New York Fashion Week :: Day 4

Tocca's been delivering beautiful romantic clothing since 1994. By combining exquisite details, fine fabrics, and a unique view, their line quietly stands out from the rest of the pack.

Details from Tocca’s Fall Collection

Whether it's an embroidered coat or separates with light feminine touches like a ribbon closure or a classically cut sheath that accentuates one's curves; Tocca's designs are always a feast for the eye. Perhaps it's because they utilize Italian fabrics; the colors, textures and prints are distinctive and synonymous with luxury.

The fall line was inspired by the rich color and embroideries that symbolized the Ottoman Empire at the end of the 19th century. Another inspiration was the Victorian age's use of ruffles, lace, and passementerie trims.

Tocca’s Take on Fall Romance

Tocca created dresses and separates from a lightweight wool that mimics seersucker. It's actually wool with a viscose thread running through it; An Ikat print inspired dress with a puckered waist appeared to be heavy wool, but at first touch one was amazed by the soft jersey fabric.

Capes are back and Tocca shows full length and capelets. They're done in prints and solids with a long ribbon tie. Cape and coat linings are done in tribal prints, instead of a boring solid. Most dresses have an empire waist, which brings the eye up to the neck and is generally flattering to most figures.

The Tocca Bambini fall collection is a delightful armful of dresses done in corduroy and cotton. Ikat designed prints, paisley prints, embroideries and laces done in lighter shades are found throughout the collection. Each tiny item is whimsical and fun.

Tocca's fall collection was held in their showroom with many items on mannequins. Since one could do a 360 around a dress or peruse the racks, it was easy to feel the high quality fabric, or examine the tonal or contrasting embroidery, marvel at the lace used as an overlay or accent on dresses or separates. Each item in the collection has myriad tiny details; for example a ruffled vee neck dress had a minutely pin-tucked cuff; more noticeable to the wearer than the viewer, but it's these painstaking bits of craftsmanship that make the line glow.

Varvatos Stirs Things Up

Contrasting the Old World elegance of Tocca was the modernity of the John Varvatos Fall men's collection show. Held in the brand spanking new and gleaming 7 World Trade Center building, the show and reception was on the 45th floor. Varavatos and company took over that entire space, threw black curtains up, dimmed the lights and created an intimate one-night-only boite. Guests were treated to amazing views of the city from the floor to ceiling windows as they sipped drinks during the cocktail reception.

And then the show- Varvatos showed 39 salivatingly hot looks, each more enticing and delicious as the last one that preceded it. Varavatos' clothes on the hanger exude confidence, on a man they expound and broadcast his appeal. Is it the placement of a pocket? The choice of color? The way the cloth is cut? The detail on a cuff? It's that and more; Varvatos is a master tailor, his craftsmanship, eye for detail, knowledge of the human body is imbued in every line, hem and button in his designs.

The major look for fall was layering. Not the layering where the wearer resembles the Michelin Man; it's the style of layering that's hard to achieve by anyone until now. Layering for warmth and looking sexy at the same time. Varvatos achieves this seeming impossibility with verve and panache.

Varatos Mixes and Matches

Models either strode forward wearing a pork pie hat or woolen baseball caps. Scarves wore worn by almost all the models, and there were two versions. One was a skinny short scarf and the other was just the opposite.

Sweaters are made from alpaca, wool and cashmere; they're chunky but lightweight. All the sweaters were patterned; cashmere had a reverse ghostly pattern on the inside, and the heavier sweaters seemed stripy from the seats.

As in past seasons, Varvatos is using the Mod silhouette, slimmer lapels and a fitted body on blazers. However the combinations of pinstripes with active wear jackets, vests with leather lapels, low waist pants are very American. Very rock n' roll.

The palette is full of depth; mauve, chocolate, loden, olive and black are used in plaids, patterns and solids, creating a singularly strong cohesive look.

As Blake once said, "The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom," so does the road of excellent tailoring, a clever eye and pure high-spiritedness leads to Varvatos.