by: Steven Toltz, President, Dependable Cleaners
New York Fashion week kicked off the Spring 2019 collections from the top designers in the world. According to fashionistas, spring 2018 was all about millennial pink. 2019 is all about industrial grade rubber, pastels to replace pink, asymmetrical necklines and more rubber.
Calvin Klein used industrial grade rubber in creating a pencil skirt.
Balenciaga’s sun bright yellow rubber ‘crocs’, which add about 4 inches of height, lit up the runway. They are also the creators of a rubber bag, that looks a lot like another well-known designer, in bright orange.
The word of the week for me was ‘runching’. Runching replaces the stiff corsetry of old. Its more comfortable and requires special handling in dry cleaning. It must be finished with great care to preserve the gathering of fabric. Designers showing dresses formerly worn with corsetry include, Tory Burch, Diane Von Furstenberg, Tom Ford, and Dolce and Gabbana.
My favorite Kardashian modeled an asymmetrical neckline gown which was also available from Calvin Klein, Isabel Morant, and Haider Ackerman. The gowns looked gorgeous on the bare shouldered models. Once taken off it’s a bit of a puzzle to hang in your closet, but it looks great on!
Lavender was a popular color used by Victoria Beckham and Michael Kors, who worked together on a soft pastel collection including pant suits and gowns.
We saw puffed shoulders, exposed briefs, a rainbow of colors, lots of pink and reds and hats. Yes, hats are back, especially those made of straw. Everyone has a design, including Gucci, Loewe, Missoni, Armani, and introducing A.W.A.K.E., who showed a straw hat that adds about a foot to head clearance.
Fashion continues to cycle with the return of fanny packs, pastels, white suits, and denim. Don’t forget your ‘X-girl’ sunglasses from the ‘90’s with more experimentation with new colors than ever before.
And remember, fringes, embellishments, rubber, puffed shoulders and especially whites need to be cleaned by dry cleaning professionals who will test new fabrics and dyes before cleaning to be certain they are serviceable.
Image credit: FWO
