New York Fashion Week 101
What to See, Think, Wear, and Discuss.
New York Fashion Week starts tomorrow! Fashionista's Steff Yotka (also a regular Oyster contributor) has everything you need to know in the lead-up.
Newbies
Everyone is wondering if Katie Holmes' label Holmes & Yang is going to be the next Victoria Beckham (and more importantly if Suri will be sitting front row — we care more about what she'll be wearing than what's on the catwalk). Also J. Crew's former womenswear designer Marissa Webb will be launching her first eponymous collection — could this be Jenna Lyon's second coming?
Sophomore Attempts
Last season, young labels Wes Gordon and Ostwald Helgason made waves at NYFW. Gordon then got to dress Lena Dunham for Vogue's MET Ball, which was a serious win, while Ostwald Helgason can now be found on every street style star and on the racks at Opening Ceremony. Can these labels keep the momentum going become real forces on the NYFW scene?
After the show...
... is the after party. If you're not a scenester than chances are you're not invited, but don't worry, you just need to know the right lie to tell to get in: André Saraiva is christening the Standard East Village with a basement bar ("Je ne parle pas anglais!"), while rumour has it Alexander Wang's party is bank heist themed, (no excuse necessary, just show dressed as Erin Wasson), and Opening Ceremony is turning ten at Webster Hall, ("I'm here with Jen Brill/Olivia Kim/Aaron Bondaroff/Paul Sevigny/Solange Knowles/Nate Lowman/Erin Beatty/…anyone really").
Models We Missed
A constant trend of NYFW is missing the major American models who end up having huge careers. See: Ondria Hardin and Madison Headrick (our issue #100 covergirl) both who scored Prada campaigns after missing NYFW completely. What we've learned is that it's always important to keep your eyes peeled on runways just in case the next Karlie Kloss walks by you.
Get a Job
Nothing gets people more excited than a bit of a shake-up. This season the hot topic is Sally Singer, whose departure from T Magazine has been the talk of the town. Is it time for Anna to step down? Carine's Roitfeld’s new mag, CR Fashion Book, will also be launching in NYFW. We’re excited to see who she's working with and for the return of her porno chic aesthetic — it's been so long! The debut issue will no doubt satisfy appetite for models in all black outfits holding babies. Over the pond (in Paris), Hedi Slimane's debut at Saint Laurent will be interesting (in a good way), as will Raf Simons first ready-to-wear collection for Dior. Former YSL kingpin, Stefano Pilati, has just been hired as the new creative director at Ermenegildo Zegna. Not that it will be on many people's radar.
Nikes
Spotted on everyone from Anna Dello Russo to Susie Lau, Nike trainers are having their fashion moment. Finally — some shoes we can actually walk in.
Piercings
This season all is all about the unexpected piercing. Everyone and their dog just got a septum piercing, and once bare ears have become wastelands for studs, hoops, and dangling charms. You need look no further than New York master piercer J. Colby Smith's, who's had every fashion girl from Vogue to Marie Claire in his chair.
Sleepless Nights: The Competition
The worst part of NYFW for any clinomaniac like myself is that the 9am—9pm show schedule plus parties plus frantic content generation makes sleeping practically impossible. But that's why Redbull was created. The real rub is that it's impossible to even whisper how tired you are without some bitty in Jeffrey Campbell booties screaming about how she hasn't slept in four months because she's been up day and night Instagramming her outfits and party pics with some dude who's a friend of a friend of a friend of Olivier Zahm. Come on!
Steff Yotka
