10 hot stories, including our New York catwalk report and fashion’s super siblings
NEW YORK IS THE NEW NEW YORK, read the slogan stamped on the backs of models’ hooded jumpsuits for DKNY’S finale (left). It was a sentiment that summed up what most of the Big Apple fashion crowd felt last week. There are a lot of very established brands here, but delivering something that will sell on a large scale doesn’t always leave room for creative surprises. So, whether it was the Presidential debate raging around them or the 15th anniversary of 9/11 (Victoria Beckham observed the moments of silence before starting her show) that brought things to a head, this season, New York’s design talent started new beginnings.
First, a clean slate (and a new chief
creative officer) for Diane von Furstenberg. The man in question, Scottish-born Jonathan Saunders, 38, is no stranger to us; the closing of his eponymous line will leave a hole not easily filled at London Fashion Week. His new chapter in NYC, however, is off to a bit of a blinder. The soft-focus use of print and colour and feminine silhouettes that are his hallmarks are nectar to the brand that made the wrap dress a staple – and yes, there are still wrap dresses. It wouldn’t be DVF without wrap dresses. But there are also printed trench coats, sequinned shifts and ruffled-but-not-twee blouses – and actually, the wrap dresses looked rather new in their own right, which added to the feeling that DVF had been pretty bloody clever in signing him up.
As for the gaping hole in the schedule... Only last month, Calvin Klein announced ex-dior designer Raf Simons as its new chief creative officer – and even a mega-brand like CK couldn’t pull off an entire brand overhaul in four weeks. Consider that one a pregnant pause, then.
So what of the brand-spanking new-to-be-seen designers? Sander Lak, a former designer at Dries Van Noten, showed the second season of his new label, Sies Marjan, to a lot of buzz. And rightly so – Selfridges and Matches both took a punt on the first season, and so far, so great. This time around, colour-blocking was head to toe in lime and raspberry jelly shades of silk, with khaki and pumpkin
orange vinyl. And there were two new design duos to watch: Tome, whose loosely structured dresses bore ruffles, knots and harlequin checks, and Monse, who deconstructed shirt stripes with a Parisian spirit. And then there was the new order. This season saw a few brave designers be the first to put the ‘see now, buy now’ principle into action, selling their new collections direct from the catwalks. It ranged from one or two key pieces – BOSS’S Bespoke Soft bag, Coach 1941’s customised leather biker jacket, T-shirt and bag – to full kit-and-caboodle stuff. Tommy Hilfiger set things off with a bang, not to mention a crash and wallop, with #Tommynow. In-between inhaling mozzarella sticks and playing fairground games on the Tommy Pier specially built for the occasion (yep, really – there was a Ferris wheel), would-be shoppers could buy the new season, as well as the Tommy x Gigi capsule, on the spot (that’s Gigi
Hadid, natch). Tommy’s own brand of preppy-meets-military had a shake-up, with oversized biker jackets and hoodies making surprise cameos on the catwalk of this all-american brand. Not to be outdone, Ralph Lauren shut down six blocks of Madison Avenue – with a full police escort to boot – so he could launch his ‘right off the runway and into your lives’ collection, with his flagship store as the backdrop. It opened for sales straight after, so editors could pop in to pick up a crimson silk evening dress, or the ’80s oversized leather jacket just seen on Kendall. Alexander Wang ended his show on a surprise note, announcing a collaboration with adidas Originals on an 84-piece unisex collection, a capsule of which was available immediately to buy, adding a spring to his step: his signature jog along the catwalk at the end was bouncier, his smile more infectious than usual.
Maybe I drank too much of the KoolAid, but the whole mood of NYC, the high spirits, got under my skin. At Michael Kors, Rufus Wainwright and a seven-man band sang mid-century hits, the lyrics a better mission statement than any press release. ‘Forget your troubles, come on, get happy!’ they trumpeted, as models walked past in retro wallpaper florals and sweatshirts bearing just one word: Love. At Rodarte, sisters Laura and Kate Mulleavy stitched hearts like Valentine’s Day cards across the busts of white lace dresses. Their brides wore flowers in their hair and ornate yellow gold jewellery hanging from ear to ear, which resembled traditional Indian bridal jewellery. Even the colour palette for S/S ’17 was optimistic; cue sunbeams of Grazia yellow (between citrus and canary) everywhere, from Lacoste’s terry-towelling dresses and vinyl rain capes, to neon coats at 3.1 Phillip Lim, or painted on earlobes in lieu of make-up at Proenza Schouler.
This is how New York reinvented itself, then. Full of optimism and love, a city ready to embrace the new – or at least, a city hoping the new won’t be so bad, after all. Frocks might not have the power to change the world, but they can sure change our mood – and we could all use a little of that right now.