Disney villains provide inspiration at Blonds' New York fashion show
New York Fashion Week highlights
No one wants to be a fashion victim, but fashion villains owned the runway last Friday as designers The Blonds served up spicy and spiky styles with a show inspired by Disney's vamps and vixens.
The Disney Villains x The Blonds fashion show electrified a wildly cheering audience that stood in marked contrast to the usual reserve that typically prevails at New York's semi-annual Fashion Week.
Similarly, models channelling the likes of Snow White's Evil Queen, The Little Mermaid's Ursula, 101 Dalmatians' Cruella de Vil and Sleeping Beauty's Maleficent strutted, sashayed, vogued and even break-danced their way down the runway.
"We always loved the vixen, the femme fatale, and all the villains have these qualities," Mr David Blond said of the inspiration for the collection he envisioned along with partner Phillipe Blond.
"They are the coolest characters, they are always the standout," he added.
Fabrics included leather, rubber and latex rendered almost exclusively in black or red. What was not any of those was mostly metallic, with endless sequins, beading, crystals and mesh.
Despite the seemingly less-than-wearable nature of most of the looks, The Blonds creations managed to stay on trend, with wide shouldered, waist-length jackets recalling the 1980s-era power suits that experts see making a comeback.- REUTERS
Kate Spade honours late founder at New York Fashion Week
Kate Spade put the sparkle into New York Fashion Week last Friday, paying tribute in a riot of colours to the handbag brand's US founder, three months after her death.
It was the label's first runway show at the biannual style fest, having previously opted for Instagrammable presentations, held this time in the iconic New York Public Library with actresses Elizabeth Olsen, Kate Bosworth and Priyanka Chopra seated in the front row.
The new creative director, Northern Ireland-born Nicola Glass, had been working on her debut collection when 55-year-old Spade committed suicide.
Silver glitter ran down the centre of the pale pink-carpeted runway.
"She left a little sparkle everywhere she went," said a pink note left on the seat of every guest. "In loving memory 1962-2018."
Spade sold her last shares in her namesake brand in the 2000s. The company is now owned by Tapestry. Glass hailed Spade as a role model woman, entrepreneur and designer.
The former Gucci handbag and jewellery designer who also previously worked at Michael Kors said: "Even though she hasn't been here for over 10 years, her spirit's definitely still here at the company."
Kate Spade's spring/summer 2019 collection was one of pale lilac, hot pink, dark green, chartreuse, florals and prints, with block-heeled sandals and knee-high boots, and liberal use of the spade symbol. - AFP
Longchamp makes debut in NYFW to mark 70th birthday
Longchamp decamped across the Atlantic on Saturday to make its New York Fashion Week (NYFW) debut and celebrate its 70th anniversary by looking to the future, fronted by new brand ambassador Kendall Jenner.
Guests were invited to Four World Trade Center, where the Manhattan skyline provided a dazzling backdrop to a collection summed up as 1970s glamour, California spirit and Parisian elegance.
The French staple, known by millions around the world for the iconic Pliage bag, is building on its leather goods heritage by highlighting its ready-to-wear, sunglasses and footwear lines.
Its first fashion week runway show comes hot on the heels of opening a new boutique on New York's Fifth Avenue in May, and the selection of US reality TV star-turned-model Jenner.
It is poised to open a new boutique in Beverly Hills.
Kaia Gerber, 17, daughter of former US supermodel Cindy Crawford, walked the runway.
Jenner sat in the front row, sporting the Longchamp Gladiators on her slender pins, next to Kate Moss, who was the face of Longchamp for eight years and in turn sat next to Indian actress Priyanka Chopra.
"It's a way of expressing the international development of the brand," Longchamp chief executive Jean Cassegrain said of the family firm's decision to show in New York.
"Twenty-five years ago, fashion and leather goods were separate sectors. The bag is now a fashion item, and labels also have to be fashion labels." - AFP
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