Jason Wu, Carolina Herrera, LaQuan Smith NY Fashion Week Shows – The Hollywood Reporter

Judging by some of the high-profile shows taking place in New York this week for Fall/Winter 2023, American fashion is making a very good case for its presence on the upcoming red carpets. Jason Wu’s elegant approach to the theater space at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum was one of the most striking examples of the period.

On a day when you see them dominating very big houses on the red carpet, I am really proud that actors come to work with me and wear my designs. Nash said at the Critics’ Choice Awards). The Hollywood Reporter Following the show. “The red carpet has become such a business, but we believe in real relationships and friendships. Look at Nayzi; she came to my first fashion show 15 years ago. And her performance in Dahmer It was amazing because people thought of her as a comedian. I was very happy to work with her. [for Critics Choice]. She looked beautiful and called me after the show; It’s things like this that give me value. ”

Many of the designs in Wu’s latest collection landed actresses on the best-dressed list, from a black silk-foil ball gown with a plunging neckline, a frosted bias-cut silk dress worn underneath a full-length black tuxedo coat, and elegant lace or A collection of beaded net gowns. “I wear all these pieces,” says Louisa Jacobson, HBO’s co-star. The Gilded Age, front row with Huma Abedin, Olivia Palermo and Sophie Thatcher. “It’s hard to pick a favourite, but I loved the fitted red corset dress, which was stunning.”

That red ruffled dress and another gold velvet and halterneck black jersey gown with understated detailing were an old Hollywood charm that was no accident. “Marlene Dietrich was a big influence on this collection,” explains Wu, who calls herself a “classic-film nerd” and discovers such beautiful films. Rear window “That’s how I learned English,” he said when he moved to Canada from Taiwan at the age of 10. We couldn’t find those movies easily in Taiwan, my mom used to go to Blockbuster, and I only wanted movies with great fashion. It became a very important part of my DNA.

Beyond those glamorous gowns, Wu also explored contemporary sartorial ideas with a gorgeous patterned jacket that kicked off the show, as well as a red double-breasted jacket worn over a nude organza dress and black wide-leg trousers. All are in good spirits for the show at New York’s iconic venue. “I wanted this to be more than a fashion show; I wanted this to be a show,” Wu said of choosing the Guggenheim’s theater space. “In New York, we don’t always get a lot of credit for craft, but we have incredible talent here. That’s why I wanted the girls to be very slow this time; So you can see everything up close and really notice the details and know that these clothes are made in New York.

About 30 blocks south of the Guggenheim, Wes Gordon chose another New York icon, The Plaza Hotel, where he showed last season, for his fall/winter collection for Carolina Herrera. Like movies CorsetIt caught one In some view Trophy for star Vicky Krieps at Cannes last May, the crowd’s fascination with Queen Elisabeth of Austria, also known as Sissy, and she has influenced Gordon this season. “What I love about Imperial Austria and the Hapsburgs and the Sissy is that it has a military discipline with intelligence that you don’t find in Imperial France or other dynasties,” he explains. THR After the event. “Because you have this military family, there’s a discipline that applies to everything, and I think that’s the formula for Herrera. Modesty is always a given, but it’s restraint mixed with opulence, and I found myself digging through memorabilia to get to what felt right.

Attention to detail resulted in looks that felt cheerful but never overtly embellished with ruffled embellishments and silk skirts, as well as botanical floral prints were used to create gowns and dresses that exuded a sense of fullness. Because of the many layers of tulle that often protrude from the skirts of their dresses. “I’ve always been an old soul, and I’m very fortunate to work at a house like Herrera, which has such an amazing history and amazing talent,” Gordon said. “So it’s not just about the decorations, it’s also about the right fabric; Because in the last 20 years we can find many fabrics that have been lost on the runway due to complexity. [of creating them]. Inspired by the 19th century damask print that I discovered then, this is how we can create silk, while many of the flowers are based on porcelain print, using these old world techniques with only the best fabric mills to create something festive. Beauty and Herrera’s Hope.

In the front row, Kelsea Ballerini – wearing a fitted Herrera dress with heart-shaped details on the bodice, a nod to Valentine’s Day – said she loved the “classic and very feminine” vibe of the collection. As for Gordon’s lush dress, Ballerini had her eye on one in particular: “I’m dying to wear this to the Grammys next year,” she added.

Also of note: The show’s soundtrack began with Dionne Warwick’s 1967 song, “I’ll Say a Little Prayer,” written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, which those in the audience noticed Bacharach’s passing on February 8th. Unexpectedly – we had that song in place a few days ago, because I wanted to create this cinematic moment and I love that song. My best friend’s weddingGordon said, before adding another song, “Georgia on My Mind,” when she and husband Paul Arnhold welcomed their second child, a daughter, a week before the event. “We named her Georgia, so we put the song on and it was kind of my passion, and she rocked it.”

On Monday night, during the Trifecta of New York venues Laquan Smith’s presentation at the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center, Lil Nas X — a guest on several shows this month — slipped into his seat at the last minute and so did the crowd. It includes Teyana Taylor and NFL star Stefon Diggs. “This season, I was inspired by tuxedo suiting, and I loved the idea of ​​high society, New York elites glamourous, drinking champagne and eating caviar, it felt like a scene from a movie,” Smith said. THR Back after the event. “The Rainbow Room is nostalgic in itself, and I wanted to include a collection that inspired women to not only feel empowered, but to dress up and have a great night out.

With recent red carpet appearances by Sydney Sweeney, Lupita Nyong’o and Tracee Ellis Ross, as well as looks he’s created for Lenny Kravitz and Khloe Kardashian at November’s CFDA Awards, Smith is enjoying the high-wattage spotlight with such. moments. “I think it’s a big role for me to be present not only as a black designer, but also as an American designer,” he said. “As a native New Yorker, I grew up watching all these crazy red carpet moments, and I said to myself, I want to be a designer and have that moment. Having that representation on these Hollywood carpets is so important: pushing American luxury designers, pushing black designers in the luxury space, and that’s where I feel like I’m making a contribution.

Ruffled detailing has been a huge trend for autumn/winter collections, and Smith sent out one of the best of the week, with a fully ruffled black hooded dress, artfully constructed miniskirts to evoke thoughts of Bond girls and flattering straight nudes and black eyes, like a square-necked, curve-hugging dress. They are created on similar pieces. “The way we design always starts with the body,” explains Smith. “I’m always looking for ways to accentuate a woman’s shape and body and enhance women’s curves. I like to play with lines and shapes and I also like to play with fantasy: is she naked, is she naked? And from there, creating necklines that shape the body and zero in on the female form, exploring all the ways we can enhance it.

As for having front-row A-listers like Nas and Julia Fox wearing gold masks at Smith’s show? “My demographic just wants to look great and be unapologetically sexy and confident,” he says. “My woman, my man, they want to be the center of attention, and that’s what energy and attitude is all about. Everyone I wear embodies this idea, and to me the feeling is mutual.