Glossy’s daily New York Fashion Week briefing brings you on-the-ground insights and analysis from straight off the runway. Sign up for Glossy emails to see the daily recaps in your inbox.
The coed fashion show is catching on.
This morning, luxury streetwear designer John Elliott, who launched his LA-based menswear brand four years ago, jumped into womenswear feet first. About half of his 43-look runway show, which played out in Gallery II of Spring Studios, was dedicated to his new women’s collection.
Reading the show notes pre-show, it was impossible to decipher whether a male or female model would be sporting the listed looks. Aside from “cocktail dress,” “silk mini dress” and “coated skirt,” the styles read as unisex: “wool topcoat,” “corduroy straight-fit trousers,” “mohair beanie.” And when they hit the runway on a lineup of androgynous models, there was little clarification. Models of both sexes wore bombers, knee-skimming plaid coats and hoodies.
But expanding his brand was no easy feat. Earlier this month, he told Vogue he took a partial season off to get the new looks just right. As women’s bodies are “more complicated and three-dimensional” than men’s, he basically had to learn to design for them from scratch.
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Last month, I talked to designer Dion Lee, who hosted his runway show on Saturday morning. It was his third featuring menswear, a category he said makes sense for the brand, as “tailoring has always been a big focus.” Unlike Elliott, he called entering the new category “very intuitive,” and said he easily “translated the details and the concept of the collection to pieces that felt relevant to a men’s wardrobe.”
Overall, he said, he wants a fluid look overall — it just comes down to reworking styles’ proportions.
The menswear looks fit seamlessly into the show’s white, black and navy color stories, though, aside from one sheer crewneck sweater for him, the women’s looks were decidedly more body-conscious.
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The theme held true in the Pyer Moss show on Saturday night. Showcasing the brand’s collaboration with Reebok, the runway featured male and female models in looks that were seemingly interchangeable.
It seems it’s only a matter of time before events designated “men’s” and “women’s” will fall by the wayside. Clearly, many of today’s designers aren’t concerned about boundaries — and neither are many shoppers.
At last night’s Diane von Furstenberg presentation, Michael Crooks, the company’s senior director of global relational marketing, was eyeing a few pieces for himself.
“There are more than a few items from the collection that I would wear,” he said. “I’m just thinking about how to style them… Maybe with some Levi’s and a pair of Off-White high-top sneaks.”
Heard
As other designers reconsider the role that runway plays in their businesses, Alice McCall is just getting started at New York Fashion Week.
For her debut runway show, which took place Saturday morning, the Australia-based designer said she embraced the exact elements of the production that others find to be distracting. That included planning the music; choosing the hair and makeup, and coordinating accessories; overseeing model castings and even designing punchier products that make for a splash on the runway. All the extra effort was worth it, considering her ambitions for the brand.
“My focus for the brand right now is international growth, so New York is a great place to showcase product,” said McCall. “I recently had made a mindful decision to elevate the brand and make it more premium, which is something that makes sense for the runway. It’s part of an overall trajectory, and with our current creative vision and business strategy the brand’s never been stronger.”
Spotted
Naomi Watts taking a sneak peek of the Zadig & Voltaire fall runway collection, backstage at Cedar Lake.
Covered
Meet Nicole Doswell, one of a growing number of casting directors focused on increasing the visibility of diverse models across race, size, gender and sexuality.
Glossy talked to designer Bibhu Mohapatra about why he still shows at New York Fashion Week and how he’s adapting his line for today’s consumers.
Bookmarked
The designer who preaches a powerful political message with every fashion show
Bottega Veneta bets that you still want to shop in a store
Starred
Tonight, 37 years after her first runway show, Carolina Herrera will take her final bow, on her fall 2018 runway. What we know: It won’t be a retrospective, and there will be great people watching. The audience is expected to include Bianca Jagger and Calvin Klein, as well as Wes Gordon, who will be taking the reins as creative director.
Tomorrow morning, attendees of Mark Badgley and James Mischka’s fall show will have the chance to use an interactive runway app to weigh in on the pieces presented. In short, if they love it, the brand will produce it. If it’s a flop, they can kiss it goodbye.
Image: Zadig & Voltaire fall 2018
