Bella Hadid, Serena Williams, and Gigi Hadid on the Vogue World Runway. Hunter Abrams
Bella Hadid, Serena Williams, and Gigi Hadid on the Vogue World Runway. Hunter Abrams
If there was one unifying mindset and mood for NYFW, it was that it was big time-to-go-out-again energy. The atmosphere was feel-good, fantastic, and fun in full-swing. Over 100 brands showed in person for five and a half days. For comparison, last season’s stretch only lasted five days. We honestly think that the half-day spillover is justifiable make-up time for the lost two years—we’re obviously not complaining. Important to note are the Italians: Fendi and Marni both showed for the first time in the Big Apple bringing with them an added international seasoning to the New York circuit.
Fendi was in the city to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its signature Baguette bag. The Manhattan connection? Sex and the City. It would be natural that after a quarter of a century after its release, it would return to the city that made it famous. An SATC trivia: Fendi was one of the first brands that lent products to the series’ costume designer Patricia Field. In Rizzoli’s 2012 tome, Fendi Baguette, Field says, “Once Fendi loaned us items, everyone was willing to do so.” Two decades and a half later, the first fashion show ever dedicated to a bag sees Kim Jones co-designing with not one but four brands: Japanese bag label Porter, Tiffany & Co., Sarah Jessica Parker, and the New Yorkiest designer around, Marc Jacobs.
Another Milan mainstay now showing in New York is Marni. “Being in New York means to me the world, as I have lived and I am living the most memorable moments of my life here,” Marni’s creative director Francesco Risso said in a September 6 interview withVogue. “With the Marni family, we’re in New York to celebrate the pulse of the city and to try to catch the sublimity of a moment of pause—like a sunset and a sunrise.” True to his words, the runway was painted with iterations of celestial bodies from golden-colored sunrises and sunsets to moodier blue moons and blood moons. Illustrated in the intervals were other meteorological phenomena: vivid-colored rainbows in deconstructed knits and oversized denims.
And of course, there was Vogue World, a fashion show meets street fair fête that saw the convergence of celebrities, models, influencers, and designers to celebrate Vogue’s 130 years. In true New York style, the concrete byway was the runway with Serena Williams opening the show with a custom silver dress and cape match by Balenciaga. And what’s a catwalk without the supers? The roll call was long from Shalom Harlow, Amber Valletta, Irina Shayk, Carolyn Murphy, Karen Elson, and Helena Christensen to the current one-named influentials: Bella, Gigi, Paloma, Emily, Lila, and Adut. Another notable New Yorker who opted to stay on the sidewalk instead of the street? Fabulous in fern green fur, Oscar the Grouch.
Other momentous milestones in the same week: Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough of Proenza Schouler celebrated their 20th anniversary in the industry while the New York Institution CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) turned 60. As for firsts, minimal-leaning brand COS did its NYFW debut and Linda Evangelista reappeared on the runway after 15 years in the Fendi show encore, standing beside designers Marc Jacobs, Kim Jones, and Silvia Venturini Fendi.
We are particularly pleased to see Filipino models Dara Allen walking in Proenza Schouler as well as Noah Carlos opening the collection at Private Policy and walking at the Fendi show. Our September cover girl Chloe Magno was at the Vogue World celebrations, taking us through the first-of-its-kind fashion and fair extravaganza with exclusive behind-the-scenes content which you can read further here. Dubai-based Filipino designer Michael Cinco staged his characteristic maximalist pieces with a 53-piece collection. Standouts included dresses and trenches in a beguiling Robin’s egg blue. A deep décolletage, A-line cocktail dress is a favorite with sequins and feathers gradating from a soft green to a bold blue. A beautiful shade scale that manages to calm, energize and be fantastical at the same time. Three particular words that perfectly synthesize the Filipino spirit in New York this season.
