Almost a year in the making, Reed Krakoff s signature line had its launch at a gallery space in Chelsea today. All the big retailers came out to see if the creative head of Coach could work the same magic on his own ready-to-wear. For those unfamiliar with the designer s success story, a quick recap: When he arrived at the American leather-goods label in the mid-nineties, it was a sleepy $500 million company; now it s a $3 billion mega-brand. As for those retailers reactions? Mostly pleased: Krakoff s collection of utilitarian sportswear in luxurious fabrics made for a promising debut.
You could see references to Bonnie Cashin, who designed clothes for Coach in the sixties, in the leather-edged outerwear; to Joseph Beuys in the felt coats; and to Krakoff s passion for industrial design in the gunmetal hardware and the different shades of gray he used. Creating a design vocabulary from absolute zero, though, is not without its challenges, and with its military-meets-minimal look, something in the mood of the show echoed Phoebe Philo s influential Spring collection for Celine. That quibble aside, there was lots to like. On the way out, everyone was whispering approvingly of the long midnight blue coat that topped a gray cardigan and extra-wide ivory moleskin pants. But Krakoff s chunky knits also deserve shout-outs, and so do a pair of shearling jackets. Those had a swagger the designer can build on next time.
