Banana Republic

Staged about a month after the Paris collections end, a Banana Republic presentation is typically a crib sheet of the season's major trends translated for the masses. The new Fall collection, however, bucked of-the-moment fads in favor of clean and classic building blocks for a modern wardrobe. "Banana Republic dresses America," said Narciso Rodriguez, who recently took on an advisory role at the company. While the designer's imprint on the lineup was decidedly faint, there was a renewed emphasi...