New York Fashion Week Fall-Winter 2011: Nautica goes for Coast Guard cool

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Nautica set sail for the Great Lakes for fall-winter 2011 -- specifically the Sleeping Bear Dunes region of Lake Michigan, with a color palette inspired by the blues of the water, the brown hues of the sand dunes and bright pops of safety orange as an homage to the U.S. Coast Guard (that region has had a long history with the Coast Guard, and it is even home to the Sleeping Bear Point Coast Guard Station Maritime Museum.

The vivid accent color and naval heritage reminded me of the way Mark McNairy’s Woolrich Woolen Mills naval-inspired collection in Milan last month used pops of yellow (inspired by the safety vests on aircraft carriers), another collection that included puffer vests, toggle coats and knit caps.

But, as a larger, more mass-market label, Nautica’s fall-winter wares also included jackets, sweatshirts and cargo shorts, some of which drew inspiration from naval dress white uniforms and semaphore flags.

-- Adam Tschorn in New York