As the first fashion week of the year, New York Fashion Week has a tough role to play in setting the mark against the competition. But, like Tyra Banks likes to say, this year the competition was FIERCE. NYFW’19 has some inspiring and totally unique collections, both staging a diverse brand identity and an optimistic future for even bored fashion forecasters…
Marc Jacobs
Probably my frontrunner for the most original to brand identity, Marc Jacobs’ collection inspired happiness, joy and optimism with its range of rainbow colors. Modeled off his 2001 collection following 9/11, the designer choose to reference his early 2000s looks by including tweeds and giant hats. Whether or not the fashions are appropriate for today, the spring designs are an indulgent, fun nod to fashion icons of the past.
Dion Lee
May as well be known as the clean slate collection. Crisp whites and minimal blacks cloaked the models in an elegant wardrobe. Utility bras and work pants worked as elegant reminders that fashion has form. Back to the basics, Lee’s spring line reminds us to appreciate the classics.
Gabriela Hearst
The FIRST carbon-neutral show. EVER. Artisan-crafted, Hearst’s pieces were minimal, beautiful and “streamlined” to “special places.” A calm netting in pants, over dresses and constructed as shirts keeps the wearer cool, but with its organic fabrics is also keeping fashion forward. Models even wore wet hair to avoid using electric hair dryers.
Tom Ford
Almost as a homage to the dimly-lit subway setting of the show, the Tom Ford models struted by in edgy streetwear. Edgy leather blazer jackets, slick satins and a toxic, metallic green bra. If the Ford woman is tough enough to wear these styles, she can conquer any subway station.
Zimmerman
The waves certainly sets the tone for this runway as Zimmerman dressed models in fun, retro beach prints, bright colors, and vacation-ready swimwear, skirts and crop tops. Even if you are stuck in the office, the spring collection makes everyday feel like summer.
Tommy Hilfiger x Zendaya
If you did not get a chance to check out the Tommy Hilfiger Bus by Zendaya in SoHo last month, then you should definitely take a look at celebrity, Zendaya’s collaboration with Tommy Hilfiger this spring. Utilizing genius, nuance 70s flavored fabrics like snakeskin and metallics to resurrect the boring suit and vest combination, the spring collection is for the woman who means business.
Prabal Gurung
Flowers in spring? Groundbreaking, right? Actually, yes. Gurungs’s natural inclusion in the silhouettes of dress was a celebration of the brand’s ten year anniversary. As an Asian immigrant himself, the American fashion house brazenly encapsulated the ideals of the American Dream amongst Trump’s presidency, casting models with sashes that read, “Who Gets To Be An American?” A vision of innovation and peppered with flourishing florals, the collection is an inspiration to the growth of the designer himself upon immigration, as well as the growth of fashion in the future.
Khaite
Bazaar quoted this Cate Holstein collection, “extreme minimalism,” and I couldn’t agree more. Cut up bralettes, layered under blunt blazers and ethereal blouses, the spring collection was an amazing second coming out party for the designer, especially after her focus on whimsical prints in her last collection. The mash up of rustic fabrics with urban cuts demonstrates the designer’s amazing depth.
Rag and Bone
Typically, Rag and Bone takes a backseat to NYFW runway; but, this year it made a return, showcasing decadent layering, cool blazers, hip streetwear track pants and silk shirts. Praising the blue hues of the American tradition, their spring collection was one for any 2000s-loving ready-to-wear icon.
Check back soon for my review on Paris and Milan Fashion Week!
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