New York Fashion Week remains one of my favorite events every season, but with the current pandemic, NYFW has shifted to a predominantly virtual platform. Always a rebel, Rebecca Minkoff was one of few designers to proceed with a physical event for NYFW. Arrival at Spring Studios was melodramatic in comparison with a normal season at NYFW, there were few photographers and even fewer spectators outside the venue. Minkoff’s presentation was scheduled from 5-7 pm, every attendee was given a 15-minute slot to view the collection.
The process for entry was quite detailed – attendees could enter the building at their given time slot and then were required to complete a temperature check, followed by a survey. Each attendee was given two bracelets and then placed socially distanced lines then guided to the freight elevator and taken to the roof and led into the presentation. This is the new normal for NYFW.
Models were set up in groups of three and four in room-like settings on the rooftop and wore masks matching their looks. The first room had the vibe of a downtown cocktail lounge complete with velvet sofas. The looks were the perfect fit for the casual downtown girl with an edge. Leopard and leather were most prevalent with leopard taking form in a puff sleeve mini dress with flared hem, a fabulous two piece blouse and pant combination paired with booties, and the in bags in the room from flap bags worn on the shoulder to ruched clutches. Leather pants were paired with a blue flannel blouse and strappy sandals for the perfect fall date night attire.
The second room resembled a disorganized music studio, with the outfits matching the rebellious rocker vibe. An oversized red flannel top worn with a barely visible leather mini skirt was paired with black booties and would look right at home on the cool girls of the Bowery and Lower East Side.
The third room was set as a stage featuring a four person band. All black looks played into the overall edgy evening vibe in the room. An oversized metallic blazer with leather shorts and studded loafers was the perfect day to night look for those who love to dress up day to day and a black bomber over a ruched metallic mini skirt was the perfect melange of casual and glamorous.
Finally, the last room was set up with trunks and leather sofas and featured the lightest and brightest pieces of the collection. A bohemian printed mini dress with billowing sleeves was the favorite as it could be paired with sneakers of a casual day look or with a boot or strappy sandals for an evening ensemble. Moreover, a favorite was a cognac leather jacket lined in black shearling with a slightly longer silhouette than is usually seen in a moto jacket. It may end up in my wardrobe! Overall it was one of Rebecca’s best collections in years and I was so happy to see it in the flesh!
In recent months, we have all become accustomed to wearing comfortable and often more casual pieces. For the Rebecca Minkoff presentation, I wanted to pay tribute to my comfortable pieces while elevating it to a fashion week level. I chose a ruched silk maxi dress from Rick Owens in a shade of blush. The dress is incredibly comfortable, yet still elevated and chic. I paired it with my black Prada military boots, giving the look even more of an edge. I finished the look with my green Bottega Veneta chain pouch. This bag is one of my absolute favorites, it is in my favorite shade of green and the thick gold chain makes such a bold statement. It brought my look to a whole different level, perfectly juxtaposing the casual and effortless vibes from the dress.
Words by Penny Karabey
