I started the week in a girly yet edgy number, then moved on to total 80’s badass. On Day 3 my mood shifted again – no surprise here – and I went totally feminine and voluminous in Ellery flares and a corseted top. If you’re wondering what my secret is for finding great pieces for NYFW, it all comes back to Moda Operandi. After each season’s collection hits the runway, I immediately go online and pre-order my wishlist (always staying in budget of course). Four to six months later when the pieces arrive on my doorstep, I separate the “nah, don’t need it’s” from the “keep and covets”. They only take a 50% deposit for pre-orders and have free shipping and free returns so you really can’t go wrong.
Shop the Post
Taoray Wang
Another fashion week “first”, we started the day with Taoray Wang which really got my blood moving. Inspired by two Baroque musicians, the collection was a beautiful blend of masculine and feminine silhouettes. Featuring pleated obi belts, deconstructed shirting and pinstriped suits accented with fringe and oversized cuffs, it was another example of a collection I would completely buy out if I could. Besides sky blue and a few red stripes in the middle of the collection, the palette stayed dark with dominate notes of ink, black and charcoal. Unsual for spring, but I loved it. As a nod to edgy beauty, the models wore colorful temporary tattoos on their chests pushing the envelope of Wang’s modern suiting even further.
Son Jung Wan
Before the Son Jung Wan show started, I had major fun people watching. If you followed my Insta Stories you remember my secret snapping – teehee! The crowd appeared to be a Who’s Who of America’s Next Top Model. Not only was I sitting behind three former contestants, but the hubby got to meet and take a pic with the legendary Miss J! I really wanted to film a boomerang of us doing a walk off, but then I thought the better of it. No one competes with Miss J!
Son Jung Wan is one of those designers that can do it all and her spring 2018 collection was a monumental undertaking of those skills. Featuring hand-beaded appliqués, varying textures of chiffon, silk and linen, and a color palette ranging from rose to emerald the beauty of The French Riviera inspired her mood. My favorites were her crinkled silk separates in metallic green and her playful rompers adorned with hand-sewn flowers. The collection reminded me of an amped up version of her Spring 2016 runway and while I loved it, I prefer Wan’s more edited work.
Yuna Yang
When Son Jung Wan ran late I knew we’d never be able to make it from Soho to the Upper East Side in time for Yuna Yang. Missing shows is an unfortunate reality of NYFW and while I always try to avoid it, sometimes you just can’t escape logistics. Sadly I didn’t get to see this “Save the Earth” presentation in person, but pored over the images post-show. Aptly held in the Mount Vernon Hotel Garden, the watercolor print, pleated chiffon and lace bomber jacket immediately hooked me. I adored how she styled spring looks with chunky combat boots. This is definitely a style note I’ll be incorporating come spring. Fashion girls take note – a trend is born!
Photos courtesy of Yuna Yang
Philipp Plein
If you want to talk Crazytown USA, let’s not go further than Philipp Plein. Everyone was excited about this show because Future was going to perform and stick around for the afterparty. When we showed up to the Hammerstein Ballroom, the streets were lined with every kind of exotic car you can imagine. It put the streets of Monaco to shame. Even more abundant than the Bugatti’s, was the crowd. There must have been at least 1000 people in line.
To give you a comparison, your average fashion show holds between 250-500 people. Most guests have seats, with maybe 10-15% of the room standing. You enter the space in an orderly fashion, usually in groups according to your seat assignment.
This was Armageddon. Lines snaked from every direction imaginable with no rhyme or reason. No one was being let inside 20min after the show was supposed to start (not a good sign). After waiting 10min simply for the “can you believe this?!” camaraderie, we decided to leave.
On our way out, our taxi driver went down a street that was blocked off. As we tried to wedge our way through (I still don’t know how he did it), his profanities abruptly stopped to proclaim, “That’s Fifty!” We looked over, and not two feet from us was 50 Cent. We could have high-fived him. He drove a Bentley (still can’t believe his windows weren’t tinted) and we totally locked eyes. It was the funniest and most random fashion week moment ever.
To give you an idea of what the show was actually like, I had friends who covered it backstage and got to see Adriana Lima up close and friends who waited in line over two hours only to be turned away at the door.
Thankfully we headed down to Greenwich Village to meet my dear friend, Megan. When it comes to NYFW traditions, seeing Megan is always #1 on our list. We totally forgot to take our signature photo, but reminisced about these classics later on.
Inching towards the home stretch with Day 4’s coverage on the blog tomorrow!
Photos by Matthew Passiglia
