Heady Metal

As simplistic as it may seem, my biggest takeaway from the fall 2014 collections was the notion of separates. Designers didn’t seem to be offering up full, complicated looks so much as wearable pieces. And, for me, the most striking ones came in metallics. I’ve always liked shine, but what feels exciting and unexpected now is to wear it during the day—pairing, say, a brocade Erdem coat with blue jeans. I call it “street couture.” Marco de Vincenzo’s amazing fall collection was full of shimmering textures and patterns, and I was reminded of it upon seeing Diana Thater’s colorful installation at the Punta della Dogana in Venice recently. Indeed, de Vincenzo’s holographic Lurex dresses are works of art in their own right.