New York Fashion Week: Cynthia Rowley on the 3 Fall Essentials Every Woman Should Own

Designer offers shopping advice for the new season

By Jennifer Chan Feb 15, 2013 3:58 AMTags
Cynthia Rowley Cindy Ord/Getty Images

New York Fashion Week is always an exciting time of the year for a designer, but for Cynthia Rowley, this week was momentous for more reasons than one. 

Yesterday she opened the doors to her brand new Madison Avenue concept store, just in time to unveil her mesmerizing fall collection to industry insiders.

The four-story Upper East Side townhouse makes for not only a beautiful boutique bursting with personality, but also a stunning space, complete with a sculptural installation winding above the walkway entrance, a tranquil outdoor patio space, an art gallery and a whimsical candy bar called CuRious Candy upstairs—all wonderfully wrapped up in a delightful light-meets-dark Tim Burton-esque vibe that's true to her artistic taste. 

As for the collection, we eyed fantastic abstract prints, gorgeous, moody coats, bewitching dresses and bold pops of color.

We asked Rowley to dish on three fall essentials every woman should own, and here's what she told us:

Allison Joyce/Getty Images; Rob Kim/WireImage

1. A Slouchy Sweater: "All you need this fall is a fuzzy angora sweater in a great color. I would get one in optical white; it's really striking and can make everything feel fresh," she said. "Pair it with an amazing pair of pants and a killer pair of shoes." 

2. A Great Coat: "People always overlook coats, but it's actually the biggest statement piece you can own! It's the first thing people see, so it should be interesting. You should have a whole wardrobe of coats—they can change the entire look of any outfit."

3. Cabochon Tights: "Lena Dunham is totally obsessed with our tights, they even filmed an episode of Girls here talking about how everyone should have a pair!" 

Sold! We'll take one of each, please.