A few seasons ago, Donna Karan was expressing her conviction that young men were craving a collar and tie. It s young men her DKNY collection is aimed at, and this season it s ties she s given them. The collection s theme was "New York Art Design," which was most obvious in the graphic blocking of the silk ties, especially when an orange hue (called "Popsicle") was set against black or gray for a vaguely constructivist effect. Given the concept, it seemed reasonably safe to assume the DKNY man has gone through his college phase, his hint-o -grunge phase, and his vintage phase. He s now graduated to a "proper" job with a gallery or an architect, and he s dressing more smartly. Tailoring dominated the collection, in urban shades of gray: stone, cement, and newsprint. Cottons and poplins had a tech stretch factor, a tip of the cap to the casual/formal hybrid that is now ingrained in American menswear s vocabulary. Alongside the vibrant multi-options of the women s range, the men s clothes looked a little like an afterthought this season. Perhaps that s Karan s way of slyly suggesting that it s a woman s world—and men just live in it. Or maybe it s simply a case of men s DKNY in transition.
