The Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — As New York Fashion Week passed the midway point, Monday was a show of spectacle, celebrity and style.
Carolina Herrera, a doyenne of the design world, showed a collection made new with digital prints and foam embellishments. And Tommy Hilfiger showcased classic rock in his collection and on the runway.
And designer Dennis Basso remembered his friend Joan Rivers, whose funeral he’d attended Sunday; the comedian and host of E! network’s “Fashion Police” died on Sept. 4.
He kicked off his show with a recorded message — “I would like to dedicate this collection to Joan Rivers who has brought laughter and happiness to all of us” — followed by a minute of silence.
A look at the highlights:
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TOMMY HILFIGER
To Tommy Hilfiger, fashion is deeply intertwined with music. And in his runway show Monday, he celebrated some of his very favorite musicians — the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, The Doors.
While those ’60s and ’70s icons played on the soundtrack, accompanied by some live musicians, too, Hilfiger showed clothes that incorporated their spirit. Many models wore whimsical military-style garments resembling those colorful Sgt. Pepper jackets that the Beatles wore. Elements of those band suits popped up everywhere: in brocade, gold trim, vintage buttons, and peacoats.
And who could have missed the daughter of a rock icon — model Georgia May Jagger, offspring of Mick — not only opening the show in a burgundy sateen cape, but reappearing later in a multicolored sequin mini-dress just as her father’s voice crooned “Sympathy for the Devil.”
The younger Jagger was not the only rock royalty at the show: Ella Richards, the 18-year-old granddaughter of Stones guitarist Keith Richards, also modeled, and sitting in the front row were Alexandra Richards, his daughter. Tara Ferry, son of singer and songwriter Bryan Ferry, played the drums during the show.
–Jocelyn Noveck
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DONNA KARAN
Ask Donna Karan about the inspiration for her fashions, and it all ends up coming down to New York. Even when it starts with something else.
Karan’s designs, displayed Monday, conveyed her well-known ethos of urban chic, infused with a healthy dose of whimsy. Much of that whimsy came in the bold colors, the lively prints, and the truly unusual — OK, downright bizarre, but fun — hats by milliner Stephen Jones (an hour later, designer Thom Browne featured even more outlandish Jones creations). Perfect for a tropical vacation — or a searing day in Manhattan — these hats were huge: A few looked like their owners might be starting a career in beekeeping. Others seemed to belong to the human companion of Curious George. The models wore long braids down their backs.
A key focus was the bra, which Karan sees as “the new bodysuit.” The opening ensemble featured a black silk and nylon stretch organza bra, paired with an ivory and black pleated poplin skirt. A nice ensemble matched a black stretch organza bomber jacket with a stretch organza bra underneath, along with an embroidered linen canvas skirt.
One Karan fan in the front row was Broadway actress Bernadette Peters.
“The thing about Donna’s clothes is they’re on the runway, and a lot of clothes look good on the runway, but then you put them on and they’re so wearable and they make you feel really great,” Peters said. “They’re always a little sexy, you know?”
–JOCELYN NOVECK
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3.1 PHILLIP LIM
Phillip Lim used a quote by Leonard Cohen in introducing his 3.1 Phillip Lim spring 2015 collection: “Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.”
And then he just went with that, embracing the imperfection, designing each piece with interesting detail — judo stitching here, quill embroidery there.
There were asymmetrical and dimensional contour tops in muted colors like blush and powder.
He channeled the bedroom, drawing upon “the sensual intimacy of bedroom interiors,” using drawstring waist trousers and draped jumpsuits with judo belts.
Even the models looked imperfect with pulled back hair that was purposely messy, with some strands loose and wild.
One of the more striking takeaways on the runway was his use of color. He infused canary yellow into the collection from solid trousers and vests to using pops of the color in the insoles of high-heeled mule sandals.
And put away those structured bags when it’s time for next year’s spring cleaning. The designer chose bucket bags for spring.
–Alicia Rancilio
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CAROLINA HERRERA
It’s not easy being Carolina Herrera after 34 years in fashion.
Coming up with something fresh to please customers while remaining loyal to her house this time around at New York Fashion Week had her turning to digital prints and foam geometric embellishments in colors fit for spring: reds in deep shades and bright neon, soft yellow and neutrals in a light mushroom tan.
This season, she endeavored to decode flowers in different ways. She pixelated a large red one with leaves in foam pieces sewn to the long full gown of one of her final looks, pairing it with a stiff bright white bodice.
Elsewhere, she used splashes of beading. One in deep red covered the front of a loose skirt above the knee with more of the same beading at the collar of a matching, boxy shortsleeved top.
The technical fabrics allowed her to mold some collars high off the neck, including a sporty knit open jacket in neon orange paired with a roomy white jersey top and loose trousers.
–Leanne Italie
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