Spirits were high at designer Elie Tahari’s show on the first day of Fashion Week, in the Israeli-born designer’s showroom kitty corner to Bryant Park.
“We’re expecting excitement,” Mr. Tahari said of the week to come. “We’re expecting the stores to cheer up from this tough year, and,” he paused, “for the press to also start to be more optimistic about the future.”
Well, maybe. Let’s see how this week shapes up, O.K.?
Mr. Tahari’s collection, inspired by the deserts and sunsets of North Africa, was bright, cohesive, and most importantly, cheerful. Neutral colors mixed in with bright oranges and yellows, and hard fabrics like leather appeared in the most unexpected of places, like men’s suit coats.
“We’re mixing a lot of dressy and sporty looks together,” Mr. Tahari said.
The mood in the room was energetic. It was barely the afternoon, yet people guzzled white wine liberally and chatted. It was the first day that really felt like fall and everyone was able to wear whatever they wanted: short sleeves, sweaters, trench coats, a little bit of everything.
Mr. Tahari wore a blazer with jeans and shoes that looked like a very comfortable, very expensive synthesis of dress shoes and sneakers.
Plenty of men in the room had on the same look as Mr. Tahari: suit jackets mixed with denim.
The theme of Mr. Tahari’s women’s collection, meanwhile, was short garments and high stilettos.
“That’s the magic word,” Mr. Tahari said. “Short.”
