Cool Hunting

For the last seven days of Fashion Week, NYC has been locked in a deep-freeze. And, it seems some designers have caught a case of frostbite. Caution and care seemed to trump passion and progress, but Refinery29 was still able to find a few inspiring independent embers to keep you warm until spring.

Yigal Azrouel
Layered jackets and pullovers reflected urban style without distortion, and Azrouel's balanced palette of charcoals, blues, and black managed to brush grunge without picking up any grime. (Pictured below left.)

Karen Walker
Her country lady seems to have come to the city where her tight, scallop-shouldered jackets and roomy field coats could survive any office, femininity intact. (Pictured above right.)

Jeremy Laing
In a season of few flourishes, Jeremy Laing made a splash by simply perfecting the form of his relaxed basics. Wearable to the last look, these flexible classics are the perfect way to bide time until Laing's eventual CFDA grant. Bets, anyone?

Alexander Wang
Streamlined with just a dab of hip-hop, there's no slowing down these looks from Wang, who keeps getting better. Combinations of black leather, pale denim, and dark vests, unseen since the Palladium closed, return in a new sleek, almost exotic mode.

VPL
Talk about a revolution. As patent-leather boots marched down the runway, it became clear that even though Bartlett has transitioned from styling to design, she is still very much in charge of how her women wear their togs.

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