i heart Rebecca Taylor: New Zealand Designer!

NZ designer Taylor shows at NY Fashion Week

New Zealand-born designer Rebecca Taylor included a healthy dose of masculinity in her fall 2010 ready-to-wear collection at New York Fashion Week.

Taylor, now based in New York, delivered a collection on Sunday that tempered her girly look with touches of menswear. The clothes, in navy, grey, olive and black, combined tweed with silk, mohair with chiffon, and feathery fringe with wool. Cozy brown cable sweaters, reminiscent of those worn by grandfathers of another era, were reimagined in shorter lengths with braided collar trims and backward V-necks.

The masculine feel was emphasised by oversized tuxedo blouses and skinny wool trousers that were paired with faux-fur jackets in animal prints. An oatmeal sweater, covered with layers of knit ruffles, was shown with a silk blouse that the designer called "granddad." And more than a few models, their bombshell cat eyes emphasized by heavy liner, contrasted the look with black wool bowler hats and structured handbags in faded colours of nubuck.

Front-row admirers Carmen Electra, Kristen Bell, Michelle Trachtenberg, Mena Suvari and Sophia Bush, who applauded enthusiastically as Taylor took her finale bow. Taylor's show was a day after fellow New Zealander Karen Walker, whose collection included jacquard patterns, structured tailoring and sheepskin.

Credit: Otago Daily Times