Day Three of New York Fashion Week tests the phrase “too much of a good thing.” With more than 30 style events in just 12 hours, the runways risked becoming a beautiful blur—but a few standouts moments made their mark. (So did the triple espresso that finally kicked in at Tory Burch. Thank you, Think Coffee!)
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A high school marching band, a dance party, a series of elegant but hardly stuffy clothes. This was a dreamy runway, and not just because at 9 am, most attendees were still a little sleepy. In fact, thanks to the swingy, silky pants and real-life-ready jumpsuits, it was a satisfying wake-up call.
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Dear Ms. Burch, thank you for the delicious brunch at your morning fashion show. It was such a treat to eat quiche while gazing at Monets in the Brooklyn Museum of Art, and equally delightful to spot sneakers on so many of your evening looks. Please give my best to your friend, Emily Blunt, and tell her the suit she wore in the front row was so divine, we’re en route to steal it, Bling Ring style. Yours truly, ELLE.com
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I’d really like to review this show, but its gauzy splendor made me rediscover my true calling as a fairy princess, and—well—the netherworld beckons.
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“This is a celebration of identity, hope, and doing one’s part,” declared Jonathan Cohen, and, yes, it really was. Held in a private artist’s studio in the East Village, the runway show featured original paintings, live music (a piano cover of Smashing Pumpkins’ Tonight Tonight), and an incredible network of interconnected fabrics that were knotted, stitched, or fused together. Born in Mexico City, Cohen rehashed the American flag with traditional embroidery and weaving techniques, and also used a zero-impact nylon and upcycled Swarovski crystals in his looks. Our country is in tatters right now, but Cohen seizes the potential in every rip and fray.
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Behold model Maria Borges in a perfect spring look. Softly sporty and infused with movement and vigor, the ‘fit is part of Victor Glemaud’s next collection. With its ‘70s vibe and modern fan base, Glemaud keeps getting hotter—and because the designer is a knitwear artiste with incredible skill, it’ll keep everyone snuggly and warm, too.
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Fine. Take all my money. Then use it to pay your stylist a generous bonus, because the genius monochrome colors and thoughtful styling hacks happening here to compliment the forward-thinking clothes are next level.
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See also: Tibi, where rumpled suits in lavender and plum gave “I just woke up this gorgeous” a fresh meaning… and a new excuse to actually get out of bed.
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“Who gets to be American?” asked the designer, and his collection roared an answer with tie dye knitwear, black jacquard jackets, and an all-white look with angel-winged shoulders for Gurung’s muse Varsha Thapa. Gurung also had some clever twists on denim, including a red, white, and blue jean boiler suit that echoed the female force of both Rosie the Riveter and Olivia Wilde’s teen comedy Booksmart. Coincidentally—or not—the movie’s star Kaitlyn Dever was sitting front row.
Every few seasons, a protestor storms the catwalk, screams something about evil deeds, and gets promptly hauled off by security. At this show, the models—including Ali Michael, Kimberly Drew, and a terrifyingly poised 4th grader—did the protesting, wearing recycled fabrics, munching local produce, and sporting slogans about protecting the earth and challenging the status quo. It was way more effective than crashing a fashion show, but strangely just as disruptive.
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The lowdown on this hoedown: it’s not for the shy. If you’d like animal-print ranch wear for a gala where the category is Old Town Road, get in line—Fantasia and Slick Woods are fans, too.
Faran Krentcil Editor at Large, ELLE.com“Her beauty and her brain go not together.” —William Shakespeare
