New York Fashion Week is held twice a year, and it serves many purposes. It is a place to scout trends and see what clothes you will be buying from a Nordstrom discount rack in a year. Standing in long lines outside of shows provides an opportunity to break in new shoes. And, quite crucially, fashion week is a chance to make sure that Paris Hilton is doing OK.
Season after season, the mid-aughts' favorite socialite mills about Spring Studios and other fashion week haunts. This year, she palled around with sister Nicky at alice + olivia’s presentation and wore a naked dress to Philipp Plein’s showing.
Models walk the runway for The Blonds fashion show during New York Fashion Week: The Shows at Gallery I at Spring Studios on February 12, 2019 in New York City.
Mike Coppola/GettyYet it was The Blonds’ runway show where Hilton really got to shine, trading her usual front row seat for a role in the production modeling a very Vegas, gilded mini dress. It was not the first time Hilton, a Blonds superfan, has graced the label’s catwalk—last season, she played Cruella de Vil in a Disney-themed collection. (She seemed more relaxed this go around, and much less stiff, at one point throwing her hands in the air.)
Joining Hilton was a slew of special guest models including actress Karrueche Tran, twin-fluencers Shannon and Shannade Clermont, and drag performer Aquaria. But no model—Paris included—elicited as much excitement as Lil Kim, who ended the show in a fringe golden jumpsuit and spiked platforms.
But the artist also known as Queen Bee was not content to merely walk. She also performed her single “Go Awff,” which coincidentally played in the background of her surprise VFiles appearance last September.
The song, which features a very catchy horn riff, proved the perfect soundtrack for stomping down a long runway; it replayed as the models made their final victory lap at the show’ finale. It even inspired co-designer David Blond, who runs the line with his partner Phillipe, to drop down low right after taking his final bow next to a beaming Kim.
The audience beamed just as brightly as the threads they came to oogle. Despite standing outside in the sleet for over an hour waiting for the late show to begin, many dressed in disco finery, and practically none wore shoes appropriate for the weather.
Pose star Billy Porter put on an all-white outfit with a stunning bib made out of pearls. That detailing matched the circle shades he wore indoors. EJ Johnson (Magic’s son) opted for a v-neck metallic sweater and skin-tight black latex leggings.
Kid influencers like drag darling Desmond Napoles and Taylen Biggs were also in attendance, out late for a school night but dressed better than most of the grown adults relegated to back rows. Like Porter, at just five-years-old Biggs has mastered the power move of wearing sunglasses indoors.
Were the looks sent down the runway all that distinguishable from past Blonds fare? Of course not. Judging from the whooping that came from the risers, diehards of the label hardly seemed to care. All the perennial staples of a Blonds show—leopard print, catsuits, leopard print catsuits, hip-high slits, and a bodysuit or two—were included in the lineup.
If anything was new, it might have been the emerald color that littered the predictably golden palette. This jewel tone has been seen around this week at other shows like alice + olivia and Cinq a Sept. If, as is often repeated, three makes a trend, then we can all go ahead and call emerald a thing for fall.
But, overall, The Blonds show exists to be a party. And perhaps also to let us all know that Lil Kim and Paris Hilton are OK. Thank goodness for that.
