On a dystopian set with One World Trade Centre beaming its blue light into the night sky this September 11, Givenchy took Manhattan on a pier on Friday before a star-studded crowd, remembering tragedy and celebrating fashion at the same time.
Riccardo Tisci, the French fashion house’s creative director, worked with performance artist Marina Abramovic on the Waterworld-esque set of walls made of recycled metal and wooden shards, seating his huge crowd on stacked wooden pallets and benches as models walked in looks of mostly black and white.
There was lace, there were sheers and there were tuxedo jackets for both men and women.
Givenchy chose New York Fashion Week: The Shows rather than Paris this season to mark the opening of its new store in the city, along Madison Avenue where it last lived in the city in 2006.
Fan Kim Kardashian, who showed off her baby bump in sheer black, was in the audience with husband Kanye West. They were joined, among others, by Julia Roberts in a T-shirt adorned with Tisci’s face, Uma Thurman, Christina Ricci, Margot Robbie and Nicki Minaj, who was in a body-hugging animal print dress. Also there were athletes Amar’e Stoudemire, Victor Cruz and Russell Westbrook (showing his own fashion line this season), and father-daughter Steven and Liv Tyler.
Among the models were Kim’s little sister Kendall Jenner.
Givenchy calmed the crowd, including more than 800 members of the public who received tickets to watch from the sidelines, with a soundtrack of chanting and other music honouring six cultures and religions.
The collection itself was part elegant ease in roomy black trousers with loose ribbon on the outer seams and part boudoir come-and-get-me lace. Some looks included eerie face adornments in lacy patterns while other models had multiple spike earrings with nodules attached at the tops of their nose bridges. Among grander looks was a black skinny trouser encased in a sheer structured shell.
Ricci has a special fondness for Tisci. They first met 10 years ago.
“He made my wedding dress for me and yeah, he’s great,” she said on a red carpet set up ahead of the runway walk.
Courtney Love was more specific about her love of Givenchy: “It’s edgy, it’s cool and it’s kind of dark.”
Roberts was once featured in Givenchy ads and added: “I definitely think that my cool factor went up when Riccardo asked me to do the campaign.”
For the Tylers, it was dad-daughter date night, a rare occasion for the two of them.
“We don’t get them very often,” Liv Tyler said. “Usually there’s a big pack of us, so to be alone is really special.”
Models navigated the winding, open-air runway in treacherous heeled mules, including several steps up and down stacked wood pallets. Two toppled as they navigated this world, described in show notes by Abramovic as an event “about forgiveness, inclusivity, new life, hope, and above all, love.”
Selena and Ciara at Polo Ralph Lauren
Selena Gomez and Ciara took in the air from the rooftop of the McKittrick Hotel for Polo’s eclectic spring presentation that offers pops of bright colour and dark-wash denim.
Models stood in clusters, some beside planted foliage sipping water, as the crowd moved around them. The singers were joined by up-and-comer Tinashe, who professed her love for denim.
“I definitely like a boyfriend jean, just relaxed, kind of fun. That’s when I feel super-confident, natural,” she said.
The brand’s new dark-wash jeans were joined at the presentation by bright green skinny pants, purple blazers and pink collar shirts. Others wore reds and the guys showed off classic looks in blue and tan blazers, and a bright pink pullover sweater.
Still other models were dressed in bold floral garden party dresses, with the same print carried over to a skinny pant for women. There were also dainty blue-and-white stripe button-down dresses paired with green and orange jackets.
Ralph Lauren said in a statement this Polo woman has a “sophisticated attitude, is well-bred, with a downtown edge.”
The season is “not just one look, but an eclectic mix” for spring, he added.
Splits and sparkle at Betsey Johnson
Of course she did her signature cartwheel. Of course she landed in a split, rolled over on her back and lay splayed on the ground, just luxuriating in the applause.
Folks, she’s Betsey Johnson.
The 73-year-old designer with the signature blonde mop on her head was having her usual grand old time on Friday at New York Fashion Week — actually, perhaps even grander than usual — as she celebrated 50 years in fashion with a delightfully zany show heavy on sparkle, colour, stripes, flounce and pizzazz. Oh, and balloons: the show ended with all her models holding silver “50” balloons as they skipped around in a circle, Johnson among them.
In a backstage interview, Johnson said she was dedicating her show to her now 94-year-old dance teacher.
“She was my teacher from when I was four years old until high school,” Johnson said as she prepared for the show. “Ballet, acrobatics and tap. You know, I wanted to be a Rockette.”
Johnson’s fondness for the Rockettes — and dancers in general — was obvious from Friday’s runway display, a gathering of some of her favourite designs that celebrated, decade by decade, Johnson’s remarkable career. She decided to go backward in time for this show, beginning with the current decade, and then working her way back to outfits evoking the 1960s, when she began in fashion.
“I just wanted to take this moment and celebrate ... the 50 years,” she said. “And the costumes. I took my little costumes and remade them for big girls. And you can see every aspect of my inspiration when you see these costumes: the puffed sleeves, the tutus ... I mean, it’s all there.”
Sea breeze on spring street
Acrylic clutch bags for the Instagram age took an oceangoing turn down in Soho, thanks to Edie Parker founder and designer Brett Heyman.
She put colourful, squiggly jellyfish, shells, hula-skirted ladies and anchors on her spring collection, mixing her signature playful acrylic with raffia, linen and wicker. And she didn’t scrimp on the wordage, which some love to hate, offering “Chillax,” “Gay” and “Ahoy.”
Heyman’s bags are all over red carpets, with her kitschier versions also drawing celebrity attention.
“This is a funkier collection,” she said. “I think someone with a fearless style would be good.”
Like Gwyneth Paltrow?
“She has a bag of mine that says ‘Baller.’ I love that she bought that,” Heyman laughed.
Edie Parker launched in 2010, driven by Heyman’s love of vintage, mid-century style. Since, she has become a darling of the young and fearless, including Lupita Nyong’o, and she sells around the world in places like the Harvey Nichols store in Dubai and Neiman Marcus.
Last year she made it into the Top 10 for the Council of Fashion Designers of American/Vogue Fashion Fund Award.
“We have so much support from the red carpet, from celebrities,” Heyman said as she showed off her latest beachy collection in happy hues of sea blue, sea foam and swirly, coral pink.
Heyman said she had the African/Brazillian goddess Yemaya on her mind. She may or may not have created the sea, and she’s credited as a granter of wishes. At the dreary, drippy start of fashion week, a touch of ocean life might just have been one.
Black lives matter
Designer Kerby Jean-Raymond’s collection for the Pyer Moss label launched on Thursday night with gripping and now familiar videos of police violence. The choking death of Eric Garner. The teenage girl thrown to the ground outside a Texas pool party. The running down of a suspect as lights flashed. The smashing of a car window, and then cries.
He said his show was about defying stereotypes — “the thug, the entertainer” — and redefining the black narrative in America.
During the show’s opening video, which combined the images of confrontation with a range of interviews with singer Usher and others on the need for change, people in the audience gasped or murmured. In an added touch, artist Gregory Siff moved among the models on the runway, quickly tagging the mostly stark, sport-ish clothes.
On the back of one robe, Siff scrawled “Breathe Breathe Breathe,” a likely reference to Garner’s repeated plea, “I can’t breathe.”
Even some models didn’t know what they had signed up for until they heard the video begin backstage.
“I was so blown away by it, it was unreal,” said British model Abby Clee. “I knew I was definitely moved. I was a bit teary, but thought, ‘No, I shouldn’t cry when I’m about to go out.’ I think a lot of people were quite moved, [you can tell] by their faces. Obviously, it means quite a lot to them.”
Clee said she was honoured to be in the show.
“I thought the message that they’re sending was absolutely amazing,” she said.
Coming up roses at Kate Spade
Kate Spade created the choicest corner store in town for the brand’s New York Fashion Week presentation on Friday.
“It’s a celebration of when that spring finally breaks and you run to the bodega for your first flowers — bees are buzzing,” said Deborah Lloyd, Kate Spade chief creative officer.
The presentation space was flooded with colourful flowers and guests were treated to mini bouquets of fresh cut roses along with bagels and coffee.
Models wearing bright yellows, corals and pinks held playful wicker handbags shaped like bees, puppies and teapots.
Actress Anna Kendrick was on hand for the spring-themed soirie.
Though she’s appeared in Kate Spade campaigns, the Pitch Perfect star said she’s no fashionista.
“No, not at all,” said Kendrick. “I always feel like I’m never really clear on some of what is going on in fashion, and I like that Kate Spade is really accessible and it sort of has a sense of humour about itself. It doesn’t take itself too seriously.”
Will we ever catch her walking the runway?
“No, that would be crazy. Why would I do that?” she deadpanned. “I’m five feet two though. You know that, right?”
