Best New York Fashion Week 2019 Moments
New York Fashion Week is upon us, and we’re keeping an eye out for any and everything that excites us: game-changing runway moments, fashion and beauty looks we can’t wait to try, our favorite models and celebrity sightings. And for the first time in fashion week history, Harlem’s Fashion Row and 11 Honoré are on the official calendar. Plus, we’re counting the days until celebrity fashion stylist Jason Rembert makes his NYFW debut with his new brand, Aliétte. Our editors are chronicling this season by sharing favorite moments from the shows.
Stay tuned, and see you at fashion week!
Victor Virgile/Getty Images1/5New York Fashion Week is over. I survived, but it was pretty underwhelming, save for a handful of my favorite designers from this season who weren't afraid to take risks. Newcomers Christopher John Rogers, with voluminous silhouettes, and Tomo Koizumi, with brightly colored puffball prom dresses, borrowed heavily from the ’80s. Last night Marc Jacobs continued the ’80s love affair with sweeping printed capes, glittering frocks with larger-than-life sleeves, a billowing caped yellow gown, and one spectacular dotted dress made of shredded tulle. Suffice to say: They brought all of the drama.
More has always been more with Jacobs. Even the production at his show was theatrical. A single spotlight illuminated each model as she walked and then when they reached the end of the runway, the light abruptly shut off, bathing the room in darkness.
When Christy Turlington Burns hit the runway in a black feathered dress and matching hat, returning from a 25-year hiatus, cheers erupted from the crowd. It was the perfect ending to NYFW: drama, imagination, an homage to the past, and a hopeful nod toward the future. — Jessica Andrews, Fashion Features Editor
Courtesy of Christopher John Rogers2/5Christopher John Rogers
Christopher John Rogers was the talk of New York Fashion Week, even before his fall 2019 presentation. A photo of Whoopi Goldberg in an ethereal white dress by the designer, styled by Solange Franklin for Garage magazine, was all over social media and even made a cameo on The View. When the doors opened for Rogers's presentation on Tuesday, anticipation had reached a fever pitch — and the designer did not disappoint.
There were plenty of awe-inspiring gowns: a blue tulle confection with an image of a black woman painted on the bodice, a dress that was basically an explosion of yellow ruffles, and I couldn't stop ogling a black-and-white gown that was half checkered, half zebra print. Even the separates were noteworthy, like a blouse and pleated skirt that seemed traditional at first, but Rogers fashioned it up with gold lame and an oversized pussy bow at the neck.
The show had some noteworthy models, too: Model and Instagram star Richie Shazam, who’s been killing it on the runway this season, posed in a face-print peplum blouse and ball skirt as editors and photographers snapped away.
Christopher John Rogers offers imagination and drama at a time when New York designers are settling for boring and safe. In just his second season, Rogers is quickly making a name for himself in American fashion. Watch out now! — Jessica Andrews, Fashion Features Editor
Mike Coppola3/5Prabal Gurung
Prabal Gurung is one of the few major designers championing inclusivity in fashion. He consistently casts a diverse range of models, and he made headlines for his fall 2018 all-Asian ad campaign. His fall 2019 collection continued his mission, capturing the beauty of a "cultural exchange of ideas and experiences," according to the show notes.
Gurung drew inspiration from his personal experiences growing up in Nepal and his travels, including to India and the Americas. His references spanned the globe: colorful brocade patchwork from India, flowing '70s-style chiffon inspired by Parisian designers, hand-knit cashmere sweaters from Nepal, and cargo pants, as a nod to modern American sportswear. The clothes in his collection, titled "Stronger in Colour," were a testament to the beauty of cultures coming together and living in harmony.
In the show program, sent via email to reduce waste, Prabal listed each model's ethnicity with their name: With Ashley Graham (American), Winnie Harlow (British-Jamaican), Dilone (Dominican-American), Marquita Pring (African-American), Bella Hadid (Palestinian-Dutch), and more; the cast was as diverse as Gurung's references. They show closed with models walking down the runway to “Stand by Me.”
At its best, fashion is a reflection of the times. During a period of heightened xenophobia in Europe and the U.S., Gurung doesn’t merely reflect, he offers a joyful alternative: Look at what can happen when we embrace and celebrate each other. — Jessica Andrews, Fashion Features Editor
Getty Images4/5Chromat
When I saw Becca McCharen-Tran post on Instagram Stories from Miami mere days before Fashion Week, my mind went a million places: Is she skipping the season? Is she on vacation? Is she getting inspiration for the new collection? It was the latter. The Chromat designer, who recently opened a studio in Miami, found the inspiration for her fall 2019 collection on the beaches in the southernmost American major city. It shifted her focus as a designer.
"As I've been living in Miami longer, I've become more interested in climate change and global warming and how we are contributing to environmental devastation," she wrote in the show notes. "Miami is on the front lines of climate change with rising water and increased flooding."
The designs were awash with the colors of the sea: bright greens, oceanic blues, and burnt oranges. Even the accessories were inspired by nature. “The shape was flower-influenced as the environment was a big theme of the show,” said Chromat stylist Rajni Jacques. “As for accessories, I wanted the jewelry to be big with color and shape. And we used neon-colored sneakers.”
Teen Vogue cover girl Mama Cax hit the runway again this year, walking out in a neon slip dress as the audience cheered. Other models wore flowers and greenery like angel wings. And by the end of the show, the plant life was gone. In its place was a train designed to resemble a fishnet catching garbage, a chilling omen of the climate change disaster to come.
Getty Images5/5Telfar
I knew I was in for a treat when the Telfar invite hit my inbox. The graphic featured an American flag burned to a crisp with only the outline remaining. The collection, in collaboration with Jeremy O. Harris, was titled “Country,” a play on the music, the land, and the nation. (Harris is the genius behind Slave Play featuring Teyonah Parris. In December, I watched it with my jaw on the floor and I haven’t stopped talking about it since.) With Harris’s brilliant approach to storytelling and Telfar’s imagination and vision, they didn’t disappoint.
A deconstructed American flag lined all four corners of the stage. One by one, models appeared onstage. Without warning, they fell into the crowd, sometimes facing the audience, sometimes tumbling backward. Then, instead of walking, they crowd-surfed.
The clothes were Western-inspired: dirt-colored boots, denim chaps, front-pocket blazers, and turtlenecks torn to shreds at the wrist. It made me think of the oft-forgotten black cowboys and how Western culture is widely associated with whiteness. At the end, Telfar came out in a "Black Lives Matter" shirt and also crowd-surfed, to thunderous applause, followed by a performance from Ho99o9, a band founded in Newark, New Jersey, that blends hip-hop with hardcore punk.
The show seemed to ask the question: Who does (this) country belong to? By the end of the night, the answer was clear. — Jessica Andrews, Fashion Features Editor
