NEW YORK — Another New York Fashion Week has come and gone, but there’s still plenty to buzz about.
Most shows previewed trends for next fall and winter, although some featured collections that could be purchased immediately. Here’s a recap of some of the most-talked about moments.
• A refreshing amount of diversity: This season, beauty came in all shapes, sizes and colors. Christian Siriano, Michael Kors and Prabal Gurung included plus-size models in their shows, while designers such as Mara Hoffman noted an extra emphasis on casting models of a range of skin tones. Plus, we saw models in hijabs, transgender models and a wide scope of ages from teens to women in their 60s.
While there’s still work to be done, this was a strong step in the right direction!
• Philipp Plein’s New York Fashion Week debut: Fans of the freshly revamped “America’s Next Top Model” will recognize the German-born designer and his edgy-luxe looks from some of the show’s challenges. At Fashion Week this season, his show at the New York Public Library was one of the hottest tickets in town, with Madonna, Paris and Nicky Hilton, Kylie Jenner, Tiffany Trump and Tyga among the celebs who scored a front-row seat.
For the show, the brand cast Jeremy Meeks (also known as “hot mugshot guy”), who was arrested in 2014 in a gang-related incident and served 27 months in prison. He got out just in time to walk the runway. Pittsburgh’s own Matthew Noszka, the former Point Park University student turned mega-model from Scott, was another one of the models.
• Shows with a message: Several designers stretched fashion beyond its utilitarian sense and used it to make a statement about inclusiveness and the country’s current political climate.
One of the most emotionally stirring moments: Naeem Khan ended his show with a radiant black model in a gilded gold bridal gown with an elaborate flower crown and veil. Her promenade was accompanied to a track of Maya Angelou’s poem “Human Family,” ending with the line, “We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.”
“It was about diversification, because what makes this world a beautiful place is diversification,” the designer told The Hollywood Reporter.
Meanwhile, he talked politics with The Associated Press, noting that the Trump administration’s travel ban on seven Muslim-majority countries would inhibit industries such as fashion from doing business around the world and growing the economy at home.
• Raf Simons’ first show for Calvin Klein: The week is filled with make-it-or-break-it moments. Our first glimpse at the new direction for Calvin Klein was one of them. Raf Simons, formerly of Jil Sander and Dior, came on board as chief creative officer last year, tasked with refreshing the nearly 50-year-old company.
Working with creative director Pieter Mulier, he delivered, with modern gender-crossing separates, inventive outerwear overlaid in clear vinyl and sporty touches applied to more traditional tailored pieces.
• Oh, that weather: Apparently, it wouldn’t be New York Fashion Week’s winter shows without a bunch of snow, followed by freezing rain and high winds for good measure. A swift-moving storm buried the city in nearly a foot of snow on Feb. 9, the first day of Fashion Week, despite temperatures’ being in the 60s the day before. But that didn’t keep fashionistas from traipsing from show to show in their sharpest street-style looks.
