Spring 2014 Collections: Heavy Handed

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Fur. Suede. Double-faced wool. They're generally suited to winter months-unless, that is, you've seen the most recent spring collections. Designers turned to richer, heavier fabrics and darker, deeper hues-a direction possibly influenced by Miuccia Prada. For spring 2013, she made a strong statement with floral fur coats. For this spring, other houses noticeably upped their fur quotient, and several, like Proenza Schouler and Junya Watanabe, also played with suedes.'The clothes deliver in January, which says it all,' said Proenza Schouler's Lazaro Hernandez. 'Everyone we know, including ourselves, wants to buy something and wear it that night. We are not like our parents where we buy something and hold on to it for six months, and then wear it. So, collections nowadays are a bit more seasonless. We have seen fur for spring, though no swimsuits for fall-yet.'RELATED CONTENT: Proenza Schouler RTW Spring 2014 >>During a preview of his spring collection, Marc Jacobs explained the darker turn. 'We all felt like, we're not going to do all white-we don't wear white. We wear navy, we wear gray, we wear black. So we thought we would skip all of that light, summer fare in favor of a darker Gotham.'Stores see business reasons for the turn. 'With earlier deliveries, some of the items we saw on the runways will come into stores in February, when it is still quite cold in many parts of the world,' said Saks Fifth Avenue senior fashion director Colleen Sherin.Barneys New York senior fashion director Tomoko Ogura agreed: 'The market and climate in which our stores exist is diverse, so having an eclectic offering in fabric and color is a positive thing.'