After last season s road trip through the Painted Desert, Michael Kors returned to the East Coast for fall inspirations—specifically to Jay Gatsby s West Egg and the Harvard stomping grounds of Love Story s Ali MacGraw. For fans of the designer s trademark mix of tony chic and all-American prep, it was a sure-to-please match.
Gatsby brought long vests and knickers, drop-waist shifts jauntily tied with bows, and a cocktail party s worth of crystals, mostly on flapper dresses, to the relationship. MacGraw s contributions included rugby stripes, handkerchief hems, paisleys, and cable-knit cardigans. Then there were her collegiate accessories: distressed-leather belts, argyle knee socks, and, yes, those iconic knit caps.
This is well-trodden territory, of course. The actress, and her early-seventies era, has long been a house favorite. As effortless as the marriage clearly is, it wouldn t hurt for Kors to let his eyes wander a bit for a new, more modern muse. The first place he should look is his own dazzling socialite- and celebrity-packed front row.
