If there was one takeaway from New York Fashion Week, the semi-annual runway extravaganza that ended yesterday, it’s that confident glamour was in command. With inspirations ranging from Truman Capote’s swans and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy to C-suite execs, the dominant look for fall is post-pandemic polished, authoritative and sexy.
That means slick suiting, luscious leathers, bustiers, day-into-night dresses and trench coats over everything.
The front row of Michael Kors hosted half of Hollywood. From left: Blake Lively, sister Robin Lively, Capri CEO John Idol, actors Brie Larson, Rachel Brosnahan, Katie Holmes and Gabrielle Union. Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Michael Kors
More than 70 designers paraded their fall 2024 wares over six days in venues ranging from an Upper East Side mansion and a FiDi skyscraper to a Bushwick warehouse. Boss ladies took to the front rows, with Beyoncé and her mother Tina Knowles making a surprise appearance at Luar in Brooklyn to watch Solange’s son Julez Smith make his runway debut. Heavy hitters Blake Lively, Demi Moore, Janet Jackson, Queen Latifah, Katie Holmes, Diane Kruger and Danai Gurira were also spotted at events.
All-American Tommy Hilfiger staged the most exuberant show of the week in Grand Central’s iconic Oyster Bar, with a high-spirited performance by Jon Batiste. Even the most jaded fashion followers leapt up and boogied between the tables.
In his sophomore outing for Helmut Lang, creative director Peter Do offered up tough takes on the founder’s iconic suits, cargo pants and ballistic vests. He even drafted original Lang muse Kirsten Owen to stalk the catwalk.
Only a few days after her surprise music drop, the busy Beyoncé was spotted in Bushwick attending Luar’s NYFW show with mother Tina Knowles (left). Photo by Nina Westervelt/WWD via Getty Images
One of the hottest tickets of the week was Ludovic de Saint Sernin, the French gender-agnostic designer who once put “Euphoria” actress Hunter Schafer in a top made of a single feather and a low-rise skirt. Going head-to-head with the Super Bowl in his entrée to New York, he unveiled sheer tops and “butt cleavage” low leather pants. The NSFW collection was a collaboration with the Robert Mapplethorpe foundation.
Janet Jackson is all pressed up in black and white by Thom Browne. Matteo Prandoni/BFA.com
Also competing with the Super Bowl was outlier Elena Velez, a Wisconsonite who aims to unsettle. After last fall’s controversial mud-wrestling fight that splattered several fashion buyers and journalists, she held a “Gone with the Wind”-themed salon in a Fifth Ave. manse. Guests heard a symposium on Margaret Mitchell’s civil war epic, which bears a trigger warning for racist content. The rabble-rousing designer – who was just named one of the 2024 LVMH Prize semifinalists – presented corseted and ruffled antebellum “couture.”
“Feud: Capote Vs. the Swans” star Demi Moore (left) and our “National Treasure” Diane Kruger (right) enjoyed playful patterns at Carolina Herrera. Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images
Although supermodels were scarce this season – Kaia Gerber and Gigi and Bella Hadid sat this one out – both Emily Ratajkowski and Irina Shayk strutted their stuff.
There was no shortage of mature beauties on the runway. Veronica Webb sashayed for Sergio Hudson, Alva Chinn dazzled at Naeem Khan and Batsheva Hay cast only 40-plus women in her Batsheva show, including Molly Ringwald, Ione Skye and poet/lawyer Vanessa Place.
With “The Gilded Age” star Carrie Coon reading Edgar Allan Poe’s mournful “The Raven,” models winged their way down Thom Browne’s runway in dramatic avian-themed looks. Dan Lecca
Prabal Gurung
Fashionistas on the FROW snapped photos of Prabal Gurung’s opening outfit, a flowing red catfan over a turtleneck and glossy pants. Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
Libertine
Libertine creative director Johnson Hartig makes the best prints in the business, here festooned with myriad gems, roses and horses. WWD via Getty Images
Lapointe
A yellow school bus pulled up in front of the Lapointe show, and the models exited one by one. Sally LaPointe educated the audience on how to wear her traffic-stopping looks. Getty Images
Ludovic de Saint Sernin
In collaboration with the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation promoting the late, great photographer’s legacy, French designer Ludovic de Saint Sernin’s NYFW debut channeled freedom, sexuality and lots of leather. WWD via Getty Images
Tory Burch
It takes Emily Ratajkowski’s effortless it-girl persona to carry off this Tory Burch LBD — with a leather corset and sheer skirt — like it’s NBD. Dan Lecca
Wiederhoeft
This Wiederhoeft hoodie is all about the benjamins, which you’ll want to save so you can buy the whole “sample sale chic” outfit. Getty Images for NYFW: The Shows
Batsheva
In a new wrinkle, Batsheva designer Batsheva Hay showed her entire line on a gorgeous over-40 model cast led by Molly Ringwald. WWD via Getty Images
Brandon Maxwell
Between the ludicrously capacious bags and the low-key perfect knit dresses, Brandon Maxwell’s collection telegraphed stealth chic. Monica Feudi/Courtesy of Brandon Maxwell
Khaite
Leather is a huge trend for fall, and Khaite has plenty of skins in the game. Hanna Tveite
Tommy Hilfiger
What do you get when you combine the American Dream with feminine flair? Only Tommy Hilfiger, whose designs make one reach for the nearest copy of “The Preppy Handbook.” Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
Gabriela Hearst
Gabriela Hearst’s classic collection transforms monochrome into an exciting experiment with craft. Look no further than this immaculate denim trench. WWD via Getty Images
Willy Chavarria
Willy Chavarria fans Billie Eilish, Madonna and Julia Fox will surely be vying for his sharp-shouldered suits. WWD via Getty Images
Christian Siriano
The sands of time may shift, but Christian Siriano’s earthy “Dune”-inspired collection will never weather. WWD via Getty Images
Helmut Lang
Helmut Lang’s haute-couture bubble-wrap has us hoping for same-day shipping — just be careful when sitting down. Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
Michael Kors
Kors’s collection screams poise with a hint of poison, just like some of the sirens throughout Hollywood history who inspired him. Photo: Isidore Montag / Gorunway.com
Monse
Is that a skirt or trousers? In the clever hands of Monse design duo Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia, it’s a hip hybrid. Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
Sergio Hudson
Jaws dropped when original supermodel Veronica Webb swagged down the Sergio Hudson runway, serving the designer’s “strong woman realness, executive woman realness.” Getty Images for NYFW: The Shows
Coach
Coach’s supersized shearling coats are warm (and fuzzy), even with bare legs. Photo: Isidore Montag / Gorunway.com
Carolina Herrera
From classic plaids to blooming florals, Carolina Herrera as a brand has never shied away from a pattern’s potential. Getty Images
Elena Velez
In designer Elena Velez’s own words, her Scarlett O’Hara-inspired collection hearkens back to a time when a woman’s “sharpest weapon” was a red dress. Courtesy of designer
Jason Wu
This golden warrior goddess is the epitome of power and grace, as captured throughout Jason Wu’s NYFW collection. Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
Anna Sui
Cozy argyles and ubiquitous headpieces characterized the fantastic hodgepodge of Anna Sui’s collection, from which any look would be just as at home in a Whodunit as on the runway. WWD via Getty Images
Proenza Schouler
The leather ’fits and luxurious coats walking down Proenza Schouler’s runway will have you wishing for six more weeks of winter. Courtesy of vendor
Bach Mai
Working on a tight budget and schedule, which he narrated on Instagram, Bach Mai gave his signature luxe looks a lashing of fetish. WWD via Getty Images
LaQuan Smith
Who wouldn’t want to look this good from the boardroom to the bedroom? LaQuan Smith’s boss-lady bling is truly unbeatable. WWD via Getty Images
