Today’s torrential rain, out of the ordinary as it is for early February, was appropriate for Michael Kors’s men’s presentation. The designer had performancewear on his mind for Fall. He touted a “membrane-backed wool” that he used for skinny trousers, unstructured suit jackets, and actual outerwear as windproof, cooling, and virtually waterproof, too. It could’ve been a boon to editors and buyers shuttling back and forth across the city for the third day of New York’s men’s collections.
The overall vibe of the week has been fairly utilitarian so far, in contrast to the dandified look of so many European runways. Cast your eye over the shows here and you see a lot of black and even more gray. That held true for Kors, but where streetwear has dominated other collections, Kors gave his athletic silhouettes more of an Alpine spin. We thought we’d seen every riff on the puffer jacket known to woman or man, but the designer’s puffer pants looked like a genuine first to us. Otherwise, his ski pants were snug and body-conscious—the macho man’s answer to ladies’ athleisure leggings.
Ribbed cashmere sweatpants proved a welcome counterpoint to all that stretch wool. Here’s hoping that Kors considers including some in his women’s show two weeks from now.
