J. Mendel zips into luxurious fall

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STORY: For J. Mendel's head designer Gilles Mendel, Fall 2013 is all about luxury with a twist. Showcasing his latest collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week (MBFW) in New York on Wednesday (February 13), the fifth-generation furrier said that he took his inspiration from two artists.

"A painter, (Gerhard) Richter with his amazing work in his paint, and layering and there is a lot of depth in his painting and colors," he told Reuters.

"The other aspect is the feminine and sensual aspect of J. Mendel which comes for me this time with Guy Bourdin, the photographer. With Guy Bourdin, it's about skin, it's about this very sensuous woman that I think is very part of my DNA."

Taking his cue from photorealistic paintings by Gerhard Richter, Mendel created visual contrasts using fabrics and colors.

Hemlines were uniformly longer, and fabric choices were lavish.

Unsurprisingly, the designer showed a wide range of different furs from mink to muskrat to raccoon to silver fox.

For evening, Mendel took his inspiration from the sensual photographs of French fashion photographer Guy Bourdin.

Gone were his signature voluminous silk chiffon gowns to make way for satin and crushed velvet dresses that seemed to melt on the body.

For fall, Mendel collaborated with Manolo Blahnik for shoes. He paired his clothes with suede pumps and knee-high boots.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week will run until Thursday (February 14) in New York. More than 90 designers were scheduled to show their fall collections at Lincoln Center and in other venues around the city.