On September 8th models like Teyana Taylor and Chanel Iman opened New York Fashion Week (NYFW) at the Yeezy Season 4 show. Nine days later on September 15th, Marc Jacobs closed out the week sending models down the runway with pastel faux deadlocks.
The annual New York Fashion Week in New York City included hundreds of shows at art studios and showrooms across the city, most shows were held at Skylight at Moynihan Station. Almost every designer you could think of was there showcasing their Spring/Summer 2017 (SS17) collection. There were so many amazing shows that it seemed like there were no repeats of any ideas. Every designer incorporated their unique eye to their collections which is truly what makes it fashion. I was lucky enough to attend some shows myself, but the one that stood out to me the most was Christian Siriano’s show full of colors, fun shaped shoes, and the talk of the town, curvy models. Siriano broke NYFW boundaries when he sent 5 curvy models down his runway— far from the traditional size 0 runway models.
To be seated at a show amongst models like front row celebrities Ashley Graham and June Ambrose was truly a humbling feeling. I was not the only Hamptonian strutting the New York Fashion Week streets last week.
Nyaa Ferary, a senior at Hampton University also attended and said, “After attending shows and being backstage, I’ve learned a lot about what really happens to make a show come together.”
Shows like Hood by Air and Marc Jacobs were all over headlines for their SS17 Collections. Hood by Air sent models down the runway with statement shoes and eccentric clothing. Jacobs sent models down the runway in metallic, thigh-high socks, and, of course, the vibrant dreadlocks that caused culture controversy.
Back to back fashion shows isn’t all that fashion week is about though! Other events include pop-up shops, fashion show after parties, and even street style events. My favorite non-show event was ESSENCE’s Street Style Block Party, a block party in Dumbo, Brooklyn directly under the Manhattan Bridge full of celebrities, street style and vendors. Celebrities like Kelly Rowland and Zendaya were in the building the building accepting and presenting street style awards.
Not only the street style at the block party, but the street style during fashion week alone was an extreme style mood board. My favorite street style look was from @randomandchic, who started the movement #SlayForAChange. Her and her team wore jackets, bags, hoodies and more with quotes on them supporting black lives and diversity. The clothing read things like, “Vogue doesn’t care about Ebony issues.”
During a fashion week where more African-American faces walked the runway it was refreshing to see activism and fashion unite on the streets of New York. To sum up this fashion week is simple— designer’s brought their ultimate unique styles to the runway, model barriers were broken through race and size and though it was a lot of hard work for designers, stylists, editors, and bloggers it was fun. To see more NYFW coverage or any of the SS17 collections go here!