#SuzyNYFW：Narciso Rodriguez和3.1 Phillip Lim

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Ever since Calvin Klein was labelled "Calvin Clean", the concept of minimalism with streamlined and apparently simple clothes has been at the core of American style.

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But with Raf Simons taking over at Calvin Klein and more than a week of crammed shows, mostly by people unknown outside America, simplicity is rare on the catwalk in 2017.

Yet the appearance of effortlessness remains an important part of dressing today - perhaps never more so than when a cacophony of colours, shapes and ideas shouts from the surrounding shows.

Narciso Rodriguez: Drape and shape

Narciso Rodriguez has been in fashion for 20 years and in some ways he has changed very little - always clean and clear, but in a hot blooded way. But every time you imagine that the designer sends out the same artful but not-so-simple clothes, he comes up with a surprise.  This time, novelty was played out in colour.

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An oxblood leather top teamed with cropped burnt orange trousers was an example of a warming up, which applied also to a dress with sheer black chiffon over slithering white satin. The skill was in the cut and drape, which is why the designer has built up such a roster of faithful clients.

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This season's show was a masterclass in producing a collection that had its own strength but would also slip easily into a woman's existing wardrobe. A coat was worn open over cropped trousers that rose up the midriff to balance the cut. Or an almost identical coat, edge-to-edge, not buttoned, was paired with grey pants.

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There is something disciplined about the Rodriguez look, as though just when he was about to let rip with colour or shape, he held back. But that is how you stay in business in these uncertain times - and why his grateful followers always come back for more.

3.1 Phillip Lim - Colour burst

The ode to colour started before the 3.1 Phillip Lim show was on the runway as the catwalk was made in soft stripes of pink and red - the entire set - with its red walls - looking like an art show room.

3.1 Phillip Lim

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But there were no arty effects, only colour, used thoughtfully in shades of lilac and pink or even royal blue, set against the more neutral shades of brown and, of course, black. Like many designers in New York, Phillip Lim seems to take simple sportswear and set about making the pieces his own via fabric choices or a tweak to the style.