Fashion Week has taken over New York City once again with six days of Fall-Winter 2023 shows from brands including Rodarte, Thom Browne, Prabal Gurung and Eckhaus Latta.
Last season marked the return of nearly all in-person shows, and A-List celebrities descended on the city for a packed schedule of slick high-production shows all around Manhattan and Brooklyn. This week, the trend toward iconic backdrops and grand architecture continues, with shows taking place at the historic main branch of the New York Public Library, classic hotspot the Rainbow Room, and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.
On Friday, the mood was high fantasy as Rodarte kicked off the official schedule inside the neoclassical Williamsburgh Savings Bank, transforming the landmarked Brooklyn institution into an otherworldly banquet populated by gothic fairies. Rodarte's romantic collections have a loyal celebrity following, and guests included actors Brie Larson, Jemima Kirke, and Natasha Lyonne.
The night continued with themes of transformation, from Collina Strada's playful presentation of models-turned-animals to Dion Lee's edgy club-kid looks that played on the idea of clothes as shedding snake skin (the latter attended by the internet's favorite "It" girls Julia Fox and Ice Spice).
At the New York Public Library, designer Prabal Gurung sought to create a celestial escape in the heart of the building, inspired by meditation and his Nepalese heritage. Models in asymmetrical draping and a variety of outwear walked on a mirrored floor beneath star projections, while guests including Kimora Lee Simmons and Nicky Hilton looked on.
"I wanted people to forget for 10 minutes that they are in New York — to feel like they are on a spiritual journey with me to Nepal," he told CNN ahead of the show.
Setting the stage
Another weekend highlight was Area's dramatic take on fruits, turning bananas, watermelons and grapes into sculptural ensembles that seemed to draw heavily from art history, from Andy Warhol's pop art to Dutch "vanitas" paintings. Models walked to the sounds of buzzing flies and thumping techno, while colors shifted from vibrant to black, signaling decay.
Celebrity runway cameos have included Lindsay Lohan's siblings Ali and Cody, who walked Christian Siriano's early Thursday show (with Lohan present in the front row), as well as a surprise appearance from "White Lotus" actor Jon Gries on the Eckhaus Latta runway on Saturday night. Emily Ratajkowski closed Simkhai's presentation of power-dressing ensembles.
Other celebrities spotted front row during the week have included the always-masked South African singer Orville Peck and Japanese Breakfast frontwoman Michelle Zauner, the latter who showed up to Rodarte and cool-girl staple Sandy Liang. "I'm so flattered that people get it," Liang said of cultivating a loyal following, which includes Bella Hadid and Phoebe Bridgers. Liang's latest collection imagined the dress as a "modern, everyday uniform," mixing feminine silhouettes — with signatures bows, rosettes and ballet pointe flats — with utilitarian additions.
Scroll down for the moments that caught our eye so far.
Emily Ratajowski closed Simkhai's Friday evening show in the Financial District in a boxy "menswear" take on womens suiting. Credit: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for NYFW: The Shows
Rodarte set the scene with silver banquet tables overflowing with glitter-covered fruits and candelabras. Models wore garments inspired by gothic fairies, ranging from moody all-black dresses to winged metallic gowns. Credit: Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan/Getty Images
Rodarte founders Sarah and Laura Mulleavy asked their artist mother to create the fairy drawings that appear as prints throughout the collection. Credit: Taylor Hill/WireImage/Getty Images
The Mulleavy sisters are known for their romantic aesthetics, but this collection was "the first show where we had a rule," Laura explained after the show. All designs had to relate back to their high-fantasy inspiration. Credit: Taylor Hill/WireImage/Getty Images
“We consider our fashion family our family — hair, makeup, production, music, and all the people internally who make the show happen. The adrenaline of getting to an endpoint altogether just brings (us) close, so it's nice to really celebrate that.”
Laura Mulleavy, Rodarte
For Collina Strada's show "Please Don't Eat My Friends," models crawled, bleated, galloped and licked their paws as they came around the runway. Credit: Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images
Garments featured animal-like details including horns and organza bunny tails. The materials emphasized sustainability, incorporating deadstock wool, cotton, jacquard, and lace, as well as recycled yarn and biodegradable satin.
Credit: Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images
Cody Lohan was cast in Christian Siriano's classic glamour-inspired show, which the designer defined as "Audrey Hepburn's rose garden at midnight." Credit: Hippolyte Petit/Getty Images
Sandy Liang has gained a cult following for her whimsical interpretations of girlhood. Last year, her pointe shoe-style flats became a must-have for the balletcore microtrend. Credit: Gregoire Avenel
Her latest collection mixes unexpected pairings like this puffer vest with a feminine lace slip dress. Detachable capes, sashes, and knit hoods also feature in the new designs. Credit: Gregoire Avenel
“Childhood is when you're at your happiest... (so) every collection is an attempt to get to a place of freedom and dreaminess, but based in realistic dressing because I value comfort and practicality.”
Sandy Liang
Area designers Piotrek Panszczyk and Beckett Fogg explained on Instagram that fruits can represent both "abundance, fertility, vitality, and youth" as well as "mortality and the cycle of life." Their high-octane show turned bananas, watermelons and grapes into embrodiery, embellishments and metalworked garments. Credit: Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images
The collection also featured feathered masks, ultra-low backless lace bodysuits, and accessories with wires that mimicked the look of swarming flies. Credit: Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images
Sergio Hudson's highlighter-colored hues and slick retro suiting took notes from Fran Drescher in "The Nanny," Hilary Banks in "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" and Barbie. Credit: Noam Galai/Getty Images for NYFW: The Shows
Dion Lee's show was conceptualized around snakes shedding their skin, resulting in reptilian textures and creative outerwear. Credit: Lexie Moreland/WWD/Getty Images
The club-kid-meets-biker aesthetic included translucent inflatable jackets. Credit: Lexie Moreland/WWD/Getty Images
Eckhaus Latta's show skewed grunge with tons of textures, including mohair, denim, knits and shearling pelts. Womens garments played peekaboo with sheer fabrics and slits, while mens garments included backless tops and mid-length skirts. Credit: Rodin Banica/WWD/Getty Images
"White Lotus" actor Jon Gries made a surprise appearance, continuing the cast's foray into fashion since the second season ended in December. Credit: Nina Westervelt/WWD/Getty Images
Prabal Gurung's latest collection, called "Anichiya," was based on the philosophy of imperanence. It featured asymmetrical silhouettes and a range of outerwear. Credit: Fernanda Calfat/Getty Images for NYFW: The Shows
Gurung included textiles that echoed the patterns of butterfly wings, following his experiences on an extended meditation retreat. Credit: Fernanda Calfat/Getty Images for NYFW: The Shows
“I wanted people to forget for 10 minutes that they are in New York — to feel like they are on a spiritual journey with me to Nepal.”
Prabal Gurung
Jason Wu returned to the schedule with a verdant showing at the Guggenheim Museum. Credit: JP Yim/Getty Images for NYFW: The Shows
Eggs, roses, tiger print and snakeskin were among some of the motifs at Puppets and Puppets. Credit: Fernanda Calfat/Getty Images
The models wove around messy food arrangements on the runway as part of the show. Credit: Fernanda Calfat/Getty Images
Kim Shui's catwalk took place inside the Bowery Savings Bank. Credit: Fernanda Calfat/Getty Images
The collection featured 2000s-inspired fashion, embellished 'K' letters and furry knee-high boots. Credit: Rob Kim/Getty Images
This highlights article is ongoing and will be updated during the week.
Top image: Fairy glam at Rodarte
