Photo: Getty Images for Vogue/Courtesy of Vogue
Just as the fatigue of New York Fashion Week was beginning to invade the city, Vogue World stepped in to revive the excitement and glamor of the catwalks with a stunning presentation of some of the most prominent designers in the industry.
To celebrate its 130th anniversary, the publication presented Vogue World: New York, an ode to the magazine’s favorite designers, curated by Anna Wintour and her team. The show opened with a parade of marathoners representing different countries from around the world, signifying the global impact Vogue has had for over a century. September’s cover star and recently retired tennis legend Serena Williams modeled the first look of the night, a custom Balenciaga cape dress, followed by four young women in white tennis dresses.
Serena Williams opens the show in a custom silver Balenciaga gown and cape, followed by four girls in white Nike outfits.
Photo: Getty Images for Vogue/Courtesy of Vogue
As the group strutted down 13th Street, a 2000 clip of the jock played over the speakers. “I want people to remember me as the girl who changed tennis or was just able to bring something new to the game,” Williams said.
Before the guests could grasp the historical significance of what had just happened, the real theatrics began. Wintour’s support for the theater is well documented, but her love for him was made exceptionally clear through the full-blown production of stunt models, dancers and cyclists who flooded the street.
Photo: Getty Images for Vogue/Courtesy of Vogue
What at first seemed like just another catwalk setup (but with a much bigger budget) suddenly started to feel like a Broadway set. Models dressed in head-to-toe luxe streetwear hurtled onto the cobblestone taking selfies, following directions, walking dogs, and talking on phones as they tried to get in and out of one another—essentially, an average day on the city pavement. New York, but in much better clothes. It looks like Gen-Z-approved Chopova Lowena skirts and Balenciaga foil dresses danced through the streets of the Meatpacking District for an audience of industry icons and onlookers alike.
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Precious Lee walks the runway in Zac Posen.
Photo: Getty Images for Vogue/Courtesy of Vogue
The dance troupes paved the way for a legendary walk by Lila Moss, Emily Ratajkowski, Shalom Harlow, Kendall Jenner, Adut Akech, Precious Lee, Gigi Hadid and many more. Supermodels past and present cascaded down the pavement to Madonna’s “Vogue,” pausing midway for a short dance step or two each. (Karlie Kloss even brought some classic fashion to the stage.) Also on the catwalk: Mikhail Baryshnikov, Erykah Badhu, Hari Nef, Jeremy O. Harris, Brooklyn and Nicola Peltz Beckham.
And just when you thought it was all over, Lil Nas X rose from his front row seat to deliver a literally jaw-dropping performance of “Industry Baby.”
Lil Nas X gives a surprise performance of “Industry Baby” to close out the show.
Photo: Getty Images for Vogue/Courtesy of Vogue
As Wintour stamped her foot on the unmistakable trumpet section, the performer joined the lineup of the Hadid and Williams sisters to close the runway. (If anyone had any doubts that the legendary editor was a theater kid at heart, Vogue World proved them wrong.)
From left to right: Serena Williams, Gigi Hadid, Lil Nas X and Bella Hadid take the last walk of the night.
Photo: Getty Images for Vogue/Courtesy of Vogue
This season, many brands have embraced the tastes of dramaturgy in the debut of their collections, such as the play on mirrors by Luar and the recreations of butterflies by Collina Strada. As New York Fashion Week draws to a close, Vogue World took the cake by creating a passionate and revitalizing celebration of fashion that we’ve loved to digest through the sparkling, sparkling pages for over a century. .
To see all of the night’s momentous looks and performances, check out the gallery below.
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Source: fashionista.com