Alexander Wang put the fun into New York fashion week, transforming his catwalk into a free-for-all after party with pole dancers, flowing drinks and a DJ to celebrate 10 years as designer extraordinaire.
Rap star Nicki Minaj was spotted at the bar, boundary-pushing New York pop star Lady Gaga attended and the entire crowd were invited as Wang got the party started as soon as the lights ended on the runway show.
Known for his gothic, urban style, Wang sent recrafted sports-inspired ultra contemporary collection down the runway for spring-summer 2016 — a riot of hoodies, blazers, leather and fringes — a key trend of the season.
At the end of the show and before the party, Wang showed an edgy video looking back on his career, broadcast from the backing wall. Then it was all eyes on the semi-clad, athletic pole dancers strutting their stuff.
Other highlights from Saturday, day three of fashion week, were:
Herve Leger turns 30
The fashion house owned since 1998 by the Max Azria Group, famous for creating the “body-con” dress, celebrated 30 years in the business with a collection of sexy, slinky dresses.
“The Herve Leger woman is independent, sexy, she goes on the attack, she is steady on her feet,” Max Azria said backstage.
He sent 60 models down the runway, 30 in the spring-summer 2016 collection and 30 offering a retrospective of the brand’s development.
Olympic elegance at Lacoste
French house Lacoste mined the Olympic Games in Brazil next year as inspiration for its collection of lightweight clothing.
“Next year, Lacoste dresses the French team for the parade and medal ceremonies at the Rio Olympics,” explained brand artistic director Felipe Oliveira Baptista.
“I designed that this year, and I told myself it would be great to do something with the Olympics in general.”
His spring-summer 2016 collection was resplendent in lightweight materials that offer plenty of movement and sporty elegance.
“Sportswear that is chic, and a chic that is more casual,” he concluded.
Banana Republic goes edgy
The retail giant joined forces with Timo Weiland as part of a programme to support emerging talent among America-based designers, in unveiling a crisp presentation in New York’s Meatpacking district.
Banana Republic stuck to its tested formula for affordable, practical and yet stylish clothing favoured by young professionals on a budget.
There were plenty of stripes, fringed stiletto sandals for women and slim-line blue suiting for men.
The capsule collection from Timo Weiland was slightly edgier, featuring a stunning tomato dress with cut-out lace-style panels, and a full skirt.
“It’s really exciting,” Banana Republic creative director Marissa Webb said backstage.
Altuzarra draws from heritage
Basque culture inspired the collection from French-born designer Joseph Altuzarra, whose father’s family comes from the region.
He got the idea from an exhibition by photographer Charles Freger that featured pagan costumes worn in Europe at festival time.
“There was a whole section that was about all these Basque costumes... and that’s what started my thinking about Basque culture and about my heritage,” he said.
“Actually, the new Altuzarra logo comes from Basque typography, so that’s something that I am much more aware of and that I think that I am very proud of,” he said.
NBA star offers street style at True Religion
Attention fellas: NBA star and fashion trendsetter Russell Westbrook wants to help you get dressed for the holidays.
The 26-year-old, who was named campaign creative director for True Religion, previewed items from the brand’s Men’s Holiday 2015 campaign on Saturday during New York Fashion Week.
“It’s a blessing. I think when you get that title of being creative director some people take it for granted, and people in the fashion world truly understand what that means and for me that’s a huge step, and something I’m trying to do in the long run,” Westbrook said in an interview at the True Religion store in the Soho district of Manhattan.
Westbrook, the Oklahoma City Thunder player who launched a line at Barney’s last year, said at True Religion, “my job is to come in with some more street style, different things that I see on a day-to-day basis from my peers.”
In comparison to his Westbrook-XO-Barneys New York collection, Westbrook says the True collection is “more me coming up and kind of doing my own thing.”
Pieces from the line included a trendy leather jacket, washed out denim shirts and oversized T-shirts.
Fans stood outside the New York store waiting for the celebrity — who has attended shows during Fashion Week — and cheered once he arrived. Outside of sports, Westbrook’s colourful style has made headlines, and he’s become a staple on the fashion scene, visiting fashion week in Paris and Milan.
“Growing up, I would never think I would be doing anything like this, in a store like this, so it’s a blessing to be able to see all different kids and parents and everybody here — so it’s good,” he said.
Westbrook is also celebrating in his personal life: He married his college sweetheart last month.
“It’s a great, major experience. Still living that moment, so it’s still great,” he said, smiling excitedly.
Celebrating strength at Chromat
Call it a futuristic fantasy.
Architecture, flesh-baring designs and technology ruled the runway at Chromat’s show on Friday evening.
“The collection was inspired by how we can use sportswear to power the body and how we can make the body stronger through clothes,” said designer Becca McCharen, who is also an architect.
The show certainly had an intense feel as models of all sizes strutted the catwalk in the line’s signature pieces which include bikinis, dresses, sportswear and structured cages.
“We want to design clothes that a woman can run 10 blocks in. That’s always the goal: To make people feel strong and that they can do anything,” McCharen said backstage after the show. “It’s always been strong, powerful women in every field and every body size, every gender spectrum.”
Chromat certainly has a powerful field has an A-list of celebs who support the label. Beyonce, Taylor Swift and Madonna are all fans.
Black, red, blue and white dominated the collection that also featured pieces that used Intel technology to change the shape of the garment depending on various elements such as the body temperature.
Uwi Twins focus on inspiration
Fashion designers Levi and Reuben Uwi, survivors of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, said they looked to Africa for inspiration for their latest collection, which debuted Friday at New York Fashion Week.
The brothers, 27 and known as The Uwi Twins, unveiled “I Left My Heart In Africa!” at Gotham Hall and said they returned to the continent after 17 years to design their clean and simplistic ready-to-wear 2016 spring-summer collection.
“It was a huge contrast from the last time we were there. We were very fortunate enough to be in a position where we had a lot of opportunities ahead of us and so, when we were designing the collection, we definitely felt very blessed and very humbled,” Levi said backstage after the presentation.
The brothers relocated to Vancouver, Canada, after escaping Rwanda.
They kicked off the fashion show onFriday with traditional African dancers working the runway and two drummers playing lively and loudly. Models confidently wore trendy designs that ranged from fitted black and white T-shirts to bright pink shorts to semi-loose blazers. The highlights: a soft pink blazer paired with pink shorts with large black lines on each side, and a black and white shirt with a splash on pink over the shoulders.
Some models wore shirts with the twins’ faces as kids blended with the year 1987, when Levi and Reuben were born.
Their overall goal is to give young artists opportunities to live out their dreams — like they have done.
“This brand is about inspiring the underdog and with this collection, yeah it is inspired by Africa, but it’s also for anyone who feels like they’re down,” Reuben said. “Look at us — we’ve been down multiple times. You can get back up.”
Morocco drama at Christian Siriano
The designer put on a show of drama inspired by the imperial cities of Morocco with no set at all.
His usual space with a stark concrete floor was left alone to let his spring-summer collection stand under the lights as he rolled out crisp, elegant looks featuring sandy cream and khaki for day, with blush and sunset tones for evening.
“I was drawn to the culture and lifestyle of Morocco, particularly the annual traditional of Feast of the Throne celebration in Marrakesh, for which notables dress head to toe in beautifully draped linens,” Siriano said in his notes.
He also drew inspiration from natural elements of the country and such things as the colours in Moroccan wedding blankets, along with the lattice details of its architecture, particularly mosques.
“I’ve never been, so I wanted it to be my dream and fantasy of what it would be like through my idea of this woman travelling to Morocco,” Siriano said on Saturday in a backstage interview before the show. “So she’s dressed for packing and travelling and figuring out what to bring, and then she’s there in Fez or Marrakesh.”
Siriano included touches of royal gold with metallic lattice laser cuts and organza, and layers of cascading tulle. Fringe danced under the bright lights on flouncy skirts and dresses.
While trying to appeal to the younger downtown crowd, Siriano can’t lose the older, elegant woman who dresses grandly for evening, “because she’s the one who pays the bills,” he said. “But we can do both, I think.”
