photo from stylecaster.com
Show dogs? Zebra print? The Renaissance? What could all of these have in common other than New York Fashion Week? This season’s designers went all out with bold, fresh spins on classic patterns and shapes, as well as outlandish performances to accompany their work.
Fashion Week kicked off by celebrating with 11 Honoré, a new designer fashion website to include sizes 10 and up. It was an inspiring victory for the fashion industry as famed plus size fashion models Candice Huffine and Precious Lee strutted down the runway in styles that would be available on the site. Laverne Cox, an actress and LGBTQ advocate, closed the show by dancing all the way down the runway in a red tulle gown.
A few unexpected designers debuted on the runway, including up-and-coming Tomo Koizumi. He was discovered by fashion journalist Katie Grand through Instagram just a month before the event. His brightly colored puff designs were to be some of the most talked about looks from the week. Another new designer featured in Fashion Week, Batsheva Hay, gained a lot of her popularity through Instagram. Her light, floral patterns and Renaissance-like structure echo a more colorful “The Little House on The Prairie” vibe. Other designers also featured Renaissance-inspired pieces, such as Alice + Olivia, Tory Burch, and Marc Jacobs.
Zebra print also made a notable appearance this season. Alice + Olivia debuted an exotic group of outfits that coupled glitter with zebra. They kept the model’s hair and makeup simple and clean, avoiding too much visual chaos. Phillip Lim also included an eye-catching zebra trench coat that wowed the press. Even Kendall Jenner’s outfit of choice included the print while she attended the festivities on Monday. Jenner rocked some loud zebra print pants with a black puffy jacket and Yeezys.
Feathers were also a popular choice of material during the week. From Dion Lee’s dash of white feathers on a simple turtle neck to Oscar de la Renta’s extravagant gown covered from train to neck in in the white fluff, the designers’ creativity in use of it did not go unnoticed. A well known model who last appeared on the runway in the 90s, Christy Turlington Burns, wore an entirely black feather gown for Marc Jacobs as she closed out her fashion show career.
Burns was not the only returning model from Fashion Week’s past to make an appearance on the runway. Patti Hansen also made a shocking return who, like Burns, had not been on the runway since the 90s. Hansen was one of Michael Kors’ central models back in the 70s, and was a crucial inspiration for their designs at the time.
Performances from celebrities including Lil’ Kim for The Blond, and Barry Manilow closing for Michael Kors, were well-received, but not quite as unexpected as the dog show that accompanied Lela Rose’s designs. Of course, as odd as it was, it was a very popular twist.
As usual, New York Fashion Week was a huge success for everyone, from its celebratory start to its reminiscent close.