New York Fashion Week Fall 2012: Michael Kors lake 'n' lodge glam

Carole Lombard and Clark Gable roughing it at their ranch in Encino. Lucille Ball, outfitted in a Pendleton blanket coat, on her ill-fated foray into the woods in "The Camping Trip" episode of "I Love Lucy." Rugged lake 'n' lodge elegance, Hollywood- style, that was the theme of Michael Kors' fall 2012 collection, a haute hike through the wilderness.

Cozying up in a $1,500-a-night cabin was what these clothes were about. Ginormous, teddy-bear-like alpaca coats (be careful wearing one of those in the woods during hunting season). Fringed, red buffalo check ponchos and coats. Plaid circle skirts or mohair lace pencil skirts paired with tweedy knits. 

And the fur was flying, as it has been on the runways all week. There were beasty fur coats, fur mittens, fur booties and bags. Rounding out the look were high-heeled Mary Janes with lug soles -- just perfect for the trail (ha!).

There was plenty of tailoring too -- for first fan Michelle Obama and other women (Jessica Alba, Katie Couric, Anjelica Huston and Debra Messing were front row) who rely on Kors for more polished city attire, such as a gray plaid mohair shift dress trimmed in black leather; a suit made up of a black capelet jacket paired with a matching pencil skirt; and a soft leather dress spliced with ribbons of black lace.

For evening, Kors nailed it too. Sleek, crystal-beaded stretch jersey goddess gowns were as timeless as Gable and Lombard.

-- Booth Moore in New York

RELATED:

New York Fashion Week Fall 2012 Review: Marc Jacobs

Michael Kors talks Big Sur, In-N-Out Burger and selling to the suburbs

New York Fashion Week Fall 2012 Review: Rodarte's land far, far away

Photos: Michael Kors' fall 2012 collection. Credit: Top left and right, Richard Drew / Associated Press; Top middle, Stan Honda / AFP/Getty Images; Bottom, Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

Fashion News: Kristin Chenoweth grabs eyes at American Country Awards

Kristin Chenoweth dressed to get attention at Monday's American Country Awards, held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Onstage in one bit she performed as co-host, she wore jeans with a grotesquely padded rear end. But her red-carpet dress from the fall 2011 HONOR collection was pretty eye-grabbing too, leading me to the question: How low cut is too low cut? [Celebuzz]

Do you ever look at photos of models -- lingerie models, especially -- and think real women don't look like that? If you look at H&M's holiday lingerie ads, you'd be right to think that way. It seems that the ads use computer-generated bodies (with photos of real women's heads attached through digital magic). [The Cut]

Julia Restoin-Roitfeld has designed a lingerie collection for Kiki de Montparnesse that will be available for sale online and in boutiques starting Dec. 14. [The Cut] 

Some items from the final clothing collection that singer Amy Winehouse designed for Fred Perry were released for sale on fredperry.com Tuesday to coincide with the release of her final album, "Lioness: Hidden Treasures." Proceeds will go to the Amy Winehouse Foundation. [Telegraph]

Does the music piped into stores annoy you? Gap is trying something different, teaming with streaming music start-up Roqbot in an experiment that allows customers to use their Androids or iPhones to decide what music to play. The experiment is going on at a Gap store in San Francisco. [Rolling Stone] 

Michael Kors announced its initial public offering last week, as I mentioned Monday, and now Kors' business partners, Silas Chou and Lawrence Stroll, are said to be eyeing Vera Wang as a potential business to invest in. [WWD] (Subscription required.)

Wang, by the way, designed the blue gown Michelle Obama wore to the Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday night. [Los Angeles Times]

Model Lauren Scruggs, who runs the fashion blog LOLO and who had worked in wardrobe on "Gossip Girl," was severely injured when she accidentally walked into a small plane's spinning propeller at an airport in Texas on Saturday. [People]

RELATED:

Paul Smith "Tinker, Tailer, Soldier, Spy" prints benefit amFAR

Brand identity: Christopher Bailey's job is to guide Burberry to a fashion-forward future

-- Susan Denley

Photo: Kristin Chenoweth at the American Country Awards on Monday. Credit: Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

[Updated] Fashion News: Michelle Obama, Meryl Streep gussy up for Kennedy Center Honors

 

Black seemed to be the color of the evening at Sunday's Kennedy Center Honors (which is to be broadcast on CBS on Dec. 27). Honorees Meryl Streep, jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and Neil Diamond all wore Washington's favorite formal shade, as did President Obama and numerous famous attendees such as Anne Hathaway, Sutton Foster, Patti LuPone, Sarah Jessica Parker, Andrea Mitchell, Jessye Norman and Elmo.

But honoree Barbara Cook and First Lady Michelle Obama broke ranks. Both dressed in brilliant blue.  [Los Angeles Times] [Washington Post]

It's called the lipstick effect. Say you covet a Chanel suit, but can't afford it. Buying a Chanel lipstick gives you an affordable little taste of Chanel glamour. Maybe that's why makeup sales are up this year, as my colleage Tiffany Hsu reported on Saturday. Over the first 10 months of the year, unit sales were up 5% and dollar sales were up in all categories of makeup. And I predict that by the end of the year those figures will be even higher. I already know of some Smashbox kits and Sephora coupons going into stockings of some of those dear to me. [Los Angeles Times]

J.J. Abrams told a star-studded group attending Thursday's 21st annual Beat the Odds Awards benefit for the California branch of the Children's Defense Fund that he is "single-handedly bringing back the skinny tie." But not so. "My tie is skinnier," rejoined Zachery Quinto (Mr. Spock in the most recent "Star Trek" movie). And thus may a trend begin. [A previous version of this post incorrectly said the event happend Friday.]  [Society News LA]

If you missed out on the Versace for H&M collection, you may have a second chance. Some of the items are back in stores as customers return things they may have bought in the frenzy but later realized didn't quite work (for whatever reason). [Fashionista]

The Council of Fashion Designers of America is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a show at the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. More than 100 items will be shown by designers such as Bill Blass, Michael Kors, Narciso Rodriguez and Thom Browne. The show is scheduled Feb. 10-April 20. [The Cut]

An initial public offering of stock in Michael Kors values the firm at $3.6 billion, and it would give the designer himself $111 million. [WWD] (Subscription required.)

-- Susan Denley

Photos: (from top) At the Kennedy Center Honors are, in the front row from left, honorees Barbara Cook, Neil Diamond, Meryl Streep and Yo-Yo Ma with First Lady Michelle Obama and President Obama. Credit: Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press

First Lady Michelle Obama, resplendent in blue, with President Obama. Credit: Yuri Gripas / Reuters

RELATED:

Your Stylist: Expert advice for soothing dry hands

Divine Design to honor Viola Davis, Patricia Field, Thomas Keller

Special holiday shopping destinations in the Los Angeles area 

New York Fashion Week: Michael Kors, Donna Karan, Thakoon, Jeremy Scott

There were several designers whose answer to the spring season was a touch of wanderlust.

For Michael Kors, the destination was an African safari, and the highlight was a group of tie-dyed pieces in vivid shades of sienna, cinnamon and antelope. If only Kors had gone deeper in that direction instead of falling back on zebra-striped cliches and showing distressed (read: holey) cashmere sweaters that will no doubt cost a fortune. 

Donna Karan was inspired by a year traveling in Haiti and had Wyclef Jean in the front row to prove it. Mask print circle skirts, color-blocked body-skimming jersey gowns with gold metal accents, wood and Lucite necklaces abounded. And yet it all seemed a bit out of touch. A colleague described the look aptly: "Port au Princess."

Thakoon Panichgul was taken with cowboys and Indians -- East Indians, that is. The result was a clever cross-cultural mash-up that married Western style with India's textile and embroidery tradition, and put an original twist on the season's print trend.

A Western shirt was done in an Indian paisley, for example, and a turquoise silk shirt dress with black lace details. A country-sweet red eyelet shirt was paired with a black tux jacket and  short paisley dance skirt, and khaki duster coat with crystal and pearl embroidery over a gold floor length skirt.

L.A.-based Jeremy Scott had a Western hoedown of a different sort, with men (and women) in cheeky backless chaps and Adidas "cowboy boot" high-top sneakers. The crowd was as wonderfully weird as the collection. One guy arrived on roller skates.

On the runway, a sunglasses-print cropped blouse topped fringed Daisy Dukes, and a metal mesh bandana was tied into a scarf top over a high-waist denim skirt.

There were cow and cactus prints, dangling hearts and question marks, so many question marks. In other words, it was a darn good Jeremy Scott show.

RELATED:

New York Fashion Week: Proenza Schouler

New York Fashion Week: Gap

New York Fashion Week: Narciso Rodriguez

-- Booth Moore

Top photos: Looks from the Michael Kors spring 2012 runway collection shown during New York Fashion Week. Credit: Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

Middle photos: Looks from the Donna Karan spring 2012 runway collection shown during New York Fashion Week. Credit: Mike Coppola / Getty Images

Middle photos: Looks from the Thakoon spring 2012 runway collection shown during New York Fashion Week. Credit: Slaven Vlasic / Getty Images; Karly Domb Sadof / Associated Press

Bottom photos: Looks from the Jeremy Scott spring 2012 runway collection shown during New York Fashion Week. Credit: Slaven Vlasic / Getty Images

Fashion News: Michael Douglas makes a splash at N.Y. Fashion Week

 
Celebrities are plentiful at New York Fashion Week, but Michael Douglas, looking healthy and handsome, created more than the usual stir among the media, spending several minutes charming reporters and photographers when he attended the Michael Kors show. He got a front-row seat, of course, along with Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Zoe Saldana. [The Cut] 

Read more about New York Fashion Week from our fashion critic Booth Moore on All the Rage.

Rainbow-hued hair has been popping up all over for the last year or so -- streaks of pink or green, blue mohawks and of course Lady Gaga's flirtation with turquoise. And on the runways for New York Fashion Week, the trend is still going strong with models at Thakoon, Narciso Rodriguez and Faster by Mark Fast all in shades not seen naturally on human heads. [The Cut]

Madonna is reportedly in talks with Coty to license a new perfume. [WWD] (Subscription required.)

Kimora Lee Simmons, former creative director for Baby Phat, was named creative director of online fashion purveyor JustFab.com. [WWD] (Subscription required.)

Yves Carcelle is leaving his longtime post as chief executive at Louis Vuitton to run the Fondation Louis Vuitton, a space scheduled to open in 2013 to promote the arts. Carcelle, CEO since 1990, will be succeeded by Jordi Constans, an executive with French yogurt company Danone. [Businessweek]   

British fast fashion retailer Topman bowed to the will of the Twitterati, whose collective rage over two T-shirts caused the company to pull them from shelves. One read "Nice new girlfriend. What breed is she?" The other bore the words "I'm so sorry, but ..." and then gave a list of excuses, including "you provoked me" and  "I was drunk."  [Telegraph]

--Susan Denley

Photo: Michael Douglas, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Zoe Saldana at Michael Kors' runway show in New York on Wednesday. Credit: Donald Traill /Associated Press Photos

RELATED

New York Fashion Week: Rodarte

New York Fashion Week: Tory Burch

Frugal Fashion: Mandy Moore does New York Fashion Week

 

Fashion News: Pippa Middleton's bridesmaid dress inspires copies

 
Copies of the simple, figure-hugging ivory dress Pippa Middleton wore to serve as maid of honor when sister Kate married Prince William in April are going to be offered to the general public.  Mass-market retailer Debenhams plans to sell copies for the equivalent of about $286 at today's exchange rates starting later this year. The dress, which like Kate's wedding gown was designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, made Pippa an overnight international style star. [Telegraph]

Michael Kors and longtime boyfriend Lance LePere have picked up a marriage license, taking advantage of New York's new marriage equality law. The ceremony will be private, Kors says. [WWD]

Rumors that Heidi Klum is leaving "Project Runway" are not true, according to a spokesman for Lifetime. [People]

First comes love, then comes a revenue source for Kim Kardashian who has produced 1,000 bottles of a new scent -- Love by Kim Kardashian -- in honor of her coming wedding day. [Kiss & Makeup]

Kendall Jenner -- daughter of Olympian Bruce and younger sister of all those Kardashians -- was announced as the face of Australian swimwear designer Leah Madden’s summer 2012 collection. [People]

Former contestants from "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" have donated clothes they wore on the show to be auctioned off for charity. Luxury consignment service eDrop-Off will auction items from more than 25 former contestants, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the American Red Cross. Log in from Friday through Aug. 12 to bid. The top that most recent bachelorette Ashley Herbert wore in Fiji is among the items included. [People]

Stylist Brad Goreski, who formerly and famously worked for Rachel Zoe, has a book deal with Harper Collins. His  "Born to Be Brad: Life and Style Lessons from the Front Lines of Fashion" is due out in 2012. [Fashionologie] 

A summer hair look to try: copy stars like Kate Bosworth, Taryn Manning and Lauren Conrad by adding  pastel highlights or dip-dyed end in colors such as pink or aqua. [InStyle] 

-- Susan Denley

Photos, from top: Pippa Middleton holds sister Kate Middleton's train during the royal wedding in April. Copies of Pippa's dress are to go on sale later this year (credit: Alastair Grant / Associated Press); Stylist Brad Goreski, who has a book deal (Michael Nagle / For The Times).

RELATED

Designer Michael Kors sticks to reality

Pippa Middleton loses "Rear of the Year" vote

Fashion News: How Miranda Kerr got bikini-ready

Vanity Fair International Best-Dressed list is flush with royalty

Fashion News: Nicki and Ricky for MAC. Rihanna headed to court.

Kate Middleton's bridal gown was "a real feat of engineering," designer Sarah Burton says. Burton's comment comes in a film that is part of the Buckingham Palace display of the dress, shoes and earrings that Middleton -- now duchess of Cambridge -- wore when she married Britain's Prince William in April. Burton explains that the gown has a  hidden bustle and weighted panels to ensure it "didn't collapse" when the duchess walked the aisle of Westminster Abbey. [Telegraph]

Nicki Minaj, left, and Ricky Martin will be the new faces of MAC's  2012 VIVA GLAM campaign, the cosmetics company announced. Proceeds from MAC's VIVA GLAM products benefit the MAC AIDS Fund, which has reportedly raised $224 million to date with help from former celeb spokespeople such as Lady Gaga, Boy George, Elton John and Chloë Sevigny. [StyleList]

French beauty brand Clarins is teaming with Lauren Bush, co-founder of the FEED Projects, on a fundraiser that channels money from your beauty buys into meals for undernourished children around the world. Clarins and FEED collaborated on the “FEED 15″ pouch, a bag of three Clarins products available at Nordstrom for $30. Proceeds from the sale of each bag will provide 15 meals through the United Nations World Food Program. The plan is to sell enough to feed 1 million children in two years.  [People] 

Twenty-five California designers -- and we mean transplants as well as native Californians -- tell Vogue why they like it here. Reasons include geographic inspirations such as Big Sur, local artisans, Hollywood's costume archives and even the freeways! [Vogue]

Photographer David LaChappelle is suing Rihanna because scenes in her "S&M" video resemble some of his images. A court date has been set for August. [Cut]

Ralph Esmerian, one-time chairman of luxury jeweler Fred Leighton, was sentenced to six years in federal prison for fraud. Esmerian, who counted many celebrities among his clients, pleaded guilty to fraud charges in April. [WWD] (Subscription required)

Michael Kors' new jewelry collection hits stores in August, with gold cuffs, bangles, earrings, neckpieces and more that blend chain details, hardware and leather. The collection includes drop earrings for $65 and multichain necklaces for $350. Prices top out at $500. [Cut].

Pamela Anderson is getting back into the lingerie business after a seven-year hiatus. [WWD] (Subscription required.) 

Plans are for Alexa Chung to host a new fashion show on the Lifetime channel. Working title: "24-hour Catwalk." [Telegraph]

RELATED:

Jessica Alba and Helen Mirren are seeing spots

Former Kate Middleton's wedding gown is on display 

Fendi's farewell to Amy Winehouse

-- Susan Denley

Photo: Nicki Minaj at this year's Billboard Music Awards. Credit: Glenn Pinkerton / European Pressphoto Agency

 

Frugal Fashion: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is sheerly beautiful

The new film "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," the third installment in the robot action series, was the top-grossing movie in the country last weekend. Audiences were treated to fighting robots in 3-D and a new leading lady, British Victoria's Secret model turned actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

Whiteley replaces Megan Fox as Shia Labeouf's new love interest in the film. For the movie's media tour, the 24-year-old made waves on red carpets around the world with her statuesque, model physique and killer sense of style.

While in Brazil, she wore a black chiffon, belted Michael Kors fall 2011 dress; in Berlin, a sparkly metallic backless Naeem Khan design; and in London, a Christopher Bailey custom-designed Burberry navy gown.

At the Moscow International Film festival, which opened with a screening of "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," Huntington-Whiteley towered over the turquoise carpet in a weightless vision of chiffon. The Gucci gown, from the label's fall 2011 collection, features a sheer, playful, sexy skirt and a one-shoulder chartreuse top. The summer-perfect color blooms from the floral embellishments for an effect that is simply stunning.

To get Huntington-Whiteley's look without a designer-gown price tag, try a sheer black maxi skirt. American Apparel makes a full-length chiffon skirt for $46, or try the Sparkle and Fade maxi pleated chiffon skirt from UrbanOutfitters.com for $59 for a more textured look.

For a top, you'll need a one-shoulder design in a striking color. If you like the dramatic look of ruffles, try the Asos ruffle detail one-shoulder top for $13.79. For something a bit more subtle, but with the same color profile, get the Cheap Monday Tanya one-shoulder tank top from UrbanOutfitters.com for $30.

Tuck the top into a pair of hot pants, like the Lace dolphin shorts from Forever21.com for $13.80 and accessorize with a skinny black belt. For a better buy, you can go for a set of two with the Apt. 9 leopard skinny belt set for $24 from Kohl's or the Beamish black and white belt set from Aldo for $20.

Happy shopping!

Have an outfit you're dying to buy but need a frugal alternative? Email us a picture. We're up for the challenge.

RELATED:

Frugal Fashion: Alicia Keys gets an A-plus at BET Awards, before celebrating 10-year anniversary of "A Minor"

Frugal Fashion: Who says Selena Gomez needs Bieber fever to attract attention?

Frugal Fashion: "Bad Teacher" Cameron Diaz rocks a summer romper

Frugal Fashion: "Friends with Benefits" star Mila Kunis in Balmain at the MTV movie awards

-- Jenn Harris
Twitter.com/Jenn_Harris_

Upper photo: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley poses prior to the opening ceremony of the Moscow International Film Festival. Credit: Natalia Kolesnikova / AFP/Getty Images

Skirt photos: From left, chiffon skirt from American Apparel. Credit: Americanapparel.com; Sparkle and Fade maxi pleated skirt. Credit: UrbanOutfitters.com

Blouse photos: From left, Asos ruffle detail one-shoulder top. Credit: Asos.com; Cheap Monday Tanya one-shoulder tank. Credit: UrbanOutfitters.com

Accessories photos: Lace dolphin shorts. Credit: Forever21.com; Apt. 9 leopard belt set. Credit: Kohls.com; Beamish black and white belt set. Credit: Aldo.com

Your Morning Fashion and Beauty Report: Gwyneth Paltrow confers with Topshop top gun. Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe serve up Wimbledon announcement.

Peacocks, a British cheap-chic chain, plans to offer a low-budget version of the Duchess of Cambridge's wedding dress online in August -- for about $96 at current exchange rates. It's more "inspired by" the Sarah Burton original design than an exact copy, having a white lace bodice with sweetheart neckline, elbow-length sleeves and a midi-length skirt -- but there's no train. [Telegraph] 

Gwyneth Paltrow was spotted dining in London with Topshop's Philip Green, leading to speculation that some kind of fashion collaboration could be in the works, possibly for Green's Wallis label. [Telegraph]

Tennis greats Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe plan to launch their men's underwear line at Wimbledon on Friday. [WWD] (Subscription required.) 

Victoria Beckham is planning a line of ultra-feminine, girly dresses. Called Victoria by Victoria Beckham, the line is slated to debut next spring. [WWD]

Michael Kors is celebrating his 30th anniversary in the design business, and he reflects on it all in the August issue of Harper's Bazaar. "I think to be empathetic is the greatest gift you can have as a designer," he said. "Hopefully, people will look at me and say, 'He really loved women.'" I think they will. You can look at his chic and wearable clothes and just tell! [Harper's Bazaar]

Anthony Vaccarello, a graduate of La Cambre in Brussels, has won the 2011 ANDAM Fashion Award, enabling him to put on a catwalk show in Paris in October and open a studio there too. The endowment totals 200,000 euros, or about $287,800. [WWD] (Subscription required.) 

Gap hopes to open at least 26 stores in South America over the next five years, starting with a flagship in Santiago, Chile, which is due to open this November. [WWD] (Subscription required.)

Melrose Avenue retailer Ron Herman has relaunched RonHerman.com as a more accessible, fun place to shop, and it includes a blog. [Mondette]

Poland's Anja Rubik is the most in-demand model in the world, according to research done by fashion-industry Internet forum The Fashion Spot. The research charted the number of magazine covers for each model, how many fashion shows they appeared in, how many Twitter followers they have and the number of Google searches for their names. [Telegraph]

RELATED:

Designer Michael Kors sticks to reality

Patrick Robinson out as Gap design head

How to get Gwyneth Paltrow's Oscars glow

-- Susan Denley

Photo: Michael Kors. Credit: Terry Richardson / Harper's Bazaar

Your Morning Fashion and Beauty Report: Victoria's Secret model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley tops Maxim's 100 hottest women list

Maxim released its annual list of the world’s 100 hottest women. Coming in at No. 1 is Victoria’s Secret model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, left, who is also starring in "Transformers: Dark of the Moon." The former Kate Middleton came in at 26, ahead of Sofia Vergara at 29 -- huh? I mean, Kate's pretty but Sofia is a bombshell. Jennifer Lopez, recently named People magazine's most beautiful in the world, didn't make the list. Nor did fashion "it" girl Blake Lively -- though her "Gossip Girl" cast mate Leighton Meester did, at No. 16. Among others on the list are All the Rage regulars Kim Kardashian, Mila Kunis, Emma Watson, Katy Perry, Lindsay Lohan, Christina Hendricks and January Jones. [Entertainment Weekly]

Christian Dior's new men's scent Leather Oud joins a host of other fragrances touting the ingredient: Oud Wood, Oud & Bergamot, Secret Oudh, Crystal Oud. So what is oud? It's a resinous heartwood that forms in some trees when they are infected by mold. And it is often burned or used for scent in parts of the Middle East. [Telegraph]

Speaking of scents, the one worn by Catherine Duchess of Cambridge (aka Kate Middleton) on her wedding day has already sold out worldwide. But those who want to smell like a future queen can preorder from the next batch at luckyscent.com.  The fragrance, White Gardenia Petals by Illuminum, contains notes of coconut, muguet (otherwise known as lily of the valley), ylang ylang, amber wood and jasmine, and retails for $140. [People] 

Bally marks its 160th anniversary this year with a capsule collection, the launch of an online site in China and new brick-and-mortar stores.  [WWD] (Subscription required.) 

Next up for Target? A capsule collaboration with Missoni, scheduled to be in stores Sept. 13 through Oct. 22. [Vogue]

Missoni's been busy collaborating. Emili Vesilind told All the Rage readers earlier this week about the Italian atelier's baby buggy accessories for Bugaboo. [Los Angeles Times]

Marie Osmond had gotten remarried -- to her first husband Stephen Craig. And she wore the same wedding gown as she did at their original nuptials in 1982. Recycle a husband, recycle a dress. [People] 

For Mother's Day, Bloomingdale's on Lexington in NYC has decked its windows with photos of fashion designers' moms. One, for instance, shows Michael Kors as a kid with his mother Joan. [WWD]  

Eva Mendes and Naomi Watts are new "faces" of Pantene -- or maybe we should say "manes," since it is their lovely locks the hair care brand will be showing off.  [People] 

U.K.-based retailer Superdry plans to roll out stores in the United States. [WWD] (Subscription required.)

 -- Susan Denley

Photo: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley at CinemaCon in April. Credit: Steve Marcus / Reuters