MANHATTAN — As the trees shed their leaves, the city's more fashion forward residents are adding mix-and-match layers of spots, stripes, checks and animal prints.
Street Chic has noticed a strong decorative trend of using striking combinations that are challenging the traditional fashion list of taboos. These looks are the result of imagination, chance and accumulation.
In the fashion industry and among trend publications, many are explaining the phenomenon as people using their clothing to react to a high-tech world. Many arts and crafts and layered textile collages were seen on the catwalks for Autumn/Winter 2011-12 in the collections of Tory Burch, Chris Benz and Altuzzar.
On the streets, from the Financial District to Chelsea to Union Square, Street Chic saw chunky hand knits, tulle and cotton tutus, graphic totes, vintage patchwork and mixed tweeds combined together in inspired ways.
Accessories play a key role in building the look, for example by including a bold, hand-tooled leather satchel, a burnished pewter studded clutch, open weave or leopard skin tights, or novelty pop art fabrics.