Rebecca Minkoff read Patti Smith s Just Kids and, like many of us, was so taken by it that she was moved to creative impulse; that impulse became her Fall collection. It was a homage in part to the young Smith s days living broke but blessed with Robert Mapplethorpe, and also an ode to the post-hippie milieu that surrounded them. Here were all the shorthand symbols for bohemia: the shearling, the leather pants, the fringed vest, the boho blouse, the artfully tousled tresses. Even Minkoff s purses came slung from embroidered guitar straps. The effect soon teetered on the costumey. More successful propositions were those with a foot in the 21st century, like a printed bomber or the head-to-toe sweater dressing, but the collection could have done with a few more of those looks. And frankly, sitting up at the heavily corporatized Lincoln Center tents, attending a highly produced fashion show, and being confronted with a sweet little tee that read "Hotel Chelsea" had more than a touch of dark irony to it. Like the big, shiny, freshly minted feather pendants—presumably a nod to the many amulets of Smith and Mapplethorpe, but without the backstory.
Is this splitting hairs? Overidealizing? Perhaps. After all, Minkoff s customer isn t looking for esoterica; she s looking for a cute dress at a good price, and on those terms Minkoff delivers: She s built a growing business that s a testament to it. But where she delivered most here was when she broke free of her chosen theme a bit.
