Twice a year, the world’s hottest designers, personalities, and celebrities gather in New York City for a whole week dedicated to unveiling the newest (and sometimes strangest) developments in high fashion.
Last week, the second half of New York Fashion Week 2016 made a debut that did not disappoint.
The week began on September 7, when designers Tom Ford and the infamous Kanye West introduced their newest lines to the runway. As the designers debuted their lines before the first show on the actual Fashion Week schedule, they were able to be a bit more creative with their methods of delivery.
No stranger to shock-and-awe or strange tactics, Kanye West unveiled his Yeezy Season 4 line in a way that’s being called more of a performance art piece than an actual fashion show. West’s show was held in Four Freedoms Park on New York’s Roosevelt Island, where it was broadcast live on the media-streaming site Tidal. Those attending West’s show reportedly waited in line for hours just to be admitted into the show. CNN writes that attendees claimed that people were fainting while standing in the heat to see West’s long-awaited collection.
Viewers of the show’s Tidal stream had similar complaints, as the show was advertised to begin online at 3 p.m., but did not actually start until 1 hour and 40 minutes into the stream.
Once the show began, viewers and attendees gazed upon models scattered across the park. Most of the models were standing, but some appeared to be kneeling, crouching, or even sitting because of the heat.
Models walked down West’s runway wearing neutral, skin-tight dresses that look like they could have been pulled directly out of Kim K’s closet. Many of the models experienced difficulty walking in their heels down the runway. One model, Amina Blue, stopped on the catwalk and took off her heels.
On Twitter, many people criticized the show as a joke and couldn’t believe that the models were having so much difficulty walking down the runway. Kylie Jenner, who attended the debut with her boyfriend Tyga, even tweeted her support to the models in her brother-in-law’s show.
Many critics are claiming that Season 4 debut was a bust, even considering Kanye’s particularly unconventional tastes. As for the fashion itself, Yeezy Season 4 has produced mixed reviews, with some claiming the line is “boring” while others wonder about the lack of sneakers in the line.
A few hours after Yeezy Season 4 made its debut, Tom Ford revealed his Fall 2016 collection at the Four Seasons Restaurant. Famous guests like Julianne Moore, Jon Hamm, Niel Patrick Harris, and Tom Hanks dined on salmon and drank champagne before the collection was released on the runway.
Models walked into the star-studded room wearing retro-inspired clothing that echoed the 60’s and 70’s.
Unlike Kanye West’s line, Ford’s 2016 collection was met with general approval and praise. In addition, Ford’s collection is already available in stores, a move which is not typical of NYFW designers.
New York Fashion Week continues until September 14 and features around 100 designers like Alice and Olivia, Christian Siriano, Morgan Lane, and Vera Wang.
Sources:
Yeezy Season 4 Fashion Show. Image by Leanne Italie, Associated Press.
Models at the Yeezy Season 4 Fashion Show. Twitter photo by Robin Givhan.
Tom Ford NYFW 2016 collection. Photo found at www.nytimes.com
http://nyfw.com/designers-september-2016
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2016/09/07/kanye-west-s…
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/10/fashion/new-york-fashion-week-kanye-we…
http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/08/entertainment/kanye-west-yeezy-fashion-show/