Fall/Winter 2019 New York Fashion Week has come and gone! I was feeling a little disappointed this season because I did not get as many shows as I usually get. I had to "buck up" as my mother would say and have the resolve to make the best of it.
Having less invites actually made it easier for me to really take in fashion week and enjoy. There have been seasons in the past that I have gone to shows just for the sake of going, but this season I curated my schedule and only went to runway presentations that I knew I would truly love.
I had more down time in the between shows. So, I was able to reconnect with some of my blogger/fashion friends that I haven't been able to due to our busy schedules. Fashion week is one of the best times to really build bonds with like-minded people and to catch up with old friends.
Last February season I was really on the ball with pulling together looks far in advance. This season I was down to the wire. I had a few key pieces that I wanted to work into my looks as well as ideas that I wanted to try, but I really just winged it.
It's hard to say which route works better for me. I am less stressed when I plan far in advance, but my looks are more authentic/creative when I plan them under some sort of time crunch. In this case the time crunch was a couple of nights before fashion week begun.
As usual the runway did not disappoint. I was able to see a broad selection of shows. All of which had some trends I could pull out of them. I found a sweet spot of one or two shows a day that I will try to carry into future seasons.
Indonesian Diversity
Indonesian Diversity is a showcase of up-and-coming Indonesian designers. Every season is great because it is amazing to see how these designers infuse their culture into the latest trends. Proving that assimilation does not equate to fashion.
Hogan McLaughlin
Hogan McLaughlin's show was full of unique silhouettes and extreme lengths. My favorite being the dramatically long sleeves featured in a few pieces. As a whole his show had a neutral color palette with the occasional (and surprising) pops of red. I found the neutrality to be the perfect way to really see the clothing. Sometimes we can get distracted by the bold colors colors and sequin.
Fashion Hong Kong
Like Indonesian Diversity, Fashion Hong Kong is a showcase for up-and-comers except in this case it's Chinese designers. What I love about these showcases is that each collection is so unbelievably different from the other. So you are truly getting three runway shows for the price of one. It can a bit of fashion overload, but you will still be able to remember the pieces that stuck out to you.
Chiara Boni La Petite Robe
Ugh! I just adored Chiara Boni. It was like the entire thing stepped out of 1940s subtitle film. All that was missing was the murder mystery. There was nothing wrong with this collection from the fabrication, to the prints, to the silhouettes. It was just chic to the max.
Custo Barcelona
Custo Barcelona is always just fabulous. It is glitzy yet understated. Meaning even though every piece has a wild print, sequins, asymmetrical silhouette, or all of the above there is a wearability about it. There's no denying that its purpose is to turn heads, but in the best way possible. As usual I was a huge fan of the outerwear.
Hakan Akkaya
I ended my fashion week season with 80s punk. This show was definitely one of the highlights of my season. I was obsessed with the shoulder pads, spikes, and even the choppy mullets. It set a powerful vibe that kept your attention from start to finish. I couldn't have picked a better show to close things out.
