Rebecca Taylor Fall 2010 Runway Show — A Bit “Annie Hall”

For Fall 2010, it seems like many designers are toying with traditional gender definitions via their apparel, with feminine garments styled in a more masculine, tougher, stronger manner. Perhaps it’s a reflection of the times in which we live — with the economy in disarray and our country embroiled in a nearly decade-old war, women can’t afford not to be practical. Which is not to say we’re going to abandon our love of glamour and develop a strictly utilitarian approach to fashion, or that designers plan to take us down the depression rabbit hole with somber collections. If fashion is equal parts art and commerce, then it would be a rookie mistake to abandon the fantasy-indulging elements of the genre. Instead, it seems like designers just feel compelled to shift the fantasy paradigm to a more accessible place, toning down the level of opulence and  opting for wearable, functional garments with a more subtle interpretation of femininity. Rebecca Taylor‘s Fall 2010 collection captures the trend perfectly, with its intermixture of masculine pieces like weathered-looking, olive-green trench coats and girlish separates like an ivory duster sweater coat with ruffles circling  the shoulders.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the collection was the way in which the pieces were styled, which conjured up images of the look Diane Keaton popularized in the 1977 classic Annie Hall. The droopy Derby hats worn by many of the models? So Annie Hall! Except, of course, Taylor added a modern twist by using the hats to top off her slightly edgier pieces, like a cream-colored knit sweater vest with tiered ruffles layered over a ribbed, long-sleeved sweater, or like a leopard print, faux fur coat worn with cuffed black shorts featuring a velvet ribbon waist tie. Other pieces, like a cropped wools sweater in a military-esque olive green hue, were reminiscent of the androgyny of Meg Ryan‘s Sally Albright character in the classic romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally. My favorite piece by far: a dusty blue dress with a wispy, feathered miniskirt featuring crystal accents.

Though short on drama and spectacle, the Rebecca Taylor Fall 2010 did feature a bevy of wearable pieces that most women would scurry to purchase and which any store owner would’ve been eager to carry.