New York Fashion Week SS2018 Recap

New York Fashion Week may be coping with a substantial identity crisis, the big apple still managed to pull of an impressive kick start for SS2018. Yes, we had to celebrate a new fashion season without usual NYFW suspects Thom Browne, Proenza Schouler, Rodarte and Altuzarra. Yet we got so much in return.

Tom Ford for instance found his way back to the city that never sleeps and was the very first to present his shiny ‘n sexy summer collection. 11-year old Kheris Poppin was also on the schedule, one the youngest to ever present during NYFW. And from established to new to super commercial, Lidl and Heidi Klum had their own little fashion launch this week too.

Other highlights included Helmut Lang’s particular cast of (street scouted) models, Ralph Lauren’s fifty year anniversary (celebrated in his own garage) and Marc Jacobs silence catwalk show at Park Avenue Armory. Besides womenswear some menswear fashion and quite a few unisex/androgynous looks filled the catwalks as the see now by now-concept was still a ‘thing’. And as far as the trends concerned, summer 2018 is going to be colorful, exotic, nineties inspired and absolute disco proof. Just click through our gallery and see it for yourself.

Fine checks
Victoria Beckham, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren

Flamenco a go go
Philip Lim, Oscar de la Renta, Jeremy Scott

Exotic and bright
Delpozo, Prabal Gurung, Caroline Herrera, Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein

Shimmer & Shine
Victoria Beckham, Coach, Tom Ford, Caroline Herrera, Marc Jacobs, Calvin klein, Sies Marjan, Oscar de la Renta

Stripe right
Tom Ford, Kenzo, Philip Lim, Sies Marjan, Jeremy Scott, Jason Wu

Ralph Lauren Catwalk Fashion Show Womenswear SS2018 New York

It was within the context of luxury cars (Porsches, Bugattis, Jaguars, Ferraris) that Ralph Lauren’s claim of connection between clothes and cars resonated. Unlike some of the cars, revolutionary when created in terms of design and performance, the clothes didn’t attempt reinvention. Rather they oozed the timeless chic in which Lauren believes deeply and which, as the surroundings indicated, has worked well. The show opened with the tony men’s wear fabrics he loves — mixed tweeds, checks and plaids. The extensive passage featured a women’s range of dressed-up (bustier over pants) and dressed-down (relaxed jacket, pants). Men’s looks included a re-fabricated motorcycle jacket over shirt and tie and a double-breasted coat belted over lumberjack plaid sweater.

DelPozo Catwalk Fashion Show Womenswear SS2018 New York

The collection of Josep Font for DelPozo was inspired by the kitschy poolside glamour of Esther Williams and the music by Xavier Cuga. A retro world with soirees at the Waldorf Astoria. And without getting on the campy side of that world, Font came up with modern flamboyance, color and concept.
The models walked through the sunlit space at Pier 59 Studios in vivid combinations of red, white, pink, yellow and aqua blue with pert straw bow headpieces while the band Negro Helado, dressed in white tuxedos, performed throwback easy-listening tunes. Daywear was done in architectural shapes — sportswear in sculpted but minimal curves — in mostly ivory punctuated by a pop of fluorescent yellow or orange.

Font also let his imagination run wild with blown-out red paisley prints on a molded coatdress worn over aqua pants, or an aqua and white honeycomb sundress with a bright yellow strap and a wave of sculpted ruffles at the shoulder, hip and hem. There were rainbow-colored tulle gowns and a dress in blue, red and silver lame flowers with puffed tulle sleeves.

Fenty Puma by Rihanna Catwalk Fashion Show Womenswear SS2018 New York

The set of Rihanna’s Fenty Puma show was a pair of pink sand dunes over which several BMX bikers flew in a series of aerial stunts. After last season’s show of schoolyard stereotypes and the 18th-century girly sport of the season before, Rihanna went in an entirely different direction with a hyper-athletic mash-up of surf, motocross, rock climbing and all things extreme sport.
There were windbreakers and biker shorts, hoodies, racing pants, and for the first time, swimwear. Everything was torqued with athletic straps and buckles and emblazoned with Puma branding as well as words like “wet” and “drowning” in fast, graphic fonts. The colors were classic sports-born combos of navy and hot pink, black and fiery red, pool blue and white and hunter green and navy. The tight stuff was tight, but there was oversized stuff too that had a current street flavor. Everything was styled to the nines with attitude and a sense of humor. And once again Rihanna managed to make athletica, one of the most widely mined concepts in current fashion, into a vibrant collection with a point of view that can hold its own.

Coach Catwalk Fashion Show Womenswear SS2018 New York

Coach-designer Stuart Vevers continued his celebration of American heritage — but this time, it came with an upgrade.
During his spring show at Basketball City, a departure from his former home on the West Side Highway, Vevers teamed with Stefan Beckman to create a glittery set filled with New York rooftops, mailboxes and an antique car that served as a fitting backdrop for a playful, vibrant collection.
Staple pieces such as prairie dresses, varsity jackets and leather jackets got glam treatment with sequins, satin and lace, colorblocking, metallic embroideries and burnished hardware. Denim marked a new step for the brand. Vevers added retro patchwork designs that blended seamlessly with his celebration of Americana.

Coach’s archives also served Vevers well as he reinterpreted such classic pieces as the mailbox bag first created by Bonnie Cashin in 1972 and offered this time in a variety of colors and sizes.

For the Coach man, it was all about attitude. With Western-influences, mixed with Hawaii and sportswear.

Helmut Lang Catwalk Fashion Show Womenswear SS2018 New York

The worlds of Helmut Lang and Shayne Oliver collided Monday night as the former Hood by Air designer put his distinct yet complementary stamp on the venerable label.

Many of the influences were the same — bondage, fasteners, metallics, monochromatic whites and lots and lots of black leather. The collection also featured a lot of Helmut Lang branded references. But Oliver’s penchant for deconstruction shone through in many of the pieces, providing the right balance to the overall collection.

Women’s looks channeled the brand’s history of provocation with Oliver’s disruptive spirit. Oliver was tasked with moving the conversation, sure to be divisive, back to the brand and incite a new following. Oddly shaped bras and bustiers, open-seam trousers and daring displays of skin for both day and evening winked at a kinkier and more adventurous customer.
In men’s, the tailored top coats were a highlight along with the fastening cummerbund worn with a pink shirt that made the look feel modern.

Sies Marjan Catwalk Fashion Show Womenswear SS2018 New York

Lies Marjan designer Sander Lak wanted his spring collection to be personal. In his show-notes, he noted that the pieces were “put through a wash cycle, fabrics were squeezed, wrung, tumbled and hung up to dry.” That did not mean they looked lived-in or aged; on the contrary, the collection seemed fresh and spirited, perhaps because of his gently twisted slash-folded knits and his signature use of color. Guava and yellow, mint green and lavender, metallic orange and pink were all done in his signature slouchy drapy vibe.

Fall/Winter Catwalk Trend 2017/2018: Winter Florals

Some trends have to wait for decades to make their return. Others just keep popping up season after season. One them, is that of the winter florals, which we’ve discussed in many previous trend reports. This time around, the winter floral print is used on the richest materials. Jacquard, velvet and shiny silk make the perfect match with colorful yet moody floral prints, so it turns out. Just click through our gallery with looks from Altuzarra to Valentino.

A floral printed suit seems a safe bet for upcoming season (just look at Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci and Valentino. But playful dresses, like the ones seen at Blumarine, Rochas and Antionio Marras, work beautifully as well. And let’s not forget the statement makers Etro and Delpolzo sent out on their runways (If you’re looking for ways to make an entrance…) Just keep the colors moody, the fabrics rich and dare to mix and match a bit and this wallpaper inspired theme will keep you comfy all throughout f/w!

Victoria Beckham Catwalk Fashion Show Womenswear SS2018 New York

Victoria Beckham crafted a confident, stable point of view of chic wearability for women of means and a high taste level that sits somewhere between feminine and minimal.
Her spring collection was flush with great color — soft, mineral blue, pink and lavender as well as vivid red — worked on silhouettes that exuded gentle power. Pertly tailored takes on utility shirts, some done in men’s checks, were paired with light pencil skirts. Fluid oversized shirts were layered over easy, wide-legged pants, and new suits came with boxy blazers and slim pants. A red dress with a high, gracefully ruffled neckline and cutaway panel at the waist was cut in a relaxed but seductive line. Many silhouettes were covered up, but not without allure or playfulness. Candy-colored glitter pumps and the occasional jeweled anklet offset the collection’s womanly sophistication with the perfect boost of girlish whimsy.

Calvin Klein Catwalk Fashion Show Womenswear SS2018 New York

After two collections, it’s clear that Raf Simons’ approach of Calvin Klein is to mine broad-stroke aspects of American culture, whether out of respect, curiosity or a yen to telegraph to skeptics (if any exist), his appropriateness for the creative helm of one of the great bastions of American fashion. Hence, a prolonged stroll under Sterling Ruby’s latest collaboration with Simons, the rafters now hung with colorful, exaggerated pompoms and banners representing the cheery high school life, but with grim sightings — an axe here or there — interrupting the frivolity. That provided the setting for the show, “Sweet Dreams,” inspired, Simons’ show notes informed, by the Hollywood horror genre and “its depictions of both an American nightmare, and the all-powerful American dream.” It resulted in a thoughtful juxtaposition of pleasant facade and disturbing underbelly, realized via a collaboration with the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts; Simons used graphics from the artist’s “Death and Disaster” series to recontextualize clothes that ranged from ethereal (ghostly, billowing nightgowns) to cool (coed denim).
Within the social-commentary context, Simons mused broadly and brilliantly on silhouette and materials. He presented Take Two on several very American motifs introduced in his debut collection — the denim, quilts and the color-blocked Western shirts with which he opened. These made an odd kickoff to a show brimming with ideas: modernist nylon redos of full-skirted Fifties frocks, madcap dresses made from miles of yarn fringe, and, for men, lean-cut plaid suits that worked the chic side of geek.

The clothes were often inventive and always impeccable. Yet it all felt a little hollow, observational rather than immersive. Perhaps it’s the difference between an intellectual and emotional approach. Simons falls in the former camp, and masterfully so. Yet horror is an emotional motif. The show notes indicated “a corporeality that speaks of both sexuality and mortality.” That’s a lot to put on a dress — even one with Warhol knives on it.

, our review will follow shortly.

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