What Inspired a few Designers for Fall 2011

DKNY

Donna Karan describes her fall DKNY collection as “street chic.”

MARCHESA

The Charles Dickens novel Great Expectations inspired Marchesa designers (and InStyle contributors!) Keren Craig and Georgina Chapman for fall. “The collection follows Miss Havisham’s eternal plight with dramatic shades of red, blanche, and noir transformed into three dimensional reappliqued lace, python, leather, and goat skin detailed silhouettes. We wanted to create great expectations of classic opulence, both ethereal and romantic,” they tell us. The photo collage, seen here, gets at their girlish gloomy musings.

MAX AZRIA

For Max Azria’s namesake collection, he focused on “timeless tailoring and rich textures.” His sketch, shown, proves his point, teasing us with a sleek blazer layered over a black draped dress.

PETER SOM

“The collection is all about real clothes for women with a touch of the unexpected,” says designer Peter Som, who counts Rachel Bilson, Eva Mendes, and Anne Hathaway as clients. His sketch proves that saturated hues aren’t just a spring thing. “Cerise is the dominant bright color of the collection,” Som tells us. “It’s tempered by matching it with classic menswear-inspired neutrals like navy, flannel gray, and black.”

RACHEL ROY

If Rachel Roy’s sketch (at left) is to be believed, Roy will be featuring a multitude of fabrics and textures for her fall runway show. She also says to expect “vibrant new saturations of color.”

CATHERINE MALANDRINO

Catherine Malandrino, a favorite of Kim Kardashian, Mary J. Blige, and Drew Barrymore, built her brand by bringing a whimsically French take on dressing to the market. For her fall 2011 collection, her inspiration questions her foundation by asking, “What is a Parisian?” Her sketch (shown) gives us a taste of her answer.