For much of last year, the fashion industry’s most contentious issue was whether to move to a See Now Buy Now model, in which February’s shows would showcase spring fashion, rather than autumn. What innocent days those seem now. By the time this New York fashion week started, there was only one timestamp that mattered. This was Trump’s US, season one.
When the White House is publicly squabbling with Nordstrom on the first day of the catwalk season, there is no escaping that shopping is a political act. In this mini-universe, the powerful front row seats are still occupied by Hillary’s people – Anna Wintour, Sarah Jessica Parker, even Huma Abedin– and this week was an opportunity for this New York to present a different US to the world, which it did. I liked Prabal Gurung’s T-shirt printed with “NEVERTHELESS SHE PERSISTED”, and the sweaters at Public School with “Make America New York.” Wintour, Diane von Furstenberg and other grandees wore Fashion Stands With Planned Parenthood badges, and Jonathan Simkhai handed out T-shirts printed “FEMINIST AF”.
Continue reading...