AMERICAN GR AFFITI New York Fashion Week shone its bright lights on what’s in and what’s out this season. By Sharmita Summugam.
The stage was set, and a scene of trendsetters descended upon the streets of New York like bees to honey or fashionistas to Proenza Schouler’s much-loved ‘Lunch Bags’, as Spring/Summer ’15 commenced with a powerful, eclectic nod to the Seventies. The intoxicating thrill of walking into the Fashion Week venues was heightened by mindblowing sets. Marc Jacobs’s pink wooden house was ingenious, with the catwalk curved around the house. The entire show was not only visually stimulating but visceral with the added element of headphones that everyone had to put on before the show. It was a brilliantly executed collection that included cargo pockets, military greens, and soldierlike jackets with large buttons.
Jacobs was not the only one to tell a story via incredible dramatisation. Ralph Lauren treated everyone to a 4D spectacle in Central Park; Gareth Pugh indulged fans with an artistic dance performance; and Opening Ceremony put on a one-act play at the Metropolitan Opera House, directed by Spike Jonze and Jonah Hill, starring Elle Fanning, Rashida Jones, and Dree Hemingway.
Aside from the theatrical extravaganza, the spirit of the ’70s echoed throughout Fashion Week all over the world, and it began in New York with Coach, Derek Lam, Anna Sui, and Alice + Olivia inspired by the decade. Diane von Furstenberg made gingham cool again, as suede jumpsuits, fringe, crochet knit, spliced fabrics, and uneven hemlines ruled NYFW.
On a sad note, there was the final collection by the legendary Oscar de la Renta, who once said “We live in an era of the woman. Never in the history of the world have women been more in control of their destiny.” Lusciously feminine and playful, models Karlie Kloss and Malaika Firth walked down the runway in summery prints of flowers and leaves with an added pizzazz of feathers, stripes, and gingham. The show ended with signature Oscar de la Renta swirly dresses and the designer taking his final bow. Truly, a collection to remember. Diane von Furstenberg Spring/ Summer ’15