It’s that time of the year again—time for all the designer brands to churn out new collections, for street photographers to frantically take pictures of the best street style, and for celebrities to show up in their most stylish outfits.
What time of the year is it? It’s Fashion Week.
Fashion Week is a biannual event when designers show their collections for the season ahead. Fashion Week occurs not only in New York—designers also preview their fresh new designs in cities such as Paris and London. Normally, however, designers participate in Fashion Weeks that occur in their headquarters or home city, as a sign of support for their local economy and fellow retailers.
It first began in New York as “Press Week”, during 1943, the height of World War II. When the American media couldn’t travel to Paris where the most trendy shows were held, the American fashion industry decided to hold their own shows and show the world what New York was capable of.
Now, New York Fashion Week is one of the most anticipated, renowned events in the world of fashion. This year, the NYFW Fall/Winter Collections for 2015 featured several new trends both in fashion and beauty—here are just a few of them.
Fashion:
1. From bright tangerine to deep sunset hues, several designers such as Victoria Beckham and Prabal Gurung featured orange in their looks, either with separates or with one-pieces, promising a colorful fall and winter season this year.
2. Many embellished and intricately decorated pieces were seen coming down the runway during Fashion Week. Some brands like Reem Acra used minimal yet stunning embellishments, while others like Alice & Olivia went all-out and covered entire pieces with studs.
3. This season displayed many looks that gained inspiration from the ‘70s, such as the bohemian vibe and flowy hemlines. Tory Burch featured cool yet casual separates with funky, earthen-colored geometric prints, while J.Crew paired a classic denim shirt with a full-length sequin skirt.
4. Many designers made a plaid statement by using the print on trousers, coats, and separates, while adding a twist to the classic school-girl uniform. The brand Tommy Hilfiger made his use of plaid stand out by applying it as a colorblock on dresses and tops, while Marc by Marc Jacobs used the standard red with more contemporary colors such as pastel yellow and blue for lines.
5. Leather is always a hit for the colder months, but this time designers are taking a softer route and using the material suede, giving the look a warmer and more luxurious feel. Designer Jason Wu contrasted this rich and subdued material with more racy outfits like this low-cut and high-slit dress.
Beauty:
1. Many makeup artists featured sharp, graphic eyeliners at New York Fashion Week. Some brands like Anna Sui and Yigal Azrouël had minimal lines that highlighted the models’ facial features, while others like DKNY had bold, more eye-catching looks.
2. If the geometric eyeliner wasn’t wild enough, some models were also spotted with face embellishments during shows. Rodarte models had multiple fake piercings on each eyebrow, while Tommy Hilfiger models had more subtle face tattoos.
3. Shades of mauve and reddish-brown were spotted on models’ lips during shows. Donna Karan models wore the classic ‘90s brown lip, while Marc Jacobs took a more alternative route with a deep eggplant shade.
4. A little sparkle on the eyes never hurt anybody. Models at the Rodarte show were treated to Swarovski embellishments right under their eyes, while those walking the Tadashi Shoji show had a more bold look, with flashy gold glitter on their eyelids.
5. This season, designers favored the knot instead of the usual buns and braids. Some were bold and statement-making, like Carolina Herrera’s that were inspired by the sumo-wrestler style. More subtle and feminine knots were seen at the Zero + Marie Cornejo show.
But, this season’s New York Fashion Week also featured several new faces on the catwalk.
One of the new models seen was Molly Bair: a 17 year old American girl who before her life in the fashion world lived an ordinary life in suburban Philadelphia. Hard to miss with her tall height of 6”1 (184.5 cm), Bair is also known for her high cheekbones, intense blue eyes, symmetrical face and prominent ears, which give her a unique alienesque look. She has already walked for major designers like Chanel, Alexander Wang, and Prada; who knows where this young model will stand in the future?
Another rising young model is Lucky Blue Smith. At a height of 6”2 (187cm), this sixteen year old American is hard not to notice, especially with his shock of platinum blonde hair (a stark contrast from his previously dirty-blonde locks) and his phenomenal facial structure. He started his career at the age of 12, scouted by the Next Models management. His sisters Pyper America and Daisy Clementine also model, and the whole Smith family are in a surf-rock band named ‘The Atomies’. Whether in fashion or music, there’s no doubt that Lucky Blue has a successful path in front of him—and he’s just getting started.
Overall, New York Fashion Week for Fall/Winter 2015 was a jumble of old and new: fresh modern trends were featured with a return of the 70s, and new faces joined the world of fashion. It’s not just about the clothes and the makeup; Fashion Week is a way of showing the world what the local designers can do, exploring cultural and social ideas, and celebrating the soon-to-come season. If that wasn’t enough for you, no worries! Fashion Weeks in London, Paris, and Milan are soon to happen, so stay tuned!
– Seiyeon Park (’17)
Header: Getty Images
he’s too hot to be true ;-(