Nanette Lepore Brings the DIY Craze to the Runway

These days, the DIY trend has made arts-and-crafters out of anyone with an active Pinterest account. But it's definitely reached a fever pitch when elite fashion designers are starting to get into the do-it-yourself game. Nanette Lepore, for one, has centered her entire collection on the craftsmanship theme and sent down the runway 30 looks that all were handmade locally, right here in New York – despite the fact that her inspiration came from weavings around the globe.

Along with her creative team, she blended her own colors to make rich boysenberries, handstitched sequins and beads onto dresses and cardigans and demi bags, and when she couldn't find a flannel in the exact shade of gray she wanted for her lineup of shoes, she had her print designer sand the original fabric until it was the perfect match. The result was a streamlined offering of dresses and separates that had an urban-yet-homespun feel, including handloom printed skirts, alpaca turtlenecks, and a black patchwork hooded coat. Sure, even the most impressive of DIYers won't be able to re-create the runway magic, but it's nice to know that Lepore is personally working hard to make "Made in NY" mean something.

Nanette Lepore Fall 2014
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Nanette Lepore Fall 2014

Nanette Lepore Fall 2014
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Nanette Lepore Fall 2014

Nanette Lepore Fall 2014
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Nanette Lepore Fall 2014

Nanette Lepore Fall 2014
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Nanette Lepore Fall 2014

Nanette Lepore Fall 2014
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Nanette Lepore Fall 2014

Nanette Lepore Fall 2014
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Nanette Lepore Fall 2014

Nanette Lepore Fall 2014
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Nanette Lepore Fall 2014

Nanette Lepore Fall 2014
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Nanette Lepore Fall 2014

Nanette Lepore Fall 2014
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Nanette Lepore Fall 2014

Nanette Lepore Fall 2014
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Nanette Lepore Fall 2014

Nanette Lepore Fall 2014
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Nanette Lepore Fall 2014

Nanette Lepore Fall 2014
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Nanette Lepore Fall 2014

Nanette Lepore Fall 2014
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Nanette Lepore Fall 2014

Nanette Lepore Fall 2014
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Nanette Lepore Fall 2014

Nanette Lepore Fall 2014
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Nanette Lepore Fall 2014

Nanette Lepore Fall 2014
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Nanette Lepore Fall 2014

Nanette Lepore Fall 2014
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Nanette Lepore Fall 2014

Nanette Lepore Fall 2014
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Nanette Lepore Fall 2014

Nanette Lepore Fall 2014
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Nanette Lepore Fall 2014

Nanette Lepore Fall 2014
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Nanette Lepore Fall 2014

Nanette Lepore Fall 2014
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Nanette Lepore Fall 2014

Nanette Lepore Fall 2014
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Nanette Lepore Fall 2014

Nanette Lepore Fall 2014
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Nanette Lepore Fall 2014

Nanette Lepore Fall 2014
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Nanette Lepore Fall 2014

Nanette Lepore Fall 2014
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Nanette Lepore Fall 2014

Nanette Lepore Fall 2014
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Nanette Lepore Fall 2014

Nanette Lepore Fall 2014
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Nanette Lepore Fall 2014

Nanette Lepore Fall 2014
IMAXTREE

Nanette Lepore Fall 2014