Welcome to the weekly Avocado Fashion Club thread! This week, we take a deep dive into New York Fashion Week 2019, which presented runway collections for both Fall 2018 and Spring/Summer 2019.
This edition highlights some of my favourite collections from the week, including western-inspired menswear at Ralph Lauren and dramatic minimalism at Diane Von Furstenberg, Sies Marjan’s always-exciting runways, and whimsical, over-the-top Disney villain fashion at the Blonds.
The Look Book highlights vintage fashion, the incredible nail art at the Blonds’ show, and how track jackets could become a part of one’s everyday wardrobe. This edition closes out with a new recurring feature, the Costume Channel, spotlighting the wardrobe of some of my favourite shows on television. Enjoy!
NEW YORK FASHION WEEK 2019: HIGHLIGHTS
Ralph Lauren is a staple in the fashion world. And he further proved that this week at his runway show, held in New York City’s Central Park. This one in particular blended together a few of the branches of the designer’s brands—notably, RRL, the Western, workwear-heavy label. It was the first time the brand has been part of the runway before. “This show represents the summation of all my brands, the whole world of Ralph Lauren for 50 years,” says Ralph Lauren. “I included men’s Double RL because its vintage quality and the individual spirit it celebrates fit perfectly with the character of my Fall 2018 Women’s Collection.”
Disney Villains x The Blonds Spring 2019 collection is inspired by some of Disney’s most wicked characters. Cruella De Vil, Maleficent, Evil Queen, the Queen of Hearts, Dr. Facilier, Ursula and her dark eel minions Flotsam and Jetsam were re-imagined by The Blonds’ designer Phillipe Blond and creative director David Blond.
Sander Lak’s sixth Sies Marjan collection revealed a noteworthy advance in the brand’s short history. Until now, inventive color usage has been the designer’s primary calling card. But today’s show resonated deeper than the surface palette. Said Lak, “This one was emotionally intense . . . my mother [Marjan] was in the show, as were friends from college, new friends, old friends, people I work with, and models that we love.” (The casting was great.) He added, “You know, my stepdad said he thought this was my most mature collection to date.”
Diane Von Furstenberg celebrated a pioneering spirit this season, whilst still holding on to and reinterpreting the values that have continued to make her namesake label such a stalwart for so many years. The new collection saw her signature wrap dress adapted in crisp poplin, with full skirts and pockets. Elsewhere, equally feminine bias cut and chiffon dresses were teamed with plenty of flourishes like cascading ruffles and a dizzying array of florals.
- New York Fashion Week Women’s S/S 2019 Editor’s Picks (Wallpaper Magazine)
THE LOOK BOOK
Articles on clothes, accessories and hair for all your style inspiration and needs.
Even before dawn a stream of collectors will dribble in, some coming from as far away as Japan. It’s a hardcore crowd who occasionally pay vendors a premium to dig through the piles of clothes before the crowds arrive. For the less dedicated, early morning is when the real action starts. Though the Rose Bowl Flea attracts all manner of shoppers—millennials hunting for mid-century furniture, Gen Xers looking for toys and trinkets from their youth, hipsters just looking for a dose of American kitsch—it’s not hard to spot the vintage true believers. Usually they’ll be dressed in some version of heritage Americana—1940s factory worker, 1950s greaser, an occasional zoot suit—and selling and buying among themselves.
More often than not, nail art seen on a fashion week runway are simple and minimalist, meant to let the rest of the look shine. That was not the case at The Blonds Spring/Summer 2019, where the nails were the clear stars of the show. … Lead nail artist Shelena Robinson pulled out all the stops: Ursula-inspired tentacles made of gel that light up (!), feather and Dalmatian spots with red Swarovski crystals fit for Cruela, green flames and horns inspired by Maleficent, “stolen” hearts with daggers in them and shards of mirror glass for the Evil Queen, and so much more.
A track jacket looks best with matching pants, but that’s pretty advanced. On their own they don’t require much coordination or consideration — they can be treated like any other sportswear, like a hoodie or coach’s jacket. They rather nicely contrast with the more natural textures of denim or cotton weaves like fatigue or camp pants; in velour they have a textural profile similar to corduroy.
- Fall Sports: Track Jackets (Put This On)
If NYFW 2018 proved anything, it’s that simple doesn’t need to be boring. Bold, dramatic hair is dominant again this season and the ’80s don’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. Runways were peppered with everything from bright, gravity-defying wigs at VFiles to polished, slicked-back buns at Tom Ford and tousled locks at Nicole Miller and more.
COSTUME CHANNEL
The wardrobe departments behind the TV shows I’m watching.
“I am involved in every single fitting … alongside our costume designer Debra Hanson,” explains Daniel. ”Costume to me is one of the most important elements of the show because not only is it fun to watch, but it also allows us to continually remind the audience where these people came from, and it’s a really fun device because you don’t have to then write characters constantly talking about how they miss their old lives.” Daniel takes genuine pleasure in this stage of the process. “It certainly helps me get into character, and I know that Catherine and I have a lot of fun in those fittings because she can literally wear anything.” He admits to considering pieces for Moira and wondering whether they might be too strange. “Then she puts it on and it’s like: no, not strange enough.” He laughs. “This sea foam wig might be pushing it too far — nope, not far enough.”
And, because it would be remiss not to include them, here’s the Fab Five from Netflix’s Queer Eye killing it (and, in the case of Karamo Brown and Jonathan Van Ness, absolutely crushing it) on the Creative Arts Emmys red carpet:
Van Ness is just on another level here.
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