Calvin Klein line inspired by cinematic dreams and horrors
NEW YORK — Raf Simons, the new star of American fashion since his debut collection in February for Calvin Klein, continued to refine his take on traditional Americana, with cowboy looks, quilts and pompoms. Simons also looked to Hollywood movies — and to Andy Warhol — for inspiration.
With his debut collection for Calvin Klein in February, Simons injected an adrenaline rush of excitement into not only the storied brand, but American fashion itself.
So naturally, anticipation was high for what he would produce the second time.
On Thursday night, he delivered a bold meditation on beauty and horror, dreams and nightmares — as expressed in classic American cinema.
In front of a celebrity-packed crowd that included Lupita Nyong'o, Brooke Shields, Kate Bosworth, Mahershala Ali, Trevor Noah, Christina Ricci and Paris Jackson, Simons began with his familiar multi-colored cowboy-style shirts and trousers, paired with cowboy boots.
He continued with brightly colored skirts and dresses in shiny, rubbery fabrics, and he paid homage to pop art with classic Andy Warhol photo prints — like the face of actor Dennis Hopper (in a cowboy hat) on a tank top.
There were dressier looks, too, in the form of full skirts, capes and roomy coats, some with a splattered-paint print — or was it meant to evoke blood from a horror film? (Simons' designing partner, Pieter Mulier, said "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" was a reference point.)
And there were pompoms galore, evoking cheerleaders and high school.
For the men, the pompoms were an accessory hanging from a keychain or a bag.
For the women, there were pompom handbags, and even entire dresses made of them.
In the middle of the soundtrack was a solitary line from the David Bowie song, "This is Not America" — the same song that both opened and closed Simons' February debut show. At the time, the designer had acknowledged it was a political commentary.
"Some things are getting worse," opined Mulier backstage.
As for Simons, he explained that he'd been thinking "about where we are with fashion," and felt the field had lost its sense of daring.
His sense of adventure is one of the reasons he's been received in New York like a conquering hero, winning Council of Fashion Designers of America awards for both menswear and womenswear this year — a rare feat.
He said he wanted to portray both dreams and the nightmares as embodied in American cinema. "Beauty and horror cannot exist without each other," he said.
Among the models was a notable name making her runway debut: Kaia Gerber, daughter of supermodel Cindy Crawford, who knows her way around a Calvin Klein runway. Gerber wore satiny yellow trousers and a black-and-white cowboy shirt.
Making his own debut —- not on the runway, but as a fashion show attendee — was Ali, Oscar winner for "Moonlight."
He said he had an affinity for fashion, despite never having seen a show. But, he added, he didn't see himself getting too deep into the business.
"If it happens in an organic way, maybe," said Ali, who appeared in a Calvin Klein underwear ad with other "Moonlight" stars earlier this year. "I really just want to do great work as an actor."
Also attending his first fashion show was Comedy Central host Trevor Noah. "I got it, I really understood it," Noah said happily afterward, adding that the Warhol prints were among his favourites.