Quantcast
New York Fashion Week: Yigal Azrouel, Derek Lam, DKNY, Opening Ceremony – Metro US

New York Fashion Week: Yigal Azrouel, Derek Lam, DKNY, Opening Ceremony

Sunday:

Yigal Azrouel Credit: Getty Images Yigal Azrouel
Credit: Getty Images

11:30 a.m.

Yigal Azrouel’s collection features wearable, easy-to-digest interpretations of a few of the season’s trends, such as corsets, which are popping up everywhere this week. Here, they’re featured in a series of streamlined, body-hugging dresses in black and white that are polished and just a touch provocative in a way that seem made for that never-ending day-to-night scenario that we’re always dressing for. Wear them with a blazer for the office, and then jacket-less — showing off those sexy cut-outs — at night. Urban workwear has always been his strong point, and there are some great choices here: a series of white trouser suits in varying lengths and architectural coats and dresses in frenetic monochromatic patterns. It can be easy to dismiss Azrouel’s work as being too commercial. But there’s also something to be said for the fact that he consistently produces sportswear that works for real life, and he’s done a nice job of that here. –Kenya Hunt

12:10 p.m.:
It’s a good thing I skipped breakfast because this is the tightest squeeze I’ve experienced at a show in a long while. My seat mates and I are practically sitting on top of each other in Derek Lam’s small venue, which is packed with important editors, top stylists and buyers. The show is running a bit late so we talk about our shoes and trade war stories. One editor’s feet are covered in Band-Aids under her super cute shoes. Another woman points at the sneakers on her feet, and we’re all jealous. I make a mental note to break out the Fly Knits tomorrow. —KH

Derek Lam Credit: Getty Images Derek Lam
Credit: Getty Images

12:30 p.m.:
Oscar Wilde once said that one can either wear a work of art or be a work of art. I think the modern update could be that one can either pile on a ton of statement pieces — like the ladies hanging around most shows, waiting to be photographed — or one can actually be the statement. Derek Lam is one of those few designers who manages to produce clothes that look unique and feel special in a way that doesn’t overpower the woman wearing them. The best example of this is a cropped short-sleeve top worn over a yellow and black dip-dyed dress. The goosebumps are in the details: Look closely and you’ll see that the dress is made of woven guipure lace. -KH

1:10 p.m.:
Thank you to the fashion gods for Karlie’s Kookies, which are sitting on our seats at the DKNY show. The sweets — from model Karlie Kloss’s surprisingly amazing line of baked goods — are perfectly timed considering how many of us are starving and a little sleep-deprived. How about some iced Koffee too? The oppressively hot show venues has become a thing today. —KH

DKNY Credit: Getty Images DKNY
Credit: Getty Images

1:20 p.m.:
Logos are happening again. Alexander Wang wasn’t the only one taking it back to the ’90s with all the self-branding. DKNY logos are all over this sporty collection, covering T-shirt dresses, tops and track pants. It makes sense — the brand is celebrating its 25th anniversary. And Donna Karan is marking it by rolling out a series of ideas she’s calling her #DKNY25: monochromatic black and white, the white shirt, the neoprene dress, the varsity sweater. The result is a collection that feels like a parade of greatest hits, from the boyfriend blazers to the bouncy skirts. There’s also a lot more street-wear this season: parkas, hoodies, sweatpants and sporty dresses that look like they’re made for the brand’s autumn/winter campaign girl Cara Delevingne. Meanwhile, her bestie Rita Ora is dancing down the runway to the Beastie Boys, moving her fingers through her hair and mouthing the word “paaaaaarty,” a moment which pretty much sums up the mood of this show. —KH

Opening Ceremony Credit: Getty Images Opening Ceremony
Credit: Getty Images

8:16 p.m.:
As creative directors of Kenzo, Carol Lim and Humberto Leon have a reputation in Paris for putting on one of the more fun shows during its Fashion Week. As a result, expectations are ridiculously high for their first-ever runway show for their brand, Opening Ceremony, tonight. Social media activity is on high alert. There are freebies to Instagram (an advanced repair skin serum to help mask tomorrow morning’s hangovers), an open bar and snacks to indulge in (Cronuts!) plus celebrities to Tweet about: Justin Bieber (gagging!) Rihanna, Miguel, Rashida Jones and Jason Schwartzman are all here. So Team OC is pretty much winning Day Four right now. —KH

8:30 p.m:
Just when the air can’t get any buzzier, a fleet of 20 hot wheels — including a Jaguar, Porsche, Land Rover and a Bentley — come speeding onto the set inside the Super Pier, parking along what looks to be New York Fashion Week’s biggest runway ever. We realize this isn’t just set dressing — the models are actually in the cars, waiting to make their runway entrances. With a set-up like that, who even cares about the clothes? Surprisingly, the ethno-graphic coats, jackets, trousers, dresses and skirts, which all reference traditional Korean garments, don’t get lost in all of the production extras and showbiz-y-ness. There’s a fresh, boldness to a lot of the looks — see the neoprene tunics paired with wood, water and moon print skirts, or the selection of graphic Bermuda shorts, which look much cooler than they sound in print. Cumulatively, they make the collection feel like a kid sister to Kenzo. Not all of it works, though. Do palazzo pants really need to come with cargo pockets and contrasting patchwork patterns? No ma’am. That said, remember this show as the moment that shot Carol and Humberto to a whole new level of celebrity and notoriety as designers. And they’ve still got a Kenzo show to put on in a few weeks. —KH

9 p.m.:
My friend and I just stalked Justin Bieber as he came out of a port-o-john. Celebrities really are just like us! The night is now complete. —KH