Long Live The Girl Gang
The #squad may be over but Stuart Vevers has proven the girl gang never dies.
Throughout the week there's been this refreshing thread of sisterhood running through New York, from the trending street style snaps of groups of fashion besties, to the runway shows featuring real-life friends (J.Crew and Tracy Reese.) On social media and IRL, New York Fashion Week has felt like one big love fest with everyone fangirling over each other.
Maybe it's an extension of the general rise and popularity of feminism right now. Or perhaps it's the spirit of Hillary Clinton's campaign slogan 'I'm With Her' which has been adopted by so many in the fashion industry.
Either way, let's just call it 'New York Woman Crush Week.'
At Coach, there was a very real amount of fangirling happening over Stranger Things stars Winona Ryder and Millie Bobby Brown, who sat front row along with Chloe Moretz.
And the sisterly feeling was on the runway as well: Vevers wanted to explore the 'sense of belonging that comes from being part of a movement — the symbolism of rebels, beatniks and an Elvis fan club — embellished by the individuality of personalisation.'
That translated into a collection dedicated to an actual girl gang — bikers to be exact.
And a strong posse calls for a strong look, which in this case included bomber and leather moto jackets embellished with studs, fringe and patches worn with folksy prairie dresses in floral prints.
And for the feet: the thick-soled shoe that stomped its way through AW16 is back for spring. Vevers pushed the idea further by covering his creepers and boots out in layers and layers of studs.
The Harder The Better
Speaking of studs, hardware is trending. After having also appeared at 3.1 Phillip Lim, Rodarte's Kim and Laura Mulleavy used metalwork on a series of excellent leather dresses. They made for a much-needed counterpoint to all the soft, feminine frills that have been so inescapable this week.
Because, what if one doesn't like ruffles? For those who do, however, Rodarte's detail-rich, mixed-media lace dresses would be a good place to start.
Kors' Feel-Good Moment
As if the week's fangirling weren't motivating enough, Michael Kors reached peak lovefest this morning, by enlisting Rufus Wainwright to sing a series of iconic Judy Garland show tunes for his cast of top models - which included Taylor Hill, Joan Smalls, Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid and Carolyn Murphy - to walk to.
The perfect weather outside, the sun shining inside, Rufus's buttery voice on the microphone, and the industry's top models, hair and skin flawless, on the runway — the whole thing was like a shot of serotonin.
As for the clothes, they were classic Kors, all gloss and glamour, this time by way of 1940s-era silhouettes. But they ticked off plenty of SS17 boxes as well.
Slogans? See his sweaters emblazoned with the word LOVE. Retro, folksy florals? Check. Bralettes? Check. Frills? Check. Check. Check.
