The Michael Kors collection on the catwalk © Ik Aldama/DPA Picture Alliance
The Michael Kors collection on the catwalk © Ik Aldama/DPA Picture Alliance“We’re tired of sneakers,” designer Lázaro Hernández complained backstage after his opening night show for Proenza Schouler, the nearly two-decade brand celebrated for its polished day-to-night gowns and graphic prints. “We want fashion.”
It was a cry echoed by other designers at New York Fashion Week, which came to an end on Wednesday night after six days of shows in which masks, IDs and evidence of double vaccination (and, often a booster) were requirements for admission. It’s a desire not to go back to normal — “I avoid using that word,” Coach executive creative director Stuart Vevers said in a separate preview — but at least ditch sweatpants and other frumpy outfit features. and work from home. to serve something a little more daring and streamlined.
So, against the buff brick and polished concrete of the Brant Foundation Center for Art Studies that borders Manhattan’s Alphabet City, Hernandez and Jack McCollough introduced what they called “a new formality”: two-tone strapless gowns. in slim knit blouses with molded hips from which flowing black knit skirts hung; polished silk shirts and shirt dresses that button from wrist to neck, worn over gloved boots and ballet shoes; and angular coats and straight-leg pant suits that button up at the side, hugging the waist.
They weren’t so much fashion as sensible wardrobe investments: elegant, elegant and versatile garments for professional women to go to work and then to dinner, and which, particularly in the case of molded knit dresses, looked as comfortable as pajamas. . “It’s the idea of dressing again but doing it in a way that feels contemporary, through casual knitwear and flat shoes,” Hernandez said.
Proenza Schouler introduced a ‘new formality’ made of shirt dresses, soft knit skirts. . .
. . . straight-leg pants and angular suits worn with glove boots and ballerinas
Michael Kors combined glamor with comfort, wearing models in faux leather. . .
. . . and relaxed camel coats over cashmere dresses and over the knee boots
American designers are both celebrated and derided for being “commercial,” for showing clothes on the runway that are familiar and therefore “safe,” and that women actually want to buy. That approach has served them well during the pandemic: Designers, usually reluctant to talk numbers behind the scenes, boasted sales growth of 20 to 55 percent during 2019, fueled by investment in their product lines. and major websites, a boom in national luxury spending, and strong demand from department stores that found themselves woefully short of inventory after canceling orders at the start of the pandemic.
However, a sense of caution persisted. Although many spoke this week of wanting to “take risks,” to “be creative” and “extreme,” most designers did what they’ve done best for a long time, offering practical, branded clothing that responds to the needs of the moment.
That meant an emphasis on ease and comfort, also seen at Ulla Johnson, through roomy puffer jackets, bias-cut ruffled dresses, and matching heathered knit separates (which looked chic layered over slim turtlenecks). patterns) beneath the ornate marble ceilings of the York Public Library’s New Astor Hall.
It’s all about glamor and glitter, but [not needing] give up comfort
Michael Kors layered large, lush faux fur coats and double-faced alpaca blanket coats over chunky ribbed knit dresses, cashmere leotards, or (for evening) short bodycon dresses with racerbacks and snug over-the-knee boots. in gray or camel suede. “It’s all about glamor and elegance, but [not needing] give up comfort,” Kors said in a preview before the show.
“Sure it’s about comfort, but it’s also about freedom,” repeated designer Tory Burch after her nightly show in front of Manhattan’s iconic New Yorker Hotel, in which the Tory Burch name and logo had been illuminated in red lights. . This confident collection combined the best of American sportswear—high-waisted coats and pants of the Lauren Bacall variety, hoodies and loafers, and colour-blocked dresses in soft, form-fitting jersey—made with many textures and combinations. sparkling colors of mustard and pistachio, chocolate and neon yellow.
Tory Burch’s collection featured plenty of zingy color combinations, with color-block jersey dresses. . .
. . . and more tailored garments, including high-waisted pants
Craftsmanship was at the core of Gabriela Hearst’s collection, which included woven leather storm flaps. . . © Tomas Concordia
. . . and a hand-woven dress by Madres y Artesanas in Bolivia © Thomas Concordia
Freedom was also on Gabriela Hearst’s mind, that is, gender freedom. She and her team took a series of lectures from Stanford art history professor Emanuele Lugli, whose teachings resulted in a fusion of shapes and silhouettes in Hearst’s men’s and women’s collections.
The craftsmanship was exquisite: trench coats in black and caramel topped with storm lapels in fine woven leather, a dress of yellow and orange tears hand-knitted by Madres y Artesanas in Bolivia, and a pastel drawing by New York artist Ana Martinez. Orizondo. was beautifully transferred into an ankle-length cashmere poncho.
Forty-nine percent was made from recycled or dead material, including yellow and black linen and wool suits made from recycled fabrics. Incredibly soft to the touch, the thick fabrics are made from recycled cashmere felt colored with botanical dyes.
Hearst wore one of the sweaters backstage, in grey. “This sweater, made in my country, feels amazing, but it also does something good,” he said, underlining the rationale for his brand. “More important than how you look, or what you wear, is: what are you doing for others?”
Not all designers were willing to wrap their models in cashmere and jersey. Celine alumnus and 2014 LVMH Graduate Award winner Peter Do submitted a largely monochromatic, razor-focused collection of narrow coats, backless vests and deconstructed suits softened by flowing wide-leg trousers and denim
Celine’s student Peter Do presented a monochrome collection of elegant dresses. . . © Tomas Concordia
. . . and deconstructed suits softened by baggy trousers © Thomas Concordia
Tailoring from the 1990s was at the core of Khaite’s collection. . .
. . . while Carolina Herrera’s Wes Gordon played with ruffles and exaggerated volumes
Tailoring was also the main story in Khaite. Drawing on the gritty, gritty glamor of 1990s New York, designer Cate Holstein dressed her models in double-breasted jackets with prominent shoulder pads and long, narrow skirts with a slit in the middle, black leather biker jackets, and miniskirts, and gathered dresses with accessories. with large handbags and low, sharp d’orsay heels.
Other designers turned up the volume. Puffed sleeves, exaggerated ruffles and flared skirts abounded at Carolina Herrera and Jason Wu, who livened up their youthful short cocktail dresses.
I feel like everything I should do now should be the most extreme and creative version of an idea.
Joseph Altuzarra acknowledged that he used about three times as much fabric as usual to create the full, floor-skimming pleated silk skirts and military-inspired coats, enhanced by their raised sheepskin collars, that were the cornerstones of his excellent mermaid style. inspired fall/winter lineup.
“I’ve really approached the idea of risk a lot differently after the pandemic, and I feel like everything I should be doing now should be the most extreme and creative version of an idea,” he said backstage. The last two dresses were made of heavy gold metal paillettes that overlapped like fish scales and sounded like crashing waves.
Altuzarra enriched military-inspired coats with shearling collars. . .
. . . and he created mermaid-inspired dresses made of gold sequins
Coach presented pieces created in collaboration with graffiti artists Mint&Serf. . .
. . . while Maisie Wilen showed her collection through holograms, with models as otherworldly creatures.
“Comfort”, “freedom”, “ease”: If there was a fourth buzzword at New York Fashion Week, it was undoubtedly “metaverse”. Jonathan Simkhai paraded him in the game Second Life; the clothing was surprisingly detailed, although it was hard to imagine what it would look like in the physical world. Maisie Schloss, of Kanye West-backed brand Maisie Wilen, showcased her collection through holograms. Dressed in lab coats, sparkly dresses and stretchy laser-cut bodysuits, the models were transformed into fantasy creatures with gills and goblin ears. Although the format took attention away from the clothes, it enhanced its otherworldly feel.
Less technologically impressive, but perfectly on point, was Collina Strada’s collection video: a riff on the reality series The Hills that follows a young Collina Strada intern (played by Tommy Dorfman) as she attempts to navigate through the not-quite-glamorous world of “sustainable fashion”. Censored for using disposable coffee cups and bringing a pastrami sandwich to a vegan team lunch, the video is hilarious and paints a compelling portrait of the cute, colorful and inclusive universe of Collina Strada.
“We are trying to do our part [with climate change] but we can also make fun of ourselves,” said designer Hillary Taymour. It’s the kind of edgy American fashion that could use more.
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Source: www.ft.com