Trina Turk Fall/Winter 2013

Click the photo for more looks from Trina Turk.

Trina Turk, a California native, was determined to bring the essence of her home state to her debut presentation at New York Fashion Week. For a fall/winter collection, however, this is not so easy. The theme was “California Modern,” but some reminders of the Golden State became buried under certain styles. Oversized coats, leather gloves and heavy fabrics seemed to better reflect the climate and aesthetic of the East coast. Nonetheless, Turk nailed a middle ground by keeping true to the foundations of her artistic vision: varied patterns, bold colors, and modern cuts.

Over a jazzy playlist, Turk spoke animatedly about her inspirations. “There’s definitely a menswear influence with our strong, brimmed hats and a lot of sportswear mixing, textures and layering. We were also playing with tonal color: many shades of purple and lake varied together and certain color combinations like russet with navy.” In fact, an outfit which paired a button down and cardigan with these colors stuck out as one of the stronger pieces of the collection. She paired these with satin striped slacks while using colors such as plum, saffron, and still more navy and russet.

Other trends of this collection included flare-legged jumpsuits, high-waisted slacks fastened with thin belts, conservative necklines, and the tweed jacket. On every model, velvet brimmed hats in various hues served as the anchor to which all the outfits were affixed. In essence, Trina Turk adapted to fall in New York, but demonstrated her own colorful twist and very wearable styles. “We wanted to do it in this richer way for fashion fall,” Turk said. As for the future of the brand, she remains optimistic and makes this clear with jokes: “more press!” she said. Ultimately, the takeaway from this unforgettable debut is that we can expect much more from this apt and talented designer.

Sarah Radin is a contributing writer. Email her at bstyle@nyunews.com