NYFW Day Five and Six

As we’re nearing the end of the fashion week, the shows go either two ways for me. I start losing interest as there isn’t that many that I’m excited to see or I get completely shocked out of one who came in left field. Day five brought us Brandon Maxwell who, like everyone else, is going in a more simple route. Stating that this was a more intimate show for his friends, family and brand supports. This reigned turned as there were only around 100 people seated. This collection was very minimalist as many are this season. You can see the shift of the trend cycle happening right in front of us and gone are the days of over the top dressing because of the lockdown making everyone feel the need to show out. Here we see flares, another wrap around dress moment (like Proenza), and bigger bags. Maxwell was quoted, that he wasn’t interesting in brining that ‘a lot’ aspect that many have done before.

Wiederhoeft was a collection many were excited to see since we were all amazed from last season. Shown in a black box theatre, the collection had corsets, beading, and cunt-y security guards? Here we saw similar trends that were seen earlier in the week but some in the Wiederhoeft style. Taking some over the top pieces with something more subdue.

Ph5 is the last show I will talk about for the last day (day six) of NYFW. This was their first runway show so I felt it was only fitting to mention them in the post. Starting the show with the models carrying piles of clothes you would think it would be a statement on the negative effects of the fashion industry but it was quite the opposite. This was done to give recognition to their factory workers in China. One designer having known the actual workers for many years as their mother worked their way up at the warehouse. Forever working with knitwear, we saw the brands traditional items. The wavy hemlines, knitwear, and the UV changing fabrics perfect for the show being done on a rooftop.

MFW Day Four

Dolce & Gabbana, although I’m still not a fan of this brand I recognize they have a beautiful collection. Continuing with the same theme as the Spring, they have taken archival pieces and modernized them. As always this collection included a lot of lingerie as D&G are known for a the elegant sexy looks. Ranging in black, white, gold and red the pieces were executed very well.

Ferragamo this season sticked to a traditional look. Basing most of the silhouettes off of 1950s clientele and aesthetic the traditional looks were modernized. Starting off with a somewhat naval look, this season Davis focused on circle skirts, sweetheart neckline, etc. A flawless collection at most but at times it seems like Davis is playing too into the house’s heritage style and not taking a risk. While it was safe it wasn’t a boring safe.

Missoni, was bright and cheerful, opposite of most collections as fall is often dark and gloomy (which is probably why I like the fall collections more). The floral trend that we all predicted would be popular in 2023 made an appearance here as well. This time it wasn’t an applique but a drawn rose, archival from 1984. While maintaining the bright energy the collection also brought a bit of sexiness to it. Most of the silhouettes were form fitting and hugging all the right curves. I was very fond of the zig zag print scattered throughout.

Bottega Veneta came back with the leather illusion. At this point is so hard to tell what is leather and what isn’t. This collection had no general theme as Blazy wanted each garment to stand out on its own. He wanted each piece to represent the strangers one meets every day on the street and how they would style themselves. Layering was a big focus, that and workwear. The collection was very milanese.

Philipp Plein was by far my favorite for day four. Starting the show with motorcyclist zooming back and forth on the runway. Denim, PVC, and chrome were the big three for this season. Titled “Chrome Cowboy” it was indeed that. The first looks were patchwork denim paired with chrome shoes or accessories. Latter half being menswear, you see the influence both in womenswear and mens. Going from denim to leather looks and leopard print. Plein zoomed in on his bike in the finale to take his bow which I thought was kind of hot.

NYFW Day Six

Luar brought clothing with a history. Inspired by the women in his neighborhood growing up, he remembers the time of hand me downs. Focusing in on furs as that is something that often gets hand down. Hand me downs often carry a story with them and that’s exactly what he did in this collection.

Wiederhoeff took inspiration from the Greek story of Orpheus and Eurydice. (As a high school theatre kid my little Hadestown heart swoons). Mainly focusing on the part were Eurydice is in the underworld. Very bridal inspired as the gowns looked like a wedding dress and models were carrying bouquets. The idea of each piece representing a character for example look 2 being the fates was clever. Besides the gowns there were corset with contrasting stitches and a lingerie dress that was hand embroidered.

NYFW Day Four

Palomo Spain explored with concepts of being a child and playing dress up. The mood board was filled with childhood photos of the team. Titled the closet, this collection was about how we use to play dress up with our mothers clothing. During this stage in your life you are exploring who you are and what feels like you. The fabrics and items ranged with pieces that can be found in the closet and bedroom. Terri-cloth, duvets, even pillows. It was a child’s dream come to life.

Coach’s silhouette was very long this season. Maxi skirts and long sweater dresses. Along with shearling and denim we were also introduced to metallics. The sweater dresses varied with different logos, one with NY, Superman, and so on. The sheer trend is still going strong and Coach is one of the many brands to prove that this season.

LaQuan Smith was all about tailoring and trousers. While maintaining their signature cutouts and sexiness, this collection also played with sophistication. Maturity being a major trend, this collection does not fall short from that. We see sexy mature looks in black, purples, and metallics. The Smith girl always gives the feeling of they’re better than you without even trying and everyone knows that.

Priscavera gave off all the 90s vibes. Sheer, gingham, and plaid were scattered throughout the runway. Another collection of the mature sexy woman was done here. Trousers with contrasting stitch and silk pant suits brought a sleek sweet look. While the plaid edged up the collection.

NYFW Day One

It’s my favorite holiday season. New York Fashion Week has officially started. This week starts off with Rodarte. Commencing with a Morticia like aesthetic. The first few gowns that ascended the runway were all black. Oddly enough the inspiration for this season were fairies, in this case gothic fairies. The Mulleavy’s even had their mother draw fairies that were later printed on the gowns towards the end of the show. From wings to head pieces, down to even the makeup the inspiration was displayed all around. One of the finales pieces, silver, even giving Maleficent.

Kate Spade is not normally a brand I talk about as it was something never within my realm of interest but this Fall Winter 2023 collection truly revived them. Ranging in an array of colors and shapes this collection had a lot of color blocking. We were also introduced to the Kate Spade green which is now the house’s signature color. The collection brought a youthful energy to a brand that I feel often can be stuffy which makes me very excited for them.

Prabal Gurung inspiration this season was the butterfly. Butterfly wings were enlarged and scattered through the collection. Even the pattern spots on their wings were incorporated as well. Along with the animal print were bold colors. Something sort of reviving for the colder months as often you see darker shades and feel a sense of overall gloom. Gurung brought rebirth to the Fall Winter season with this collection.

Dion Lee also played with animal print. A brand known for the luxury high end rave wear, this season was a bit toned down. Maturity is the feeling that comes to mind after viewing this collection. Not only did they stick to their roots with their rave wear but also brought pieces that can be worn on the daily and fit into anyones wardrobe. Reptile scales or skin was used throughout the collection as well which fit perfect with the maturity aspect of it all. I love the quote given “representation of the shedding of skin”, very well done here.

Marine Serre – Rising Shelter

Though I did not blog about the prior collection don’t let that fool you as Marine Serre is still in my top five designers. She needs to get more attention because what she’s doing is amazing. The scene laid out were three towers of clothes. One entirely of t-shirts, the other of denim, and finally one full of pattern pieces. Marine Serre is notably known for her outlook on the fashion industry. One full of over consumption which resulting to piles and piles of clothing left all over the world. This is what was being said in this most recent show. This brand is constantly teaching us how to upcycle and how to use old fabrics to create new pieces instead of letting it all waste away.

Screen printed garments enter the runway as the lights come up after the sunrise moment. They’re accompanied by the traditional Marine Serre moon logo here very much giving their second skin look. Denim patchwork slowly trickles in along with cutlery pieces re-designed as jewelry and belts. Marine Serre stated in her poem beforehand “to love is to repair” a theme we see here and in many of her collections. Her ability to take dead stock items and transform them into something else never ceases to amaze me. Here in the denim portion we see the brands moon imbedded in the breast cups.

Serre’s crescent moon always sneaks up in new ways in every collection.While keeping the second skin print that is littered in catsuits or long sleeves. We are met this season with the second skin moon print in more of a henna style and a shimmery glitter moment as well. Though Serre’s collection are often a topic about how to reuse and recycle old garments to be made into new ones she brings a more elegant approach to them. Her aesthetic normally ranging in the edgy realm, Serre’s look this season brought on beauty and femininity. With a lot of items accentuating curves and a little bit of sheer here and there. The various sizes of models were complimented very well with these pieces which makes me love this designer even more.

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Fashion and Economy

Does the economy effective what we wear? Fashion is subjective and the designers are often influenced by past memories or current events. We all know that the world, economy, political and social events can effect the general theme for collections any given season. But can the financial market predict what will be the next trend on the runway? The saying goes that history repeats itself and I believe that’s a given in fashion. When forecasting for the next year it’s common practice to look at collections from twenty years prior. By looking at these collections can that also give us an idea of what the economy will be like in the next year?

To understand the effect of economy and fashion or vice versa, we have to understand the Hemline Index. A theory created in 1926 by George Taylor. In essence it states that women wear shorter skirts or dresses in times of financial success or growth. Whereas in times of need or financial down fall the skirts or dresses get longer. This was due to hosiery being very popular in the time the theory was created. Shorter hemlines allow you to see the hosiery where longer hemlines were more to hide the fact that you don’t have any due to not being able to afford them. The same idea can be applied to fashion in general during these times. For example shoes and trends changed to more glitzy and glamour in times of economic downfall.

The 1930s were known as the great depression but the fashion during this time was the exact opposite. Long floor length dresses and what was considered the introduction of the platform shoe are what reigned on the movie screen. Fashion was used as a form of escapism during this time, it was full of fantasy and whimsical. This could be seen through the likes of Elsa Schiaparelli and her designs inspired by surrealism. Although there is the latter where we see people move more towards practicality. This only became stronger as WWII commenced. I had my first hand with this when I was child, growing up in the early 2000s I saw the fashion and hemlines change a lot. Now as an adult and seeing the revival of early 2000s fashion it makes me a little worried given what was popular during certain times.

Covid has definitely change the course of fashion and the given trends. We went from comfy loungewear to crazy over the top. Partly because we were stuck inside for so long the need to go out and show out is strong. This last year or so we saw the craze for platform shoes like the Naked Wolf boots, sequins, and mini skirts. Although I do think sequins will be very popular in the next year it’s slowly sneaking its way in. People dress in excess as you can see in streetwear style looks that have a more maximalist approach to it. But how does the Hemline Index play a role with the micro mini skirt trend. Yes we just finished dealing with the pandemic and the economy right now in the US is not ideal – though I don’t think I can talk much about economics – but yet the hemlines are shorter. Does the financial market effective fashion or vice versa? I don’t know, but both play very important roles and help us understand the other.

Paris Fashion Week pt.2

Paris Fashion Week exceeded my expectations and I think there might be another post coming. Please bare with me as I catch, I just had a birthday. As fashion month officially ended on the 5th, this is me catching up to the shows I loved. Loewe brought an interesting view on fashion after the pandemic. As Jonathan Anderson brought many pieces embellished with geometric swag. Metal rods were constructed underneath the fabric to created a 3D silhouette of the shoulder, hips, or waist. With many other collections erasing the past of the pandemic and rushing into the now styles of wanting to show off, this was a big concept for Anderson. Instead of showcasing the now he wanted to implement a sense of birth. The birth chapter of this collection which consisted of minimalistic styles with a hint of a little something here and there. Along with the peculiar geometric shapes were the heel of many shoes. The heels were an array of random objets like birthday candles, nail polish, and even a broken egg.

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Issey Miyake took a deep dive this year, quite literally as the collection shows the models climbing down a latter from a pond. This collection was a deep dive into creativity and the reinventing of a brand as Satoshi Kondo explored silhouettes that were not typically a go to for them. A look that I absolutely loved from this collection were the spiral-circular looks, as stated by Kondo, the brand decided to follow the formations of the ocean. The knit-ribbed fabric follows the ripple of the waves in the ocean and create a new look for this style of dress.

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Balenciaga Spring 2022 brought a red carpet premier to Paris Fashion Week. As the stars and invited guests made their way to the theatre to get a taste to see what Denma will be bringing to the brand this time around. The actual audience being seated inside watched the models embody other celebrities, while celebrities embodied models and so on. While these ‘models’ continued down the red carpet the audience inside got a closer look of the looks that walked down. The cameras zoomed in on the garments, the shoes, etc. The crowd ooo-ing and aw-ing at the collection Demna had presented on the big screen. The red carpet was used to premier the Simpsons x Balenciaga film. Where Marge and Bart end up modeling in Paris where they are dressed in signature Balenciaga looks from prior collections.

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Milan Fashion Week pt. 2

Marni Spring 2022 was all about direction and resilience. This is quoted by Francesco Risso when asked about the inspiration for this collection. It wasn’t about inspiration but more the direction and rebirth we’re going through as a world leaving the plague of a terrible pandemic. Stripes and daisies are common themes as Risso stated that stripes reinforce the idea of direction as they indicate where they audience will look. As daisies are commonly known for a resilience symbol. Daisies are flowers that when they’re planted in sunny spot will continue to grow for years to come. Risso dressed the audience as well in a sort of a “we’re going through the same situation” type of thing. Whereas other designers have created this glamour and escapism from the current world and having almost this wall between the audience and models. Risso chose to be authentic for this collection.

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Prada Spring 2022 showed simultaneously in Milan and Shanghai. In Milan we saw the models walking by screens that displayed the models in Shanghai with the same looks and vice versa. Prada this season wanted to reinvent sexy on their own terms. With previous collections the last few weeks (and post) showing off all the sex appeal Prada brought a different take to the table. As stated by Miuccia and Raf, they decided to title the show ‘Seduction, Stripped Down’. As people are much more familiar with the items and garments that are target as sexy we see here that Prada took those ideas to create their ‘sexy’. Whether it be a sweater that cups around the breast to show their natural shape or a dress where you find out the back is cut so low that you see almost a hint of lingerie. It’s the art of seduction and tease, almost seeing something but giving a little to flaunt your sexiness. Along with the sweater this collection brought us mini skirts with a train as well as beautiful leather jackets that were styled as the top piece on the model instead of having a shirt or blouse.

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Versace Spring 2022 brought us Dua Lipa not only has runway music but as a model as she is the current muse for the brand. (This show also had Naomi Campbell which I was freaking out about.) The show started with all black looks as Dua walked first in this black suit and safety pin moment. As we progress further we’re hit with bright neon colors and an array of basketball like jersey’s, bikini tops, as well as scarf tops. Certain motifs in this collection were definitely to be aimed to the TikTok/Gen Z generation as many people of that audience love Dua Lipa (she does have some good music). We see bright neon suits for men and women, letterman jackets in reds. With the finale being Dua in a hot pink signature Versace chainmail look the brand is notoriously known for. Rumor has it that Dontella, Kim Jones, and Silvia Venturini Fendi, will be doing some sort of collab collection tonight to close off Milan Fashion Week. So, I’m very excited to see what’s to come.

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London Fashion Week (pt.2)

Simone Rocha Spring 2022 was filled with beautiful nods to motherhood. As Rocha has given birth to her second child, you can see the influence of bringing your child to their baptism displayed in this collection. Taking place in church of St. Bartholomew the Great, this overall theme seem fitting. Greetings of familiar lace detailing effortlessly moved down the runway. These lace dresses mimicking one worn my babies in their baptism. Other nods to motherhood are displayed in the gowns that open in the front and back as though thought out for women who are breastfeeding. But the red and darker motifs signifying the darker side of motherhood and birth.

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I don’t think I could even continue this post without talking about Maximillian Spring 2022. Maximillian Davis brought more than just the heat. These last few days we’ve been seeing many designers bringing sexier clothing to their collections in compliance to the mentality of many people wanting to show off after being stuck in quarantine and pandemic for what seems like forever. But for Davis he didn’t use these as key elements in his show. He rather displayed this show-y garments as a sense of freedom. Referencing photos from nature photographer Nadia Huggins to envoke the sense of freedom one had as a teenager enjoying their time at the pool. This I can see perfectly from how the pieces are cut and how it allows space for movement and comfortability. He also reference elements from Carnival as he celebrated it in his home reminding him of the freedom he had as a child.

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Harris Reed Spring 2022 first ever physical show brought an array of black and white looks. The collection being shown on the night of a very powerful full moon I believe it was only fitting. (The hats in my opinion almost mimic the moon in a way.) I was first introduced to Reed by Harry Lambert the stylist for Harry Styles. I saw he had posted something with him tagged and from there on I followed. This was the way many people found Reed as he has gain most of his popularity through social media. Reed is not shy about being bold as shown in the collection with the big circular hats, he wants to be seen. I do love the fact that he recycled some material to make the pieces. Reed has expressed the influence that Bowie has on his pieces as he paid a homage to him in a striped suit. Bowie being known for dressing very androgynously something Reed highlights as he wants to shine the light more on gender fluidity. I love the way he’s going at it and I’m very excited to see what else he will bring in future collections.

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