinating about the collection all the same. Lorenco’s woman is strong, sexy and just a little bit dangerous; his style reminded me ever so slightly of the early work of another young upstart, Balenciaga’s Nicolas Ghesquière.

SYKES CLASS

Take a pinch of the season’s current affection for minimalism and add in a dash of urbane sportiness, what do you have? The recipe for a sweet under the radar label specializing in sleek basics. Joanna Sykes’ fall collection ( Sykes F/W 2010 )  struck all the right chords for me; with a quiet authority she managed to distill the current trends without forgetting the fact that clothes are meant to be worn. Her draped silken dresses may seem flimsy with their sheer backs and gathered hems but the delicate construction hides a certain toughness, that tangerine colored shift is built to last. The construction of the pieces themselves is underscored by the quality of fabric, check out the richness of the leather on the jackets and miniskirts. Divine!

10 X 10 : REED KRAKOFF

If someone had told me six months ago that the head designer at Coach would produce one of my favorite collections of NYFW, I wouldn’t have believed them, but lo and behold Reed Krakoff’s F/W showing was a winner. ( Reed Krakoff F/W 2010 Video ) His laid back take on luxurious sportswear is instantly appealing and almost every look was exactly what a girl wants for fall and naturally a few looks stood out just a little more than others.

FLASHING LIGHTS

Nicholas Kirkwood is a genius, that much is given: the shoes he creates have the kind of cult following L. Ron Hubbard would be jealous of. When he collaborates with Rodarte ( Kirkwood for Rodarte F/W 2010 ) the end result is always spectacular, inventive and impossible to find in stores. This season’s glowing heels are the stuff shoe dreams are made of – lets hope that they actually make their way into production, bright lights and all.

HALF BAKED

When I heard from The Imagist, that Miuccia Prada would be displaying her wares on girls with sexier figures, I felt hopeful yet slightly wary. Lets be frank for a minute, most designers don’t know how to design for anyone who isn’t built like Sasha Pivovarova  and the whole “sexy” model goes editorial (read: unsexy and vaguely frumpy) thing was played out last season. The thought of seeing another poor girl lose her figure in yards of muddy colored patterns was really not what I was looking for.

So naturally, I tuned in for the erratic & jerky Prada.com live feed like everyone else…