Maurice Malone goes for the urban and the useful

Detroit native branches out into womenswear, too, for Fashion Week.

By Nicole Volta Avery

Detroit News Style Editor

Maurice Malone is just cool people, as they say in his native Detroit.

Earlier this week while putting the finishing stitches on his soon-to-be-released fall collection, the homeboy-turned-New-York-designer personally fields a call concerning a missing fashion show invitation. And, in the hierarchical world of fashion — where even the assistants have assistants and big egos abound — these things typically don’t happen.

Malone’s hands-on approach is rare, but welcomed.

After clearing up the situation, the designer chats about his futuristic fall collections of menswear and womenswear that hit the catwalk Sunday. The show is just one of nearly 100 staged during General Motors Fall ’99 Fashion Week, which officially began Thursday in Manhattan.

“The collection is based on science-fiction films. There is a real turn-of-the-century, industrial, city vibe,” says Malone, who heads up a group of Brooklyn-based fashion companies. “It’s like a ‘what’s happening now’ collection.” There are sportswear pieces that you can wear to the office, and then turn into something a little dressier.

At press time, amid the constant ringing of cell phones and pagers, Malone is in the process of polishing his latest collection — traditional sportswear with a utility touch. While describing his latest collections, the designer takes pains not to spill too much.

“I am really liking that rugged utility look,” says Malone, a thirty-something who started designing clothes in the ’80s as an Oak Park teen. “There are a lot of utility belts and pockets. People don’t want just a nice-looking jacket. They are looking for a way in which that jacket can carry a cell phone. It’s about making things more functional.”

For designers like Malone who are showing in New York, the stakes of this year’s Fashion Week are high. For the first time, American designers debut before the heavy-hitters in Europe, grabbing full attention and a bounty of potential retail opportunities.

This also marks the first time Malone stages a womenswear collection alongside the sporty and tailored urban menswear he’s known for.

Malone, labeled a “hip-hop” designer by some, is trying to break into the ready-to-wear mainstream.

“This is a big challenge for me,” says Malone, currently riding a wave of media hype since his works the other way.”

Indeed, Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger are two mainstream designers who have set their sights on the urban market and urban money.

In hopes of creating a stir, Malone’s runway show may be doused with a shot of celebrity flavor. If scheduling difficulties can be ironed out, funny-man Chris Tucker of Rush Hour fame might strut down the catwalk.