Rihanna celebrated women of every shape, size and color in an outre show unveiling her Savage X Fenty lingerie line, bringing New York Fashion Week to a juddering climax on Wednesday.
The Barbadian superstar stepped out in a figure-hugging coffee dress and sunglasses, smiling and waving to the huge crowd that packed into the Brooklyn Naval Yard.
If there was a theme it was anything goes, be any kind of woman, be beautiful however you are, and Rihanna has all your underwear needs covered — be it tomboy boxers, sexy thongs or nipple-bearing one pieces.
The models danced and writhed on the astro-turf podium, covered in plants, for nearly 30 minutes, their figures casting long shadows when they stepped in and out of nylon bubble tents.
From femme fatale to pregnant women to girl next door lounging in nice soft pajamas, the underwear garments came in every shape, color and size, worn with matching silk gloves up to the elbow.
Supermodel Bella Hadid, in baby blue, towered above some of the shorter women, holding hands with them at the end. Fall/winter 2018, the collection was available to purchase immediately.
Earlier in the evening, Marc Jacobs, the darling of American high fashion, brought the house down 90 minutes late with a dexterous display of 1950s glamour, pastels and ruffles.
‘Very coiffed’
His spring 2019 collection had a 1950s and 1960s feel, all pastels and glamour, but the long delay infuriated guests, some of whom walked out. The designer appeared only fleetingly, for a perfunctory bow.
Guest of honor was rap star Nicki Minaj, dressed in a low-cut red dress with over-sized giant ruffled sleeves.
If there was one word for the Marc Jacobs evening dress it was ruffles and flounces, adorning the throat, shoulders and skirts of frocks that were so voluminous they had a movement of their own, made genteel and lady-like with little pastel-colored handbags and dainty heels.
Elle magazine reported that 37 models in the show opted to have their real hair bleached then dyed in an array of pinks, blues, greens and peaches to color coordinate their dresses with their frocks.
“Marc didn’t want a ‘fun’ pastel, he wanted it to have history and for it to look a little vintage,” Redken Global Color Creative Director Josh Wood was quoted as saying backstage by the magazine.
Hair stylist Guido Palau said the looks, which included a high, swinging pony-tail, were a nod to women such as Barbra Streisand and to celebrate a time when women made an effort to always look polished.
“A ‘finished’ woman is something Marc really wanted to emphasize again,” Palau told Elle. “It’s a very coiffed look.”
‘Sunny Side Up’
There was 1980s-style power suiting, hats with netting and plenty of the bang on color trend of the season — bright yellow and pale lemon.
Earlier in the day, Michael Kors kicked off the end of the bi-annual style fest with A-listers Nicole Kidman and Catherine Zeta-Jones front row for a happy collection inspired by the beach.
The 59-year-old designer created a set of bright, colorful art panels by Australian-born, Brooklyn-based artist Christina Zimpel that evoked the Caribbean or Mediterranean, a stark contrast to misty views of the Brooklyn Bridge through the windows of New York’s sprawling Pier 17.
“Global getaway,” “Sunny Side Up” and “From me to you — spread the joy” was how the billionaire Kors summed up the upbeat celebration of color that is bang on the happiness trend for spring 2019.
The catwalk was a riot of print and color, from turquoise to watermelon, persimmon and lemon, to floppy floral hats, a fringed lime green skirt and metallic green pant suit with matching bag.
Pants came in all styles, but most striking were floral and broderie anglaise flares with enormous bell bottoms. For evening, dresses were cut for the beach but designed for soiree in metallics.
Kors put fringes on jackets, skirts, pants and shoulder bags, a trend this season also on display at Longchamp and Coach, and stayed true to his recent M.O of including curve models on the runway. AB
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