NYFW Spotlight: Rodarte’s Meditative Return to New York

By Paige McKirahan

Greetings, style aficionados! For our final spotlight this week, we have decided to take a look at the Rodarte’s triumphant return to NYFW after a two-year hiatus. The romantic collection is quite possibly one of our favorite shows of the week; the bold, ‘80s inspired show was put on display in New York’s Marble Cemetery, moving away from the Spring Studio venue in pursuit of a more dramatic aesthetic. Drama is what they found as the rain paired with their dark set allowed the bright, flamboyant pieces to truly stand out. 

Photo taken during Rodarte show

(photo credit Google images)

The brand, known for its moody and ethereal aesthetics, could not have planned for a more perfect setting to compliment a collection filled with tulle, floral headwear, art deco jewelry, and oversized shoulder pieces. Inspired by Picasso and Kate Bush (diverse, we know), The Mulleavy sisters said that the set was meant to be a meditation on creativity. This rumination resulted in a dazzling display, incorporating pieces that garnered influence from a multitude of eras. The collection of gowns is cohesive, but also catering to a variety of styles ranging from ‘80s opulence to bohemian chic. Picking favorites proved to be especially difficult as there was not one piece that we did not like, but we managed to chose the following pieces as we felt they captured the essence of the collection perfectly. What do you think- graveyard smash or belongs in the trash?

(photo credit to elle.com)

Fashion’s Favorite Week Returns

By Paige McKirahan

Hello fashionistas! As you may know (or we would hope so, anyway), New York Fashion Week has finally returned to give us an inside look at this upcoming spring and summer’s hottest trends. Beginning on September 5^th, these seven days of glamour attract buyers, press, and pop culture phenomena to the streets of New York with the goal of celebrating designers in prestige and style. 

NYFW, which began in 1943, was created by Eleanor Lambert, a press director for the New York Dress Institute. At this time, you wouldn’t see your favorite actress or singer in the front row; what was formerly known as “Press Week” was truly only open to the press, with no buyers or industry figures permitted. She created the event to pull the public’s attention away from the fact that they were unable to travel to Paris to view shows during the second World War and hopefully shift focus to American designs. The event saw huge success and lead to publications like Vogue being more open to discussions of American creations more than ever before.

Eleanor Lambert at the first NYFW

(photo credits to guestofaguest.com)

In the mid 1950s, the name of the event was changed to “The Press Week of New York” and shows were held all over the city in venues of the designer’s choice. After that method proved to be disastrous (i.e. Michael Kors model’s getting hit with falling pieces of ceiling. Ouch!), the head of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, Fern Mallis, moved all of the shows into white tents in Bryant Park. After that change in 1993, the name of NYFW was changed to “7^th on 6^th” after the event company that was founded by CFDA. 8 years later, IMG bought the event and officially renamed it New York Fashion Week. Mercedes-Benz, the current sponsor of the shows, has been supporting the Week since 2007, and the event grew so large that white tents in Bryant Park could no longer accommodate all of the insiders dying to gain access to these shows. The event was then held in Lincoln Center until 2014, then the skylights at Moynihan Station and Clarkson Square up until its arrival at the current venue.

Bryant Park during Fashion Week c. 1998

(Image credit to nytimes.com)

This year, the shows are being held in galleries at Spring Studios on Varick Street and many designers choose to utilize this space. In contrast, many also choose to have their events at more original venues outside of the IMG umbrella, like the John Elliot Co. show that could be seen at Pier 62 Skate park. Though Elliot put on a fabulous display, we were looking to spotlight a designer that is the true epitome of fabulousness: Jeremy Scott. 

Scott’s SS ’19 show was a playful look back at Jeremy in his early teens; the designer reminisced to his star studded audience about the fact that he most literally does not throw anything away and hasn’t since he was around 13 years old. He recalled that at that age, he once threw away a shirt he though he didn’t like anymore, regretting it only days later. That anguish prompted him to keep everything from that point on, creating a personal collection and style that was beautifully emulated in this NYFW display.

For this show, the designer ultimately looked inward for inspiration; as his own muse, he reflected on all the years that he was designing his own clothing and looks with no one to practice them on but himself. Polaroid’s of an adolescent Scott adorned pieces in the collection along with sequins, crystals, and 3D embroideries reading “RIOT”, “PEACE”,”SEX”, and “SHOCK”. His classic 1990s aesthetics were refined on an entirely new level than his previous work; his polishing in the leather and sport mesh pieces is sophisticated despite their youthful inspiration. Though he makes overt political statements with his weird and in-your-face style, it has a sense of refinement that allows his influence to truly shine through.

Here are some of our favorite looks from the show. What do you think—fab or drab?

 Spring 2019 Ready to Wear Jeremy Scott 

(Photo credits to vogue.com)

Take a note from Jeremy and be unapologetically yourself in the most brazen, emphatic way. Who better to be a muse for your creative expression than yourself?

Be sure to keep an eye on our blog over the next week as we will be spotlighting our other favorite Fashion Week shows and designers! To watch the magic happen on the runway in real time, head over to http://nyfw.com/live to view NYFW’s personal livestream!

"Style is a simple way of saying a complicated thing". Jean Cocteau

Watercolor by Columbus local artist Nancy Smeltzer