NYFW F/W17 Day 2

On Day 2 of NYFW the snow let up, but we were left with slushy, salty sidewalks. In other words, it was not a good day to wear your best shoes!

I opted for silver brogues and a Jacquemus coat that I’d been saving specifically for NYFW. Jacquemus is a young, French designer I’ve been obsessed with since he first came on the scene a couple of seasons ago. Known for creating structural pieces and pushing the boundaries of size and silhouette, I’ve had to hold myself back from buying up his entire collection. It’s the perfect blend of off-kilter whimsy that tugs at my little sartorial heart. Paired with my throwback Anya Hindmarch Space Invaders bag and Pac Man ghost tassel, it was a win-win for comfort and street style bait.

Oday Shakar
Our first show was Oday Shakar’s F/W17 collection entitled “Transcend”. The show opened with a series of black, hand-beaded evening looks before transitioning to deep reds, blues, greens and then finally emerging in soft winter whites. It was a literal and symbolic representation of surviving through the darkness and emerging in light. My favorite looks were a shimmering twisted seam coat with matching flare leg pants, and his brilliant flowing silhouettes – seen in a ruby cape with satin slip dress, and midnight caftan with ring details.

Lanyu
Chinese luxury designer Lanyu opened with crocheted bathing suits underneath wool coats in a range of mint, sky blue and pink.  The collection felt very spring-like until the mid-point when lace dresses, oversized blazers and tweed wrap dresses in jade and burnt orange made an appearance.

Photo by Bay Area Fashionista

Hakan Akkaya
The first thing that came to mind when I saw Hakan Akkaya’s collection was The Matrix. His all black line-up of menswear and womenswear had an edgy and futuristic vibe that featured metallic details, zippered seams and ruffled embellishments. Accessorized with leather baseball caps, oversized briefcases and garment bags, his collection felt young and on the verge.

Concept Korea
One of my favorite shows each season, Concept Korea takes three of the country’s best designers and brings them to NYFW to show as one concept. Fall/Winter 2017 featured designers Greedilous, Kimmy J and Yohanix. If there’s one thing Korean’s know about fashion, it’s how to push the envelope with multiple colors and patterns. Each designer featured a rainbow palette in a myriad of fabrics and prints. I was blown away with how cohesive and polished each collection was despite a dizzying amount of details. Take for example, this stunning burgundy, black and white fur coat layered over a netted skirt with hand-embroidered details and grounded in a silk army green trench coat. Brilliant!

RtA
Contemporary line RtA (road to awe) is best known for their denim and showed a great presentation of oversized fur jackets, leather separates and high quality knitwear in addition to their bread and butter. I love this oxblood leather dress accessorized with a pinstriped boyfriend blazer.

Photo by Bay Area Fashionista

Chromat
Each season Chromat pushes the envelope in the realm of swimwear.  The show opened with a musical performance (complete with back-up dancers!) before models of all shapes and sizes strutted down the runway in bold red, green and blue (noticing a theme?) two-pieces.  Many looks were accessorized with inflatable puffer jackets meant to be worn poolside and all featured long, gold chains hanging out of the models’ mouths.  My seat mate was an adorable Chihuahua mix puppy, whose owner was a well known journalist and long-time friend of the brand.  After listening to his many stories about working with the Chromat team, it became even clearer how tight knit of a community this dynamic brand represents.

Backstage with Bumble & Bumble
Next up was a backstage visit at Club Monaco with Bumble & Bumble.  Artistic Director Laurent Philippon – pictured below – walked me through his vision for the day.  Stay tuned for a full look into Club Monaco’s backstage coverage next week!

Club Monaco
Our last show of NYFW Day 2 set quite the bar.  After being treated to an in-depth behind the scenes look backstage, we walked into the show space, which was held at Club Monaco’s flagship on 5th Avenue.  The entire store had been transformed into an indoor garden of lilac, lavender and rose.  It smelled as heavenly as it looked – I truly felt transported into a secret garden.  In the middle of the room was a gigantic table adorned with silver place settings, trays and goblets filled to the brim with sweet and savory treats.  A build-your-own-bouquet bar was located off to the side, as models walked the length of the store and then positioned themselves on stage for us to take a closer look at the clothes.

Drew Barrymore, Jeremy Piven, Blair Eadie, Nick Wooster and the infallible Grace Coddington were in attendance.  I absolutely followed Grace Coddington like a total creeper so I could snap a picture of greatness in the flesh.

February 2017 marked the second time Club Monaco showed at NYFW.  We were lucky to attend their first ever presentation in September, so seeing it’s follow-up was quite a treat.  Club Monaco followed the see-now, buy-now model, showing Spring/Summer 2017 clothing available for immediate purchase.  I loved their take on vibrant florals, ruffled sleeves and a reinterpretation of the classic trench.  You can shop the collection here.

Photos by Matthew Passiglia