What you see is just a bit off the mark
Lepore's fall look is different from the runway.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Fashion designer Nanette Lepore is willing to let the rest of the world in on one of the fashion industry's worst kept secrets: Runway clothes and the clothes that show up at retail can be vastly different.
The runway needs a cohesive "story" and its fair share of drama, Lepore explains. In reality, though, women don't want an entire wardrobe of a single color or theme. Women also don't want to buy things they already have in their closets.
"A change of shape has to happen every few years. Everyone has enough cardigans, so now they want long-sleeve blouses -- which you couldn't give away a few years ago," she says.
Lepore even admits that the garment she's most interested in -- a navy tunic with a black applique -- never even made it to the catwalk. Instead, her show was dominated by red. And a sweaterdress that underwhelmed critics is blowing out with buyers.
"You don't ever know what's going to be 'the thing' -- it can make you insecure," she says.
Lepore's fall collection features several soft jackets, including an outstanding tweed one with blouson sleeves. It falls into the broader definition of what you can wear to work, she says.
Signature
But Lepore's signature is her feminine dresses and the new ones have intricate beadwork, billowing sleeves and flirty ruffles on traditional prints such as plaid.
"She does great jackets and great dresses, and, for this season, this fall, she's done some really great dresses. Some have a little bit of a rock 'n' roll feel to them," describes Saks Fifth Avenue fashion market director Colleen Sherin.
Lepore's look is romantic, almost vintagelike, but Sherin says the designer is adapting to the more tailored styles that will be popular as shoppers move away from bohemian looks. "There's always a customer who wants something more feminine or with color, or a slightly sexy fit. That said, she has adjusted to fashion's trends. She's toning it down a bit but she hasn't lost the look that she developed so many loyal clients with."