USA TODAY International Edition
Lauren steps on the gas; Kors goes to the beach
USA TODAY has been on the ground in New York, covering the sights and sounds of fashion week, which kicked off last Thursday. Here are a few highlights from the latest designer shows.
RALPH LAUREN
Instead of holding his New York Fashion Week show in one of the five boroughs, Lauren chauffeured VIPs out to his garage in Bedford, N.Y., to view his latest collection among his eye-popping collection of Bugattis, Bentleys, Ferraris and every other luxury car one could imagine.
The list of celebrity attendees included Lauren’s current muse and face of his newest fragrance, Jessica Chastain, along with the actress he iconically dressed in Annie Hall, Diane Keaton.
On the runway, famous faces included Kendall Jenner and Bella
Hadid, who modeled billowing ball gowns. And while Kaia Gerber has been turning heads during her first fashion week, the 16-year-old daughter of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber has a brother, Presley, who also modeled at the show.
The show included Lauren’s women’s and men’s high-end looks, and since the setting screamed James Bond, the designer was more than happy to outfit his models to fit the theme, with plenty of gray tweed and leather trenches, racing stripes and bomber jackets over suits. For the Bond Girls, Lauren interspersed slinky gowns and tulle skirts with suspenders, smoking jackets and other impeccably tailored menswear-inspired looks.
Even the waiters were dapper, wearing matching Lauren-emblazoned jumpsuits, looking like members of a chic pit crew who’ve never stepped close to a NASCAR race.
MICHAEL KORS
The Monterey housewives of HBO’s Big Little Lies would’ve felt right at home at Michael Kors’ show.
In the sun-drenched Spring Street Studios Wednesday, Kors kicked off the final day of fashion week with his spring 2018 presentation that was, according to the show notes, “all about ease.”
The celebrity guests typified the show’s grown-up, laid-back glamour, with Lies star Nicole Kidman sitting alongside Naomi Watts and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Kors promised “Beverly Hills to Bora Bora” vibes, which explained the Hawaiian leis worn by several models. The rest of the collection wasn’t quite as literal, but still featured daytime looks ready for a beach party or laidback brunch, with springy palm prints, blazers thrown over coordinated separates, tan trenches and ruffled dresses.
But warm-weather escapes require more than just casual day looks, and Kors delivered with chic patterned bathing suits with matching cover-ups for the beach, and slinky, sequined evening gowns for nighttime.
“It” girls Kendall Jenner and Gigi and Bella Hadid were spotted on the runway, but in keeping with the show’s beachy feel, Kors’ final look went to Sports Illustrated swimsuit star Kate Upton, who closed the show with her firstever New York Fashion Week runway walk.