New York Fashion Week is here, with big fashion names showcasing their 2024 Spring and Summer collections, hosting a number of landmark events, including the return of brands like Ralph Lauren and 3.1 Phillip Lim to the calendar, as well as debuts from up-and-coming designers like Grace Ling and recent “Project Runway” winner Bishme Cromartie.
The week’s packed schedule officially kicked off Friday with Peter Do’s highly anticipated debut for Helmut Lang. The ascendant Vietnamese-born designer has been given the chance to reinterpret the minimalist ’90s brand — which spent years without a creative director — for a new generation. He hit many notes of the label’s original aesthetic, while infusing his own romantic sensibilities (including a collaboration with poet Ocean Vuong) into the collection, particularly with his men’s and women’s suiting.
Peter Do’s debut for Helmut Lang, which included poetic takes on suiting and basics, saw the designer inject his own elegant sensibilities into the minimalist label’s aesthetic.Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images
But even before Helmut Lang officially opened Fashion Week, Coach had celebrated a milestone of its own a night earlier with celebrities including Jennifer Lopez and Lil Nas X in attendance in the beautiful marble interiors of the New York Public Library in Bryant Park.
The show, which included an unexpected PETA protest on the runway, marked Stuart Vevers’ 10th anniversary as creative director. For the occasion, the British designer put out an exuberant, elevated take on what he called the “American essentials,” he said over email to CNN, which included slouchy suits and oversized leather jackets in black, brown and green, long sheer dresses over leather separates and lipstick-kiss bags.
Helmut Lang returns to the runway, with ascendant designer Peter Do at the helm
“We ventured into newer territory this season with tailoring,” Vevers explained, adding: “There’s a sense of play, too — in the colorful bags, the footwear and the jewelry — that make the collection feel joyful.”
Star power at the New York Fashion Week
The week’s shows have been scattered all over the city, from Collina Strada’s femme garden fantasy on a Brooklyn rooftop farm to Prabal Gurung’s display of layered gowns and sculptural gold jewelry on Roosevelt Island — an event that attendees including Padma Lakshmi, Awkwafina, Venus Williams and Maddie Ziegler braved both the rain and the island’s aerial tramway to attend.
On Park Avenue, Proenza Schouler hosted It-girls such as actor Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri and socialite Sofia Richie Grainge, while Phillip Lim’s Chinatown show drew Stephanie Hsu, Paramore’s Hayley Williams, The Kid Laroi and Kathy Hilton, among others. (For those keeping track, other “Real Housewives” appearances have included Lisa Rinna at Jason Wu and Gizelle Bryant at Sergio Hudson.)
Such was the starpower at Ralph Lauren’s show — whose A-List contingent included Jennifer Lopez, among many others — that the oversize warehouse space was needed to fit them all in.Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty Images
Awkwafina, Kiersey Clemons and Maddie Ziegler attend Prabal Gurung’s rainy presentation on Roosevelt Island.Nina Westervelt/WWD/Getty Images
Rachel Sennott, Chase Sui Wonders, Ayo Edebiri and Molly Gordon turned up to Proenza Schouler at Phillips auction house in Midtown East.Gilbert Flores/WWD/Getty Images
But the most star-studded events of the weekend were Christian Siriano’s 15th anniversary show, where an eclectic front row included Janet Jackson, Laura Linney, Laverne Cox, Kesha and Avril Lavigne, and the return of Ralph Lauren, who hasn’t staged a New York Fashion Week show since 2019. A-Listers filed in one after the other, including — take a breath — Diane Keaton, Julianne Moore, James Marsden, Cara Delevingne, Amanda Seyfried, Jennifer Lopez (once again), Keri Russell and Gabrielle Union, to name just a few.
In a warehouse space transformed to resemble an artist’s attic (think dust sheets draped on walls and clusters of ornate picture frames), the brand’s Spring-Summer 2024 collection highlighted “a new kind of romance — cool and sophisticated,” Ralph Lauren said in a statement. “It’s about the freedom of creating a personal style through the artistry of faded denims and painterly florals, the modern sophistication of iconic shapes in black and gold or the eclectic mix of bold colors.”
Model Anna Ewers walks Ralph Lauren’s Spring-Summer 2024 runway show.Pixelformula/SIPA/Shutterstock
The collection featured delicate, romantic plays on denim, as well as florals, lace and elegant eveningwear.Pixelformula/SIPA/Shutterstock
The event marked a welcome return the schedule, though as Lauren told CNN during a decadent post-show dinner, “I’m always in New York; I grew up here.” The city, he continued, is “always about celebrating the new” — and so, fittingly, the showcase was opened by model Anna Ewers, the face of Ralph Lauren’s newest handbag, the RL 888.
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Closing the runway, meanwhile, was supermodel Christy Turlington in a body-conscious gold gown with a train so long that in one moment it almost caused quite the snag — literally — as model Natalia Vodianova, walking behind Turlington, accidentally stepped on it. Befitting her supermodel status, of course, Turlington laughed it off.
From minimal to maximal
Throughout the weekend, long jackets and oversized suiting mixed with gauzy, barely-there dresses dominated runways, from Coach to Khaite, Jason Wu to Eckhaus Latta. But while many of these labels — and more — employed restrained color palettes, there were maximalist takes as well.
Kim Shui, who sent flirty corsetry down the runway to party music on Saturday night, told CNN backstage that she designs for people who “have a lot of personality.” Both Shui and Hillary Taymour of Collina Strada made feminine statements through their collections, with Shui leaning into ornamentation that she said is often considered “superfluous.” Taymour, on the other hand, noted that she was embracing “the strength of radical softness” and the “grit in the girly” during a time of peril for trans and reproductive rights.
Kim Shui’s Saturday evening showing was an explosion of textures, detailing and color. Models waved and blew kisses at attendees as they walked the runway.Noam Galai/Getty Images
Shui’s sumptuous looks transformed regal, structured bodices into playful silhouettes. Through the collection, Shui questioned why overtly feminine-coded design isn’t taken seriously.Noam Galai/Getty Images
For sustainability-minded designers, this season offered a chance to explore new materials. Taymour told CNN over email that she has begun using Vegea, a leather made from wineries’ discarded grape skins (as well as corn husk leather for her new collaboration with Ugg). Shui, meanwhile, incorporated an ancient textile process dating back to the Ming dynasty that binds iron-rich mud to silk.
On Sunday, the label co-founded by Rosario Dawson and Abrima Erwiah to promote African fashion, Studio 189, hosted a celebratory afternoon show featuring exuberant textiles in both traditional and contemporary cuts. Dawson and Erwiah recognized the African artisans in Burkina Faso who contributed to the collection by showing monumental portraits of them on the runway.
“Everything is still handmade: batik, indigo, kente,” Dawson told CNN backstage. “People are working through military coups to get (the textiles) to us, so that’s why joy is such a big part of it — being bright, being bold, because we are showing up against all odds and we wanted that to be represented.”
Scroll down to see Spring-Summer 2024’s runway highlights, which will be updated throughout the week.
At Jason Wu, frayed hems and holes were juxtaposed with luxe screen-printed dresses and fine drapery, taking the “quiet luxury” trend to a new — and exciting — places.Jane Kim/WWD/Getty Images
Hillary Taymour focused on “wearable” corsetry, frills and tulle in a Collina Strada collection designed to “reconnect to the universal feminine energy” during a time of political and social strife, she wrote in the show notes. Models wore exaggerated smiles, too — a pained “everything is fine” expression — before abruptly dropping it as they walked away.Rodin Banica/WWD/Getty Images
Taymour told CNN that she used AI while planning her Spring-Summer 2024 collection “as a tool to remix old Collina and drive it further.”Rodin Banica/WWD/Getty Images
Taymour is known for injecting fantasy into her ready-to-wear looks. “I love to create a world and a show but it’s so natural to me. At this point it’s just what happens,” she told CNN. “I was trying to be really serious this season.”Rodin Banica/WWD/Getty Images
In a surprise cameo, Sia popped up on Christian Siriano’s runway to perform two songs as the collection’s final looks — glitzy, ballet-inspired gowns — walked for an energetic crowd at the Pierre Hotel.Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Christian Siriano
Coach was one of many brands to rethink suit silhouettes and play with transparencies.Giovanni Giannoni/WWD/Getty Images
Coach creative director Stuart Vevers said that instead of starting from scratch, he considered this season to be a continuation from the previous one.Giovanni Giannoni/WWD/Getty Images
What inspires me most about today’s generation is their fluid approach to fashion — in particular, the way they re-contextualize genres and counter-cultures to make new subcultures is exciting.
Stuart Vevers, Coach
Grace Ling’s New York Fashion Week debut highlighted her sculptural metalworking against a stark black-and-white palette.Courtesy Grace Ling
Ling included wispy illusion gowns in her otherworldly show, which included the tiny blood and tear drop accents in various accessories.Courtesy Grace Ling
Private Policy’s club-kid-wear was aimed at the sustainably-minded, incorporating biodegradable plastics and recycled materials.John Lamparski/Getty Images
Another look from Peter Do’s debut for Helmut Lang, modeled by musician and actor Moses Sumney. Do referred to Lang’s original utility straps, but with seatbelts instead of parachute harnesses.Cindy Ord/Getty Images
T-shirts, tank tops and collared shirts bore the words of poet Poet Ocean Vuong, who contributed text for Do’s collection in English and Vietnamese.Cindy Ord/Getty Images
Oversized gold earrings were a statement accessory peppered throughout Prabal Gurung’s collection. The sinuous and sensuous pieces looked like, well, liquid gold, as if they were dripping from the models’ jawlines.Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images
Inspired by stories of migration and cross-cultural dialogue, Prabal Gurung’s collection, with its “West meets East” theme, blended silhouettes and textures into a potent sartorial melting pot.Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images
The afternoon’s overcast skies offered a muted backdrop for a collection filled with bold colors and billowy, engaging prints. And despite a wet catwalk, models dealt with towering platform heels with aplomb.George Chinsee/WWD/Getty Images
Ralph Lauren’s collection “celebrates the freedom of personal style,” its show notes explained, “reflecting the individuality of a woman who is timeless and modern, bold and romantic, sophisticated and vibrant — always grounded in a spirit of her own authenticity.”Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images
Returning to the New York Fashion Week schedule after four years, an emotional Phillip Lim told CNN his collection was all about the city and its continued resonance.George Chinsee/WWD/Getty Images
“Just as New York itself combines diverse stimuli and cultures, so too do we aim to harmonize and celebrate the beauty that resides in every corner of our society,” explained the show notes.George Chinsee/WWD/Getty Images
I’m not a crier it’s just (that) I can’t stop. It’s been four years in the making, this ode — this love letter to New York.
Phillip Lim
Proenza Schouler’s airy dresses were reminiscent of blue and cloudy skies.Proenza Schouler
Sleek suiting and low-slung zippered bags were also highlights of Proenza Schouler’s collection.Proenza Schouler
Ulla Johnson, known for her lively prints, collaborated with New York painter Shara Hughes.Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images
Eckhaus Latta’s earth tones were enlivened with shimmering copper and silver garments.Madison Voelkel
Actor Hari Nef opened the Eckhaus Latta show in Midtown Manhattan.Madison Voelkel
Studio 189 showcased hand-crafted techniques in its collaborations with African artisans, including painted garments.Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for NYFW: The Shows
Studio 189 models came down the runway in pairs, strutting and dancing to the music as onlookers cheered.Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for NYFW: The Shows
“We don’t throw anything away,” Studio 189 co-founder Abrima Erwiah said backstage. “It’s important for us to say, ‘OK how can we use these materials?'”Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images gor NYFW: The Shows
(Our designs) need to be something that value the people who make them, but also that you can keep and reuse forever.
Abrima Erwiah, Studio 189
Khaite creative director Catherine Holstein was one of several designs who featured enigmatic hardware on the runway, like these linked hands that appeared at various points in the collection.Khaite
Bold, extra-wide shoulders on long coats gave models exaggerated silhouettes on the runway as they navigated the dark, cavernous Park Avenue Armory, illuminated by beams of light.Khaite
Irina Shayk walked in Michael Kors show along the Brooklyn waterfront. Guests included Blake Lively, Vanessa Hudgens and Halle Berry.Gilbert Flores/WWD/Getty Images
Area co-founder Piotrek Panszczyk mixed couture and ready-to-wear in a single show. This season, the label’s surrealist touches included claw hardware with slits, with its collection exploring how primal materials like bones and fur have become symbols of wealth.Courtesy Area
Area reimagined bones as lacquered pieces encrusted with Swarovski crystals, knotted into various gowns. Elsewhere, glittering crystal skull masks, shimmering gowns and voluminous puffer coats displaying a textile of photocopied fur rounded out the collection.Courtesy Area
Kim Shui’s models looped the interior and courtyard of Barbaretta, New York’s oldest Italian restaurant. Shui was directly inspired by her multicultural heritage, as a Chinese American raised in Italy.Noam Galai/Getty Images
Adeam’s ballet-inspired garments displayed movement and lightness as models walked along the runway. The show included a performance by New York City Ballet principal dancer Tiler Peck.John Lamparski/Getty Images
Adeam founder Hanako Maeda told CNN she wanted to focus on the sportier aspects of ballet, and that the edginess of her previous season — influenced by punk music — made its way into this season, too.John Lamparski/Getty Images
Often ballet inspiration becomes more eveningwear-heavy or romantic, but I wanted the collection to still feel very youthful and fresh.
Hanako Maeda, Adeam
With sharp tailoring and bold colors, Sergio Hudson’s collection looked to update classic trends in “power dressing.”Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for NYFW
Sergio Hudson’s parade of girl bosses walked to cheers and applause from an audience that was also clearly powered-up and peppy.Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for NYFW
Colin Locascio’s bright, punchy, hyper-floral collection experimented with the texture and form of suits and gowns.Courtesy Colin Locascio
Advisry founder Keith Herron was inspired by the groundbreaking introduction of technicolor in film. Like in “The Wizard of Oz” where Dorothy’s environment transitions from monochrome to color in Oz, Herron’s collection began in black, brown and white and took on different hues.Fujio Emura
Herron’s collection toyed with the structure of suiting and, later, shifted into vivid, abstracted garments, closing with bulbous pink, yellow and blue pieces.
