Comedian Joel Kim Booster puzzles out his first ever Fashion Week.
The fall/winter 2017 show features the designer’s first collection for the brand.
Jesse Williams stars, and it’s actually not about fashion.
In an exclusive inspirations sketch provided to WWD, designer Chelsea Goldman noted that fall took its cues from “classic dressmaking from the 18th century with a focus on traditional skills.” At her first formal presentation, she added references to Dutch masterworks and that of John Currin’s expressive figures, all of which gave the lineup its Victorian charm. A play on voluminous silhouettes kept it fresh.
It appears many designers are moving away from body-conscious silhouettes in favor of oversized treatments and a relaxed attitude. Save for the soft-boned corsets that provide an instantaneous cool factor to those brave enough to pull one off, Goldman’s collection appeared approachable, and for the most part, practical (sheer hot pink ensembles trimmed with feathers, though editorially friendly, don’t come to mind as casual daywear, but provided a jolt of energy nonetheless). Feathers worked better attached to sheer overlays styled over simple shirting and pants. “If there’s a way to make it feel modern, I wanted to do it,” Goldman mused.
Other key elements included shirting with big sleeves, cinched at the waist or styled with a corset; a floral pattern, produced at a 17th-century mill in London — the same that sources to Buckingham Palace, and
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Christian Cowan made a splashy debut at New York Fashion Week. It couldn’t have been anything less by virtue of his aesthetic — Barbie hits the club hard with her fabulous drag queen friends. But the spectacle was enhanced by the fact that an improbable number of top-tier editors were there (courtesy of Mickey Boardman spreading the word) to witness Cowan take the plunge. Oh, and Paris Hilton walked the show. Not bad for the first-ever fashion week show and ready-to-wear collection by a very recent London College of Fashion graduate.
Cowan turned some heads with his one-off custom work for Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus, but with fall 2017, he’s attempted to tip-toe off the stage and into reality. He got as far as the after party. “I’ve maintained some of those high editorial looks, but I’m starting to show clothes that a real woman can wear,” Cowan said backstage. “I always say the clothes are what a woman would wear when she wants to be complimented, like everyone can’t help but say something.”
Yes, a glittery shift dress emblazoned with Caitlyn Jenner’s face on the front and the word “Free” ranked as a conversation starter. People will talk if you show
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Nicholas and Christopher Kunz harken back to the Nineties. As they recall in their program notes, it was a time when there was “the promise of a global humanitarian community; communal diversity and unity.” They are among the designers who do not hesitate to point out that “recent events seem to unravel this progress.”
How does this show up in their fall collection for Nicholas K? In its African vibe; in their continued use of eco-conscious fabrics — organic cottons, silks, undyed cashmere and faux leather, and their signature sweeping, layering and wrapping. But the wrapping was relentless: in fabric mixes around the hips of slipdresses or pants; sweaters encircling the shoulder…anything, anywhere that could be wrapped and tied became the focus.. What was unwrapped, however, worked beautifully: flowing long-sleeved caftans in sheer earth-toned silk, slender panne velvet dresses and long gray cotton shirtdresses.
The designers showed bronze and gold metallic foil leather pants; thigh-high, spike-heeled boots and biker jackets combined with nose rings and huge hoop earrings. Their attempt at fierce blurred the best of show; they should have stopped at cool.
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Looking back through Adam Selman’s collections, it was about a year-and-a-half ago that something clicked. He got consistent, started carving out signature items. The endearingly unrefined bubblegum bad-girl attitude on which he arrived remained in tact, but everything became more streamlined. At his fall runway show — his strongest yet — it became clear: He’s becoming a brand.
“Baby steps,” Selman said backstage, pointing out the rose-embroidered Chuck Taylors he did in partnership with Converse. “They’re only for the show, not for sale.” Even so, he made big strides in real branding, for the first time developing subtle buttons, patches and rivets bearing the Adam Selman logo for the lineup’s nifty range of denim. All of it — the show-opening biker jacket that tied at the waist and cuffed jeans; a great wrap denim trench; a cowgirl shirt; a workwear jumpsuit with a fitted top and wide legs — was classic stoned-washed blue, embroidered with red roses. A big inspiration was the 1975 book “American Denim,” which focuses on folky, hippie-ish customization of denim. Selman’s versions were fresh and cheerful with a mild western vibe — in line with the current moment of novelty, faux DIY’d jeans without feeling desperate to cash
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A T-shirt, a pair of jeans and a leather jacket — this is the uniform of the ultimate New York woman, according to Louis Terline, who cofounded Oak with Jeff Madalena. Inspired by the powerful woman populating the city, the designers developed a range of urban essentials, including an oversized puffer worn over a denim asymmetric double-breasted jacket; a tailored camel coat layered under a leather vest; and a narrow front-button denim skirt with a feminine bow at the belt. A workwear inspiration echoed in a jumpsuit with utility pockets, while a cropped ribbed wool sweater had a Nineties’ vibe. The lineup, which also included paper-bag-waist corduroy pants and zippered hoodies, offered a wearable wardrobe that also tapped into the current streetwear trend.
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NEW PLATFORM: Curated Crowd has launched a crowdfunding and e-commerce platform for emerging designers, WWD has learned.
The concept was led by chief executive officer and cofounder Ada Yi Zhao and Kristina Kuzmina, who believed that there was another avenue for new labels to launch globally. The platform, which offers e-commerce, will launch brands including Poan, Ksenevich Millinery, JN by JN Llovet, LubiMenya and Naked Bruce.
“[Digitization] and technology are transforming almost every single industry today, from financial to medical industries,” said Zhao. “Yes, the fashion industry as one of the most influential ones in the world is struggling to cope with such changes. Curated Crowd was born to maximize the power of [digitization] and to empower the two key players in the fashion ecosystem: designers and consumers. The idea is cut out the traditional middleman to enable designers with authentic brand stories to connect with their fashion consumer patrons directly.
“Curated Crowd is looking to be the next disruptor of the fashion-tech industry, following great examples such as Net-a-porter and FarFetch,” added Zhao. “The business is determined to address the significant inefficiencies in the traditional fashion supply chain and bring back the long-lost authentic conversations between designers and patrons, with the power
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