NEW YORK FASHION WEEK
Marc Jacobs dreams a little dream for spring
Somehow Marc Jacobs, who has the final Fashion Week slot every time — a position of considerable pressure — tends to find a way to surprise and impress. But earlier this month, he also sent a jolt of delight through the crowd with a joyful and dreamlike ode to fashion of all kinds and all eras.
“Tonight is our reminder of the joy in dressing up,” he wrote in notes left on guests’ chairs, “our unadulterated love of fashion and embracing grand gestures of unbridled expressions, reactions, ideas and possibilities.”
Jacobs’ models — 61 of them — entered the room to the strains of Doris Day singing “Dream a Little Dream of Me.” There was color, sparkle, craftsmanship, dazzling variety — and far too many cultural references to count. Bella Hadid looked like a cowboy, in shades of purple, red and gray. Her sister, Gigi Hadid, was barefoot, in a pastel blue minidress and round hat that resembled a 1960s airline hostess.
There were sartorial nods to people who died recently: Chanel’s longtime designer Karl Lagerfeld, who died in February; Lee Radziwill, who died the same month; and Anita Pallenberg, who died in 2017.
Whether you caught Jacobs’ historical references in his parade of fashions, you definitely could catch the feeling of joy — and no more so than when Jacobs came out for his own bow.
“Sister,” Pyer Moss’ latest production for New York Fashion Week, was a brilliant, irreverent and joyous celebration of black culture, specifically black women — a show where even the colorful, eye-catching garments proved to be just part of the story its designer, Kerby Jean-Raymond, masterfully weaved together.
With that, The Pyer Moss Tabernacle Drip Choir Drenched in the Blood took to the stage and began to sing. Dressed in formal black against a white backdrop, it was the perfect complement to the designs that would grace the runway. Looks included a flowing white tunic with red trim and matching white pants; a brilliant yellow-gold gown with long, billowing sleeves; a skirt that flared at the bottom and a cut-out back; and brilliant artwork emblazoned on casual outfits.
Jean-Raymond said he chose the songs to pay tribute to the contributions of black women in culture, specifically music. He noted the often overlooked Sister Rosetta Tharpe, who is considered by many to be the rightful creator of rock ’n’ roll.
“And I feel like black women are often erased from things, and I wanted to do this specifically for black women,” he said.
The Lesley Gore classic “You Don’t Own Me” played as Proenza Schouler’s models took their final lap of the runway, a clear message that the designers were thinking about power.
Lazaro Hernandez and partner Jack McCollough presented a collection Tuesday night that was dedicated, they said, to expressing female power, but imbued with a little softness.
In clothes, that translated to structured tailoring but combined with soft, draped fabrics — in other words, the old power suit, reworked. A number of the ensembles featured big, boxy, structured jackets with draped dresses or tops underneath.
There were soft linens and pastel colors. Sweaters had very low, draped necklines, and trousers were also draped in asymmetrical, interesting ways.
They said they were thinking of their mothers when designing this collection. “We were digging up memories of growing up, of watching our moms getting dressed, go to work, take care of us,” Hernandez said.
“It’s just about strength and power … not aggressive,” Hernandez said.
There were no flag outfits, but Michael Kors’ show for New York Fashion Week was very much a patriotic tribute as he saluted American fashion with a collection that ran from nautical chic to classic glamour-girl gowns to whimsical polka-dot designs.
Kors said that the collection was inspired by many different threads of the American experience, from the recently reimagined Broadway musical “Oklahoma” to his immigrant ancestors.
He was, of course, also inspired by American fashion.
“America is not the land of the ballgown. And the world dresses in sportswear. It’s looking at all of that sportswear, which is finding this wonderful balance of power and glamour,” he said.
Gigi Hadid wore a fitted black gown with silver studs, poufy long sleeves that had extra draping at both hips; another model wore a blue double-breasted, gold-buttoned blazer with exaggerated, billowing shoulders. There was a one-piece bathing suit dotted by tiny metallic anchors; a belted-black romper suit with gold trim, worn by Bella Hadid; and a whimsical red-and-white checkered outfit that included a blazer, shorts and a bra top paired with chunky white sandals.
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