fashion preview for fall 2015

It is already time for designers to debut their Pre-Fall 2015 collections, no matter how far Chicago is from the “Pre-Fall” frame of mind. These shows always get us excited for what is ahead, and this season had some clear standouts.

We absolutely loved the Cushnie et Ochs collection, inspired by the hypothetical concept of Leeloo from The Fifth Element attending boarding school. The palette was simultaneously rich and utilitarian– think gray, violet, crimson and white. Cushnie et Ochs excelled by showcasing a lot of familiar shapes used in new ways. We loved the suiting details on their dresses, and especially on a particular red camisole. The introduction of knitwear was a departure from previous collections of the Parsons-educated Cushnie and Ochs, and we were delighted!

Cushnie et Ochs reimagined some classic shapes in on-trend jewel tones

Another highly-anticipated presentation was Christopher Kane, who first got our attention with his gorgeous galaxy-print dresses several years ago. His collection was a bit sportif, featuring some very luxe striped seatbelts (or what looked like a seatbelt) on purse straps and shoes. We are obsessed with a dreamy leather jacket with floral embroidery along the lapels– it is the perfect intersection of country and rock & roll. We also loved a candy-pink, deconstructed strapless dress that looked like a chic bedsheet.

Christopher Kane’s collection mixed sweet and tough

Our favorite by far was Sonia Rykiel’s presentation– it recalled the 1970’s in an effortless, Parisian way and featured some stunning outerwear. Rykiel played with proportion by pairing high-waisted flared jeans with sweeping, belted jackets. The combination seems to violate every style rule we know, but it looked so striking that we may just toss our skinny jeans this year. The palette was rich and retro– camel, leopard print, maroon and burnt orange. Rykiel’s presentation reminded us that winter is nothing but a challenge to layer in a stylish way, and we’re going to exploit this lesson to the fullest!

Sonia Rykiel’s collection makes a great case for bundling up