Fall trends at FNO

Nadine Kam photos
Claudia Vaughan on the runway during the Neiman Marcus fashion presentation on Fashion's Night Out, Sept. 8.

Three-and-a-half hours seems like a long time, except when it's Fashion's Night Out and it becomes a challenge to visit every store offering an event at the exact same time!

When it comes to watching fashion shows, it doesn't leave much time at all, which is why I only managed to stop by Banana Republic to check out its "Mad Men" collection, Old Navy, and Neiman Marcus, from which I never escaped after visiting Andy South to congratulate him on his inaugural collection, taking in a fashion show, checking in with menswear designers Amos Kotomori and Mimi Fong, and finally, ending up having dinner at Mariposa with some friends.

It's great that Andy is sharing floor space—and price points!—with some of my favorite designers, Alexander Wang, Helmut Lang and 3.1 Phillip Lim, as well as Elizabeth & James, Alice+Olivia, Diane Von Furstenberg, See by Chloe and Marc by Marc Jacobs. It's almost unheard of for a new designer to get on the floor of NM with a first collection, but that's how much the local buyers believe in him. Go Andy!

Otherwise, to get shoppers in the mood for fall, the NM fashion show highlighted some key trends for fall, including ladylike looks from apparel to accessories, a touch of shine, the color bordeaux, furs, colorblocking, and more. A video follows.

Designer Andy South with his newly arrived Fall-Winter 2011 collection at Neiman Marcus.

Just as at NYFW, it's always interesting to check out the footwear in the front row.


Nonflash video link

Honolulu Community College Fashion Technology instructor Joy Nagaue showed up to support both Andy and Amos Kotomori, who showed a few samples of his new , one-year anniversary limited edition vintage rayon collection. The designer will also be sharing his collection noon to 4 p.m. Sept. 17, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 23 in NM's third-floor menswear department.

Joy wore a necklace of colorful zipper pulls.

Among those who showed up to support Andy were, from left, Johnathan Walk, Ryan Nakagawa, Nalani Ravelo, Ryan Camacho, Harold Julian, David Crans and Krista Alvarez.

Crystal Pancipanci photographs her daughter Hailey with Andy.