Some things about the biannual New York Fashion Week remain reassuringly constant. Local and foreign fashionistas will fill the front rows at the very last minute and dash out when the music is still on. Bloggers and street photographers will clog the entrances of each show incessantly posting to their Twitter and Instagram feeds. And then there will be the hush-hush after-parties where only a handful of lucky insiders will be able to mingle with top models and celebrities and revel until the wee hours.
With a packed calendar counting over 250 shows and a designer lineup that has nothing to envy to the Paris, Milan or London shows anymore, there are plenty of incredibly talented designers to watch for, and eponymous ones such as Victoria Beckham. These are the ones that we are particularly excited about:
Gareth Pugh. One of the hottest tickets this season is definitely Pugh’s. The British cutting-edge designer who usually shows in Paris is making his debut in New York as part of this season’s MADE calendar with a live performance/fashion show that promises to be shocking as well as memorable.
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Jeremy Scott has been designing his eponymous line since 1997 and was appointed creative director at Moschino in fall 2013 (he’s also had a long-running collaboration with adidas). Jeremy counts celebrities and pop stars like Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, and Rita Ora among his fans, and Cyrus is rumored to be involved in his show this week (we don’t know the details of their collaboration, but we are sure it will be highly entertaining).
Fashion-watchers are also thrilled to see Stuart Vevers’ second collection at Coach after he gave a much-needed hip and luxurious makeover to the iconic American brand with his fall collection. Vevers (who hails from the U.K.) has an impressive resume, having designed for Mulberry and revamped the Spanish accessories label Loewe before starting to work his magic at Coach.
Another of our favorites (and a CFDA nominee) is Giulietta; designed by Sofia Sizzi with the style of ’60s movie stars in mind (think Monica Vitti, Catherine Deneuve, and Claudia Cardinale), Sizzi mixes vintage silhouettes with contemporary fabrics and flair.
Full disclosure, I am from Tuscany and so is Sizzi: perhaps that makes me a bit biased, but she’s an exceptional talent.
Rosie Assoulin is a young New York designer who cut her teeth first at Oscar de la Renta and then Lanvin. She creates dramatic yet wearable clothes. This year she was nominated for a CFDA award and celebrity stylists are taking note: Michelle Dockery wore one of her gowns on the red carpet at the Emmys last week.
Alexander Wang. We love him because even though he’s still very young, Wang has already proven to the fashion world to be the real deal and can flawlessly design both his own hip New York label and the Parisian-chic Balenciaga. Plus he’s known to throw the best after-party of NYFW.
Rodarte. Since 2005, the Mulleavy sisters have designed clothes that are both art pieces as well as garments. Their designs have graced the bodies of celebrities like Kirsten Dunst, Cate Blanchett, and Natalie Portman (not to mention our First Lady). Their fall collection featured gowns embellished with prints of Star Wars characters.
Creatures of the Wind is the creation of Shane Gabier and Christopher Peters, who started the label in Chicago in 2008. Their first collection was featured on the cover of WWD and this year they won the CFDA Swarovski Award for Womenswear (after being nominated for the second time). With a strong eye for tailoring and luxurious fabrics, they have quickly become some of the press and customers’ favorite young designers.
Let’s face it: It’s hard to get excited about menswear unless you’re a guy (and even in that case the word “excited” might be too much), but thanks to a crop of young and more established designers like Tim Coppens, Thom Browne, and Public School, every fashion editor and buyer is looking at menswear again.
Some of my personal favorites also include: Chloë Sevigny for Opening Ceremony (as far as I am concerned Sevigny can do no wrong; the same goes for Charlotte Gainsbourg, who just launched a capsule collection with Current/Elliott). Also to look out for: Tome, Ohne Titel, Marissa Webb, Suno, Rachel Comey, and Sophie Theallet.
What trends are we expecting to see on the runways this week?
Even though fashion is all about “everything goes” right now, we should be on the lookout for bold colors and over the top cartoonish prints, lots of black and white, and floral patterns mixed with solid colors. Ethnic fabrics that remind you of all the trips you have always wanted to take but never actually did, will be probably front and central on the runways. We may also see more bejeweled and colorful sneakers, tech fabrics used in classic shapes, soft and oversize silhouettes. And lots of jewelry, piled up: the more, the better.
Last but not least: Let’s party!
Who doesn’t love the man who invented street photography? If you never had the luck to see Mr. Bill Cunningham on the streets of our beloved city snapping photos, this is your chance: tonight, Wednesday, he’ll be talking to Fern Mallis at the 92Y.
The same night Vanessa Hudgens (whose talent I only appreciated after watching Spring Breakers) is launching the new Flaunt magazine “Distressed issue.” (By invitation only)
On Thursday evening, Target is unveiling its new collaboration with Altuzarra; consider this of the most sought-after events of the week. (By invitation only)
The same night at Bergdorf Goodman, fashion editors and celebrities will mix to toast personal-shopper extraordinaire Betty Halbreich’s new memoir I’ll Drink To That: A Life in Style, With a Twist (full disclosure, I sometimes collaborate with the store). (By invitation only)
The team behind Indochine and Acme is also opening Tijuana Picnic in the LES sometime this month. Expect them to give a sneak peek of the new restaurant with a couple of star-studded and very exclusive parties this week.
