PORSCHE DESIGN AUTUMN/WINTER 2015-16 READY-TO-WEAR NEW YORK

Will Americans ever be able to get over the fact that Porsche Design is not about cars, but instead about clothes? Who knows? It doesn’t seem to bother the Europeans, where it’s been a brand name since the 1970s. But one thing is for certain: A rose is a rose no matter the name, and good clothes are good clothes no matter the label.

And Porsche Design makes some good clothes. This season, senior fashion designer Pierre Costin focused on a strong shoulder and a nipped-in waist. “We’re defining the silhouette,” he said backstage before the show. “You could say it’s ’40s or ’80s, but really it’s about clothes that give you a sense of confidence and strength.” The best looks for women really stuck with that idea, like a black quilted robe coat cinched in with a supersized round-buckle belt, or an army green military coat propped up on the shoulders of a black trench dress. An off-the-shoulder wool dress framed the décolletage instead of building on it, and a gray flannel twist-front dress whittled the torso with a camel-colored quilted corset worn underneath. To an extent, the men’s looks mimicked the women’s in color and texture. Her quilted neoprene skirt, paired with a curved-shoulder coat, matched his black quilted vest, worn under a banded blazer.

There was certainly something futuristic about the collection, due in part to the shield sunglasses worn by every model. (They were a reissued design from 1979.) That simple styling trick pulled it all together.