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There's something about going to shows in the great outdoors and watching models strut across a backdrop of ski slopes and mountains that makes Aspen Fashion Week brilliant and unique as far as fashion weeks go. Yesterday was the final day of shows and AFW rounded out just as strongly as it started with winter 2011 collections from the iconic skiwear brand Obermeyer, a charming retro-inspired collection by Neve Designs, and a menswear apres ski show straight from the runways of New York by Number:Lab.
Obermeyer's German heritage always seems to come through in the brand's signature use of color—and this winter 2012 collection was no exception. The new season's smart, easy-to-wear high-tech outerwear pieces come in a variety of subdued brights—lipstick reds, chartreuse greens and yellows—with a healthy smattering of black, black-and-white prints, and mottled pastels for days when you're feeling especially snowbunny-like.
Neve Designs's classic winter knit collection was interspersed with totally adorable fine-gauge high-neck zip-up knits that featured retro-inspired ski-theme graphic illustrations. They're pretty much the most adorable non-outerwear womens' ski sweaters we've seen all week.
And Number:Lab was, hands down, the best men's apparel show of the week—featuring a cast of imported models (most of the other shows featured a rotating cast of model-esque locals), the apres-ski looks in rich greys, blacks, and cerulean blues combined with the stellar styling made it feel like New York Fashion Week in Aspen.
We're going to spend the next day sifting through our video footage of Aspen Fashion Week and will be bringing you a round-up over the next couple of days. This concludes our second season here, and we're already excited about next year's events! Of all the local fashion weeks we've seen—doesn't it seem like every city and town is producing their own these days?—Aspen Fashion Week is definitely one of the best. It's focused (outerwear, winter sports), targeted ($3,000 ski jacket? Yes please, we're in Aspen), and brilliantly organized and produced. Plus, it's so sunny here that going to shows outdoors has given us a little bit of a tan, which is a total fashion week bonus in our book.
· Obermeyer [Official Site]
· Klaus Obermeyer convinced a pillow-maker to make down coats [Racked]
· Neve Designs [Official Site]
· Number:Lab [Official Site]
· All Aspen coverage [Racked]
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