New York Fashion Week takes the world by a storm every September and February, displaying upcoming spring fashion collections from the most exclusive and esteemed international designers. With seating assigned by hierarchy of social class—with some of the most famous models and celebrities walking the runways—the event was a representation of the life of a modern-day bourgeois.
While NYFW is bi-annual, running from Sept. 7-13, the week was never dull due to the ever-changing climate of fashion and culture. This season, vintage fashion that spanned multiple centuries dominated the runways. From Jane Austen inspired corsets and billowed sleeves to Victorian-era high collars to World War I British trench coats, there were even retro candy hospital stripes and Michael Jackson sequins and bell-bottoms.
The aim of brands during NYFW is to transcend expectations, as they hope to make headlines with more and more elaborate shows. Ralph Lauren was one of the main focal points at this year’s NYFW, as he displayed his love for both fashion and cars during his show, where models walked down an aisle past a Ferrari, a McLaren and a Porsche.
Rihanna took the next headline with her famous athleisure collection, Fenty x Puma. Marked by street style sportswear, athleisure is a style that is rapidly growing in popularity, with celebrities everywhere latching onto the trend. Rihanna’s Fenty x Puma show was motor-themed, with professional stunt-riders opening the show on dirt bikes and Rihanna herself riding in on the back of a motorcycle, closing off her show with a bang.
Marc Jacobs, who traditionally closes NYFW, was the last to make headlines with a controversial show that included models dressed colorfully, each wearing a turban to match.
One of the most famous and conspicuous aspects of NYFW this year was discerning to even the most inattentive eyes—the colors. The three colors seen repeatedly on the runways included millennial pink, red and soft lavender—the new breakout color of spring 2018.
Millennial pink first picked up steam during the spring 2017 fashion week. Characterized by its kitschy nature, androgyny and playfulness in a politically dark era, the trendiness of the color has been largely attributed to Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Red also dominated the runways, with models sporting fiery, crimson looks from head to toe. As the most popular color for this fall, the shade has roots that lie in the gender inequality protests of “A Day Without a Woman,” where women wore red to show solidarity. The color is supposed to represent “revolutionary love and sacrifice,” according to the organizers of the Women’s March.
Lastly, lavender, as a softer shade than millennial pink and power red, shows the dramatic shift of the seasons from fall to spring. Showcasing lavender also alerts the mass of consumers to purchase clothes in this color for the upcoming season—a large function of NYFW.
What made headlines during this NYFW was the diversity of models chosen to walk the runways. Most notably, there was a record-breaking amount of plus-sized models walking the runway, including Ashley Graham, who wore her own self-designed lingerie. This year’s fashion week also included a pregnant model, Maia Ruth Lee, wearing a piece from Eckhaus Latta’s collection.
As photos from NYFW continue to flood the media, many agree that NYFW lived up to expectations as being both a grandiose and progressive event, showcasing a diverse lineup of models.u