An observation: There s a certain group of contemporary designers who pander to fashion bloggers. They put out loud, notice-me pieces that would look cool Instagrammed, tweeted, or Tumblr d, but maybe not so great in the office, or even for a night out to the movies. (You know, the places where women actually wear contemporary clothes.)
Michelle Smith, who launched Milly in 2001, is one of those blogger-beloved designers. But for the time being, she is balancing the flash with the practical. For Fall, Smith was inspired by New York City, and it showed. A "city lights" digital print was made from a photograph of the West Village at night, looking cute on a flirty dress and skirt. The oversize menswear coat—available in New York-appropriate black and gray—was a favorite with the models. It s easy to imagine any of them wearing it while bouncing around the Lower East Side.
Smith is into relaxed silhouettes, and a sweatshirt/pencil skirt combo popped up again and again. "It s the new suit," she said backstage. In hologram leather—a blogger favorite—it was cool. (Although it s hard to imagine anyone actually wearing the top and bottom together. Maybe a black top with a shiny bottom instead.) In a silver metallic stud-embossed leather, it was staid.
All in all, the collection was modern, if not totally fresh. An exception was the elbow-sleeve black dress with stripes of iridescent Lurex fringe: It would look fantastic on bloggers and real girls alike.
