By Gretta Monahan
At the spring/summer 2017 shows of New York Fashion Week, which are just now wrapping up, there have been some big changes. All but gone are the days of handwritten invitations — most are now issued by evite. In some cases, you can buy the designer’s collection as it walks the runway. And some designers have taken their shows to the streets — or at least outside. Rebecca Minkoff used a SoHo street as her runway, and then of course, there was Kanye West’s Roosevelt Island spectacle.
Judging by seething reviews of West’s beyond inconvenient, unbearably hot and late show (complete with fainting models), maybe watching the shows digitally from the comfort of one’s home or office will be the way of the future?
I prefer to cover the shows in person — and here were some of the most promising presentations in the beginning of the shows:
At the Milly show, the designer came out swinging with a full brigade of high-energy, intensely colored pieces in cotton and silk. Shots of emerald green and bright orange punctuated the collection, with nods to the tropics via palm frond patterns and midriff-baring tops.
At Desigual, a theme of feminine juxtaposed with military chic emerged. Think sheer and flowy white skirts with khaki jackets, delicate maxi dresses with embroidered khaki belts, and pastel tops with — you guessed it — more khaki skirts (this time studded).
Against a towering backdrop of flowers, Ulla Johnson sent out ethereal, floral dresses, flowing white midi skirts with soft pale leather jackets, wide-leg trousers paired with bohemian floral tops, and low-cut shimmering satin dresses that would steal the show at just about any dinner or cocktail party.
