Max Mara Atelier: Fall/Winter 2012 collection

Dress coat with travel pillow collar in goose down, kimono sleeves with maxi cuffs



Linear egg-shaped frequent flyer coat in pure double face cashmere, with matching small bon ton mink collar

MaxMara Atelier is a special project focusing on the coat. The above coats are my least and most favorite from the Fall/Winter 2012 collection.  In that order.

Sample Sale, Dec 8&9: Jane Post Coats & Rainwear

I love coats, and this looked good, but I will admit I don't own this brand...

Ba Ba Black Sheep, Have You Any Wool?

No, sir, no sir, doesn't seem as if designers do - based on what's displayed at Coterie at the Javits Center for Fall 2011. Ponte, jersey, poly, the fancy soul-sister - lurex - are the dominant fibers.  Today's Fiber Sheet in WWD cites the costs of wool have risen by 40%, while some say raw increases for wool were in the 80% range.

What's a wool loving fashionista to do? Take your re-weaver to lunch - they will be in big demand for Fall 2011. Start shopping vintage. Start storing woolies in lots of mothballs or cedar planks in a sealed container. No wonder they were showing so many textured tights at the runways at Lincoln Center. And stock up on arm warmers at Tibi. And all manners of fur. Fall 2011 will be a cold all-seasons material winter. BRRRR.

A true sweater aficionado will explore Autumn Cashmere for the widest variety of texture, colors and trims and Lauren Moffatt for an interesting felted wool sweater and comeback designer Christian Francis Roth's contemporary line, Roth, for well designed wool coats and dresses in pop-art colors.

/nancy brenner

NOTE FROM GSNYC: For those of you who don't know, the image is Black Sheep's "A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" album cover, one of the best hip hop albums of that year (1992), and one that I have a great affinity for.