What We Learned from NYFW
One of the biggest weeks in fashion (technically, eight days) wrapped up earlier this month, and though designers, buyers and style-setters are already looking ahead toward the spring shows, we’ve been taking time to process the event.
Always outrageous and increasingly political, New York Fashion Week is a twice-annual series of shows and parties that can determine the future of fledgling designers, dictate the course of fashion in the seasons to come, and highlight the movements and issues most important to the creative world.
Looking back at this year’s fall fashion week, these are the six things we learned.
Christopher John Rogers is one to watch
One of the most talked-about debut designers in this NYFW was Christopher John Rogers, a 24-year-old associate at Diane von Furstenberg and SCAD graduate. His looks are vibrant, over-the-top and uninhibited. Image via @christopherjohnrogers on Instagram.
Cardi B and Nicki Minaj don’t get along
The feuding hip hop stars had an altercation during the Harper’s Bazaar ICON party, with footage showing Cardi B lunging at Minaj, who reportedly insulted Cardi B’s parenting abilities.
Ralph Lauren remains an American icon
Lauren celebrated the 50th anniversary of his namesake lines (Ralph Lauren Collection and Polo Ralph Lauren) with a massive show and party in Central Park. Guests in attendance included Oprah, Kanye, Blake Lively, Priyanka Chopra, Robert DeNiro, and Steven Spielberg. Image via Paris Modesen on YouTube.
The past is back
Who needs the future when you can dwell in the past? Proenza Schouler’s show featured famous supermodels from the turn of the 21st century (Karen Elson and Gemma Ward among them) in straight-from-the-80s acid-wash denim. A dizzying number of other designers nodded to the 80s during NYFW, too, showcasing a variety of telltale style elements such as oversized shoulder pads, tight-fitting spandex, and cartoonish animal prints. Image via @proenzaschouler on Instagram.
Nail art should make way for lip art
Metallic foil smiles and lips marbled with streaks of color were two of the dominant makeup trends on the catwalk this season. Eckhaus Latta models sported glossy pouts with painterly pops of color that were at once Pollock and marble-inspired, while Jeremy Scott’s runway was filled with heavy metal lipglossed-mouths. Image via @jeremyscott on Instagram.
Fashion is political
So much more than a pink knit hat, politics has long been promoted on fashion’s most-watched runways. And this year was no different. The Pyer Moss label showed its collection in Weeksville, Brooklyn: the site of perhaps the first free black communities in the nation, while Marco Marco Underwear hired exclusively trans men for the show. The designers, meanwhile, made more overt statements with their garments. Christian Siriano donned a shirt that read “I’m Voting For Cynthia” while Jeremy Scott took a bow in a white tank top that read “Tell Your Senator No To Kavanaugh.”
