FASHION WEEK in NEW YORK

In a departure from my regular men’s how-to-dress “Male Call” column, today’s column covers some of my observations during Fashion Week in New York this past week.

While attending Fashion Week, I began to wonder which was more interesting: the clothes the models were wearing on the runways or those on the people who were attending the shows. In both cases, the outfits ranged from the most way-out streetwear to over-the-top gowns. I kept asking myself the old questions: Who would wear such a get-up, and where could she/he wear it?

The word that kept coming to mind was one that I emphasize in my column, “appropriateness.” Much of what I saw would require a great deal of imagination to be included in that category.
People who attended the shows wore everything you could think of, and then some. Lots of full-length dresses worn in the daytime and lots of wildly patterned jackets on both women and men. Stripes showed up in every size and direction. Quite a few women wore fur jackets over strapless gowns, and glitter boots at 3:00 in the afternoon. Men in the audience wore long, colorful scarves, shiny silvery blazers, and sometimes both, instead of the expected New York “black.” Men also wore lots of view-blocking hats, way too many types of sneakers, and a preponderance of unnecessary sunglasses. Most of these outdoor-wear items seemed hard to justify with shows held at such iconic indoor locations as Spring Studios and Grand Central Terminal’s famous Oyster Bar.

Without a doubt, the most spectacularly beautiful gowns I saw were from the couture designer, Randi Rahm, known for her super-chic clothes and fabulous wedding dresses. Each garment was an individual work of art. Some of the special touches included elaborate beading, custom woven fabrics, thigh-high (and above) slits (several embellished with flowers) , ruffles and lace, intricate handwork done in a back room on the premises (not in Asia), and too many unexpected details to recall. Among my favorites was a black-and-crystal latticework cropped jacket that could be worn over the slim black gown the model had on or over a special short dress already in one’s closet. These were all displayed on beautiful models walking around the designer’s atelier/showroom rather than on a runway . . . adding intimacy as well as a chance to see up close – and touch – the unique fabrics. I met a private customer who had flown in from California to shop for several outfits she will wear to upcoming social events. Prices are in keeping with the custom work; they begin at $3,500 and go up to $10,000 for couture; the even more customized haute couture pieces can cost many times that top number!
Interestingly, for the past few seasons, ever since Fashion Week stopped being centralized and organized under one large umbrella at Lincoln Center, I have been trying to determine why the shows have become so scattered. They are held in dozens of different locations and it is often very difficult to find where and when they will be. Another huge difference: Throughout the years that I have been going, people who attended the shows were invited members of the press, store buyers, and the top customers of the individual designers. No one could buy a ticket. Times have changed drastically, and now I understand why the shows are not once again organized. They have become cash cows. Tickets are for sale for most shows, many at outrageous prices. The lowest price I learned was $25 and the highest I found was $1,799, for one show! Everything has become a source of income.

Still, I can understand why some people will pay to travel and attend the shows. They are fun: The off-beat locations, the dramatic staging, the blaring music, the people-watching, plus some of the most imaginative clothes to be found anywhere, add up to a very special – and unforgettable – experience.

Fashion shows were held all over the City. A few of the larger venues, such as Style Fashion Week’s shows at the well-known New York restaurant, Cipriani, presented a series of shows from different designers, one after the another. They ranged from shows made up of kids dressed in very provocative adult-looking clothes, through shows with men’s streetwear styles based on sports attire, to exciting women’s daytime wear and gowns that any woman would love to own.

Since the styles presented at this Fashion Week were for Fall/Winter 2018, it seemed odd to see so much near-nudity, on both sexes. Hemlines were all over the map: Long, extremely short, and often asymmetrical. The amount of glitter on the runways in embellished ball gowns, jumpsuits, and skin-tight leggings was blinding. Many of the models strutted the runways wearing seriously dangerous stilt-like stiletto heels.