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By Jacqui Palumbo and Alex Rees, CNN
6 minute read
Updated 11:29 PM EDT, Mon September 18, 2023
Supermodel Christy Turlington walks in Ralph Lauren's Spring-Summer 2024 show at an artfully-transformed warehouse in the Brooklyn Naval Yard.
New York City CNN —
New York Fashion Week is back, taking the city by storm — during a long weekend’s worth of thundery weather, no less — and hosting a number of landmark events, including the return of brands like Ralph Lauren and 3.1 Phillip Lim to the calendar, as well as debuts from up-and-coming designers like Grace Ling and recent “Project Runway: All Stars” winner Bishme Cromartie. And there were brand ‘birthdays’ to consider too, such as the 10th anniversary of designer Rio Uribe’s label Gypsy Sport.
The week’s packed schedule officially kicked off Friday with Peter Do’s highly anticipated debut for Helmut Lang, with the ascendant Vietnamese-born designer given the chance to reinterpret the minimalist ’90s brand — which spent years without a creative director — for a new generation. Do hit many notes of the label’s original aesthetic, while infusing his own romantic sensibilities (including a collaboration with poet Ocean Vuong) into the collection, particularly with his men’s and women’s suiting.
Peter Do's debut for Helmut Lang, which included poetic takes on suiting and basics, saw the designer inject his own elegant sensibilities into the minimalist label's aesthetic.
But even before Helmut Lang officially opened Fashion Week, Coach had celebrated a milestone of its own a night earlier with celebrities including Jennifer Lopez and Lil Nas X in attendance in the beautiful marble interiors of the New York Public Library in Bryant Park.
The show, which included an unexpected PETA protest on the runway, marked Stuart Vevers’ 10th anniversary as creative director. For the occasion, the British designer put out an exuberant, elevated take on what he called the “American essentials,” he said over email to CNN, which included slouchy suits and oversized leather jackets in black, brown and green, long sheer dresses over leather separates and lipstick-kiss bags.
“We ventured into newer territory this season with tailoring,” Vevers explained, adding: “There’s a sense of play, too — in the colorful bags, the footwear and the jewelry — that make the collection feel joyful.”
Star power
The week’s shows were scattered all over the city, from Collina Strada’s femme garden fantasy on a Brooklyn rooftop farm to Prabal Gurung’s display of layered gowns and sculptural gold jewelry on Roosevelt Island — an event that attendees including Padma Lakshmi, Awkwafina, Venus Williams and Maddie Ziegler braved both the rain and the island’s aerial tramway to attend.
On Park Avenue, Proenza Schouler hosted It-girls such as actor Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri and socialite Sofia Richie Grainge, while Phillip Lim’s Chinatown show drew Stephanie Hsu, Paramore’s Hayley Williams, The Kid Laroi and Kathy Hilton, among others.
Such was the starpower at Ralph Lauren's show — whose A-List contingent included Jennifer Lopez, among many others — that the oversize warehouse space was needed to fit them all in.
Some of the the most star-studded events of the week were Christian Siriano’s 15th anniversary show, where an eclectic front row included Janet Jackson, Laura Linney, Laverne Cox, Kesha and Avril Lavigne, and the return of Ralph Lauren, who hasn’t staged a New York Fashion Week show since 2019. A-Listers filed in one after the other, including — take a breath — Diane Keaton, Julianne Moore, James Marsden, Cara Delevingne, Amanda Seyfried, Jennifer Lopez (once again), Keri Russell and Gabrielle Union, to name just a few.
Model Anna Ewers walks Ralph Lauren's Spring-Summer 2024 runway show.
The collection featured delicate, romantic plays on denim, as well as florals, lace and elegant eveningwear.
The event marked a welcome return the schedule, though as Lauren told CNN during a decadent post-show dinner, “I’m always in New York; I grew up here.” The city, he continued, is “always about celebrating the new” — and so, fittingly, the showcase was opened by model Anna Ewers, the face of Ralph Lauren’s newest handbag, the RL 888.
Closing the runway, meanwhile, was supermodel Christy Turlington in a body-conscious gold gown with a train so long that in one rehearsal moment it almost caused quite the snag — literally — as model Natalia Vodianova, walking behind Turlington, accidentally stepped on it. Befitting her supermodel status, of course, Turlington laughed it off.
Of course, powerhouse guest lists and surprise appearances on the runway aren’t the only ways to get people talking during fashion week — strategic stunts and a dash of chaos can also make for viral moments.
On Monday, a crowd swelled on Manhattan’s Lower East Side to see the debut collection of the label Shao, whose founder, Shao Yang, teamed up with the infamous “fake heiress” Anna Delvey and publicist Kelly Cutrone to host a packed runway show on Delvey’s rooftop, where Delvey remains under house arrest.
“I feel blessed just be a part of it, because as a new designer with a new brand, no one’s going to come to your show. No one’s going to really know about you,” Yang said.
A model in the elevator at Anna Delvey's building on the Lowest East Side.
Elena Velez filled a Brooklyn warehouse with mud to take mudslinging to new heights.
The following night, Elena Velez cranked up the mess (literally) with a mud pit runway inside a Williamsburg warehouse, where models — including Alana Hadid — wore neutrals and raw hems. The filed around in an orderly procession until the end, when they began to brawl, dragging each other through the sludge in frenzied delight. The show — a statement on womanhood — was another subversive moment for Velez, who, last season, sent a model out brandishing the designer’s CFDA award like a weapon.
Perhaps another statement on womanhood, Tanner Fletcher’s runway show was themed through and through like a beauty pageant — with models walking while a commentator read “world peace”-worthy fun facts — and was closed by the current Miss Universe, R’Bonney Gabriel.
The pageant's "nostalgia-inducing looks" — including soft knits and floral appliques, twee ribbon details and lacy trims — were "curated to redefine elegance and individuality," the show notes explained.
Tanner Fletcher SS24 runway The brand's partnership with the Miss Universe Organization, and the reigning Gabriel (pictured above) served to showcase "the beauty of all identities, regardless of genser, race, age or sexuality."
From minimal to maximal
Throughout the week, long jackets and oversized suiting mixed with gauzy, barely-there dresses dominated runways, from Coach to Khaite, Jason Wu to Eckhaus Latta. But while many of these labels — and more — employed restrained color palettes, there were maximalist takes as well.
Kim Shui, who sent flirty corsetry down the runway to party music on Saturday night, told CNN backstage that she designs for people who “have a lot of personality.” Both Shui and Hillary Taymour of Collina Strada made feminine statements through their collections, with Shui leaning into ornamentation that she said is often considered “superfluous.” Taymour, on the other hand, noted that she was embracing “the strength of radical softness” and the “grit in the girly” during a time of peril for trans and reproductive rights.
Kim Shui's Saturday evening showing was an explosion of textures, detailing and color. Models waved and blew kisses at attendees as they walked the runway.
Shui's sumptuous looks transformed regal, structured bodices into playful silhouettes. Through the collection, Shui questioned why overtly feminine-coded design isn't taken seriously.
For sustainability-minded designers, this season offered a chance to explore new materials — and ways of repurposing materials. Taymour told CNN over email that she has begun using Vegea, a leather made from wineries’ discarded grape skins (as well as corn husk leather for her new collaboration with Ugg). At Gabriela Hearst, leather scraps left over from the production of handbag designs were re-used into patches on dresses, and “recycled sequins” featured in woven pieces.
On Sunday, the label co-founded by Rosario Dawson and Abrima Erwiah to promote African fashion, Studio 189, hosted a celebratory afternoon show featuring exuberant textiles in both traditional and contemporary cuts. Dawson and Erwiah recognized the African artisans in Burkina Faso who contributed to the collection by showing monumental portraits of them on the runway.
“Everything is still handmade: batik, indigo, kente,” Dawson told CNN backstage. “People are working through military coups to get (the textiles) to us, so that’s why joy is such a big part of it —being bright, being bold, because we are showing up against all odds and we wanted that to be represented.”
Scroll down to see Spring-Summer 2024’s runway highlights, which will be updated throughout the week.
Macrame and beaded mesh in Gabriela Hearst's collection was inspired by Haitian painter Levoy Exil, whose work draws from Voodoo practises and symbolism.
Another spiritial reference point in the collection: Druidism, the show notes explained.
A confident showcase of Hearst's aesthetic, the pieces spoke to her faith in understated luxury and sustainable materials.
Designer LaQuan Smith took to the runway with his models for the closing walk of his Spring-Summer 2024 collection.
For his collection, Smith cited inspirations including Barbarella and Grace Jones, characters that would feel at home kicking ass in a sci-fi movie — or knocking back bottle service in a packed nightclub.
"With ultra-crisp tailoring, bold proportions and a highly technical treatment of materials, the collection takes is unto a futuristic LaQuan Smith universe," its show notes explained.
At Jason Wu, frayed hems and holes were juxtaposed with luxe screen-printed dresses and fine drapery, taking the current trend in "quiet luxury" to new — and exciting — places.
Wu titled the collection "Solstice," offering the word's definition — "a furthest or culminating point; a turning point" — as further insight into his vision.
Throughout the collection, intricate prints and loose proportions provided a comforting sense of fluidity and movement.
Backstage at the Bach Mai show, models posed in bold printed and bold pleated looks.
At Puppets & Puppets, models walked a runway adorned with dancing plushie animals — naturally. Fortunately, the brand's collection (and its signature oddball accessories, like this banana purse) was not upstaged.
"Inspiration for this season also came from vintage paranormal photography," designer Carly Marks explained in her show notes. "Stripping back one’s wardrobe to reincarnate is a key to change."
The Blonds titled their Spring-Summer 2024 collection "Blond Titans," and wrote in show notes that it represented "a cosmic journey through mythical realms, where legendary creatures don crystals, swathed in storms of organza and chiffon."
Dylan Mulvaney (pictured above), Dominique Jackson and Gigi Gorgeous were among seven trans models to walk in the show; designer David Blond told CNN that centering "trans presence" on the runway this season was particularly important for the brand.
For Luar, designer Raul Lopez played with draping and proportions in a collection subverted ideas of "power dressing" and a corporate wardrobe.
There were statement accessories to be seen all over, like this model's chunky, leopard print mask, crystal cuff and knee-high stockings
Designer Patricia Bonaldi celebrated Brazilian heritage and craftsmanship at PatBO, as evening gowns and party pieces featured hand-embroidery and beading with a "tropical" flair. A partnership with a Brooklyn-based glass blower also saw delicate glass bags serving as accessories.
Model on the runway at the Sami Miro Vintage Spring 2024 Collection Runway Show at Studio 525 on September 9, 2023 in New York, New York. (Photo by George Chinsee/WWD via Getty Images)
Model on the runway at the Sami Miro Vintage Spring 2024 Collection Runway Show at Studio 525 on September 9, 2023 in New York, New York. (Photo by George Chinsee/WWD via Getty Images)
A torrential downpour may have delayed Gypsy Sport's runway — which was eventually held outside at a (soggy) beach club on Governor's Island in New York Harbor — but it did not dampen the counter-cultural spirit or transgressive sex appeal of Rio Uribe's latest collection.
Marking the brand's 10-year anniversary, Uribe told CNN that his work this season was "inspired by all our past collections... (it's) a reintroduction of the brand and also a retrospective."
In addition to intricate, embellished denim pieces, Uribe highlighted his take on Zoot suits and a series of gowns featuring basketball net weaving as emblematic of the brand's aesthetic past, present and future.
Walking in the iconic Woolworth Building in downtown New York, Willy Chavarria's collection featured "summer tailoring, modern sportswear, and touches of evening wear, all with the poignant storytelling the brand imbues in its work," its show notes explained.
Having entered into a partnership with the Tequila Don Julio, the collection featured Ranchero hats inspired by the liquor brand's founder, and in tribute to Chavarria's own heritage.
Chavarria continued to reinterpret Chicano style and aesthetics in an empowering collection that spanned underwear to couture, with standout pieces including "dilapidated" sportswear and wide-leg tailored pants.
Hillary Taymour focused on "wearable" corsetry, frills and tulle in a Collina Strada collection designed to "reconnect to the universal feminine energy" during a time of political and social strife, she wrote in the show notes. Models wore exaggerated smiles, too.
Taymour told CNN that she used AI while planning her Spring-Summer 2024 collection "as a tool to remix old Collina and drive it further."
Taymour is known for injecting fantasy into her looks. "I love to create a world and a show but it’s so natural to me. At this point it’s just what happens," she told CNN.
In a surprise cameo, Sia popped up on Christian Siriano's runway to perform two songs as the collection's final looks — glitzy, ballet-inspired gowns — walked for an energetic crowd at the Pierre Hotel.
Coach was one of many brands to rethink suit silhouettes and play with transparencies.
Coach creative director Stuart Vevers said that instead of starting from scratch, he considered this season to be a continuation from the previous one.
Grace Ling's New York Fashion Week debut highlighted her sculptural metalworking against a stark black-and-white palette.
Ling included wispy illusion gowns in her otherworldly show, which included the tiny blood and tear drop accents in various accessories.
Rich in florals and oft-voluminous in proportions, Wes' Gordon's latest collection for Carolina Herrera received an enthusiastic thumbs up from Herrera herself — sat front row in a sharp yellow pantsuit — as the designer took his bow.
A look from Peter Do's debut for Helmut Lang, modeled by musician and actor Moses Sumney. Do referenced Lang's original utility straps, but as seatbelts instead of parachute harnesses.
T-shirts, tank tops and collared shirts bore the words of poet Poet Ocean Vuong, who contributed text for Do's collection in English and Vietnamese.
Oversized gold earrings were a statement accessory peppered throughout Prabal Gurung's collection. The sinuous and sensuous pieces looked like, well, liquid gold, as if they were dripping from the models' jawlines.
Inspired by stories of migration and cross-cultural dialogue, Prabal Gurung's collection, with its "West meets East" theme, blended silhouettes and textures into a potent sartorial melting pot.
The afternoon's overcast skies offered a muted backdrop for a collection filled with bold colors and billowy, engaging prints. And despite a wet catwalk, models dealt with towering platform heels with aplomb.
At Palomo Spain, designer Alejandro GómezPalomo's playful, sensual collection featured extravagant feathered headpieces and luxe floral jewelry.
The collection — titled "Cruising in the Rose Garden" — walked in the Plaza Hotel, staged in an ornate space filled with blooming flowers.
And the floral motifs throughout — in embroidery, lace, pleating and more — served as a take on romance and desire that read both elegant and edgy.
Ralph Lauren's collection "celebrates the freedom of personal style," its show notes explained, "reflecting the individuality of a woman who is timeless and modern, bold and romantic, sophisticated and vibrant — always grounded in a spirit of her own authenticity."
Returning to the New York Fashion Week schedule after four years, an emotional Phillip Lim told CNN his collection was all about the city and its continued resonance.
"Just as New York itself combines diverse stimuli and cultures, so too do we aim to harmonize and celebrate the beauty that resides in every corner of our society," explained the show notes.
Celebrating 35 years in business, MarkBadgleyand James Mischka presented an elegant collection of high-end gowns at downtown destination Delmonico's. The clothes spoke of Badgley Mischka's history but also the timeless glamour of its aesthetic.
Proenza Schouler's airy draped dresses were reminiscent of blue and cloudy skies.
Sleek suiting and low-slung zippered bags were also among the collection's highlights.
Ulla Johnson, known for her lively prints, collaborated with New York painter Shara Hughes.
Eckhaus Latta's earth tones were enlivened with shimmering copper and silver garments.
Actor Hari Nef opened the Eckhaus Latta show, which took place in Midtown Manhattan.
Studio 189 showcased hand-crafted techniques in its collaborations with African artisans, including painted garments.
Studio 189 models came down the runway in pairs, strutting and dancing to the music as onlookers cheered.
"We don't throw anything away," Studio 189 co-founder Abrima Erwiah said backstage. "It's important for us to say, 'OK how can we use these materials?'"
Khaite creative director Catherine Holstein was one of several designers who featured enigmatic hardware on the runway, like these linked hands that appeared at various points in the collection.
Bold, extra-wide shoulders on long coats gave models exaggerated silhouettes on the runway as they navigated the dark, cavernous Park Avenue Armory, illuminated by beams of light.
Irina Shayk walked in Michael Kors' show, with a runway laid out along the Brooklyn waterfront. Guests included Blake Lively, Vanessa Hudgens and Halle Berry.
Area co-founder Piotrek Panszczyk mixed couture and ready-to-wear in a single show. This season, the label's surrealist touches included claw hardware with slits, with its collection exploring how primal materials like bones and fur have become symbols of wealth.
Area reimagined bones as lacquered pieces encrusted with Swarovski crystals, knotted into various gowns. Elsewhere, glittering crystal skull masks, shimmering gowns and voluminous puffer coats displaying a textile of photocopied fur rounded out the collection.
Kim Shui's models looped the interior and courtyard of Barbaretta, New York's oldest Italian restaurant. Shui was directly inspired by her multicultural heritage, as a Chinese American raised in Italy.
Adeam's ballet-inspired garments displayed movement and lightness as models walked along the runway. The show included a performance by New York City Ballet principal dancer Tiler Peck.
Adeam founder Hanako Maeda told CNN she wanted to focus on the sportier aspects of ballet, and that the edginess of her previous season — influenced by punk music — made its way into this season, too.
Dion Lee's collection showcased "industrial experimentation" in its examination of urban workwear.
It featured treated, chunky denim separates throughout, as well as utilitarian tool belts, bombers and boots.
At Libertine, a flurry of bold, intricate prints and patterns.
With sharp tailoring and near-neon colors, Sergio Hudson's collection looked to update classic trends in "power dressing."
Sergio Hudson's parade of girl bosses walked to cheers and applause from an audience that was also clearly powered-up and peppy.
Colin Locascio's bright, punchy, hyper-floral collection experimented with the texture and form of suits and gowns.
Advisry founder Keith Herron was inspired by the groundbreaking introduction of technicolor in film. Like in "The Wizard of Oz," where Dorothy's world transitions from monochrome, Herron's collection began in black, brown and white and took on different hues.
As it progressed, Herron's collection toyed with the structure of suiting and, later, shifted into vivid, abstracted garments, closing with bulbous pink, yellow and blue pieces.
Private Policy's club-kid-wear was aimed at the sustainably-minded, incorporating biodegradable plastics and recycled materials.
Retrofête founders Ohad Seroya and Aviad Klin celebrated five years in business and their first NYFW collection with micro-micro minis and shorts and oversized clutches.
Retrofête has become known for its party dresses, and the new line had no shortage of them, with shimmering metallics and an embellish-everything attitude.
Shao Yang debuted her collection on Anna Delvey's East Village rooftop, sending out 1980s-inspired tailoring.
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