The biggest trend of NYFW wasn’t the reinterpretation of the corset, the bubble hems or slime green. The biggest trend of NYFW happened within the runway atmosphere itself. Savage X Fenty. Ralph Lauren. Tommy Hilfiger x Zendaya. Marc Jacobs. What all of these shows had in common was the experiential aspect of their runways. Each of these designers, and many more, created a mini world within their venue for each show, which in turn allowed the guest to feel as if they’d been placed into the designer’s head and allowed to take an inside look at their design process or their inspiration.
For the past several seasons, runways have become more and more elaborate, with live performances, outrageous set design and models who not only strut down the runway but dance, skip and sashay. This NYFW, many of the designers took their shows to the next level. Creating atmospheres which embody the personal aesthetic of each brand allows the consumer or guest to feel a connection to the pieces, and, in some ways, to the designer themselves.
This NYFW, fashion show attendees stepped into a whole new world at Tommy Hilfiger x Zendaya’s collection as the two designers recreated Harlem, New York of the ‘70s. Held at the historic Apollo Theater, they designed a set straight from that supreme era, and their clothes mirrored this inspiration perfectly. The second collection the duo has created together wowed the audience while in the backdrop, a Cadillac, live band and a dozen singers only added to the ‘70s mood.
Ready for the ‘20s to arrive? So is Ralph Lauren. His Art-Deco inspired nightclub, “Ralph’s Club,” played host to his A/W 2019 show. The glitzy program, which featured models such as the Hadid sisters, ended with a live performance from Janelle Monae performing jazz classics from the ‘20s and ‘30s. Glittering crystal chandeliers, luxurious table settings and a star-studded list of attendees ranging from Cate Blanchett to Henry Golding rounded out this Jazz Age night. Ralph’s encapsulating nightclub experience only served to fuel the buzz over his Gatsby-inspired designs.
Marc Jacobs ended NYFW with a bang… and a symphony of models pouring out into the large auditorium space he chose for the show. Drill Hall, a fifty-five thousand square foot historic building on Park Avenue served as the backdrop for Jacobs’ twist on the usual runway show. Rather than ending his show with all of the looks displayed, Marc Jacobs began the show with every single model pouring out of the entrance into Drill Hall, strutting across the space towards the audience, who had been spread out across the room, before walking straight through the crowd.
Drawing inspiration from his “Flower Girl” show eighteen years ago before the 9/11 attacks, Jacobs focused on the joy to be found in clothing, the sheer exuberance and freedom that can be drawn from a new piece, and the comforting distraction found in one’s wardrobe. NYFW ended with the designer himself sprinting across the auditorium in a pair of six inch, sparkling pink heels. What better way to usher in this new era of a runway that fully encompasses everything the designer stands for?
Alyssa Coscarelli (@alyssainthecity), an influencer formerly at Refinery29, attended the Marc Jacobs fashion show last week. On her Instagram story, Coscarelli mentioned that the show felt as if the models were walking right through the audience, never looking down at the guests, which piqued their interest in the designs exhibited.
This need for an experience also translates into the retail world. Although brick-and-mortar stores have been on the steady decline, there’s been a rise in pop-up shops, collaborative experiences with influencers, locations personalized exactly to the brand’s aesthetic. These pop-ups allow for a new level of creative expression for each brand, in a world where six seconds is all the time we have to give something before moving on.
Designers have realized in order to succeed, they have to appeal to this changing generation of doers, a culture that demands immediate satisfaction and craves dynamic and compelling visuals. By creating a runway experience, rather than a show, designers are ensuring their collections live on in Instagram or Twitter, at least until the next show comes along.
This is one of many reasons why the Savage x Fenty show became such a revelation. Instead of livestreaming the show as Victoria’s Secret has done with their shows for so long, Rihanna chose to partner with Amazon Prime to release it. This created buzz, drew interest from her consumers, all the while creating an atmosphere of surprise, only to be peaked when it was announced after the show two weeks ago that all phones were taken from the guests.
Rihanna’s Savage X experience created an atmosphere of complete and utter body acceptance, paired with Laverne Cox and Slick Woods dancing in the Savage x Fenty lingerie. Releasing her show onto Amazon Prime allows us to continue to marvel at the magic she created with one simple collection over and over again, breathing in her aesthetic and hope for the future of the lingerie industry. It satisfies our six second brains.
Words by Kat Phillips