Digital NYFW 2021: Ulla Johnson, Michael Kors, Carolina Herrera
Ulla Johnson
Knits and Suedes At The Center
Ulla Johnson brought fashion back to Lincoln Center with her fall 2021 collection film, beautifully shot at the David H. Koch Theater with accompanying music by Juilliard students. Rather than leaning into comfort dressing, Johnson’s vision for fall was a dress-up delight, full of romantic and rich paisleys, and cable knits.
Ulla Johnson S/S 2021
“Who knows, maybe we’ll have our own post–Spanish flu Roaring Twenties moment.”
Ulla Johnson S/S 2021
In an ideal world, there would be no COVID, but even so — Ulla Johnson set the stage as we watched from our computer screens, living vicariously through the beauty of the Lincoln Center. It was audience-less, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a production. Her collection debuted a series of polished looks, from knitted dresses to metal embroidered harnesses layered over pieces — gave a strong sense of life coming after COVID. Many of the looks were paired with combat boots and a mixture of 70’s and 80’s fabrics (suede, knit. patchwork).
The generous volumes Johnson tends to favor were balanced here by other more body-limning silhouettes, like an hourglass-y ikat-motif dress worn over a second-skin knit in complementary zebra stripes. That look was the show opener, i.e. the news of the collection. It was a timely addition; beyond supporting the arts and looking polished, it seems all but certain that after more than a year of lockdowns, women will want to feel sexy again too.
Michael Kors
Timeless Elegance WIll Stand
Kors, a New Yorker and a musical theater lover, staged his Fall 2021 collection with a multi-generational cast of supermodels who have walked in his shows over the year. in A triumphant celebration of the hustle and drive that continues to animate the city’s fashion and performing arts industries.
Michael Kors S/S 2021
“People are going to want to step out, get dressed up—in certain instances get overdressed. Girls are going out for a hamburger in cocktail dresses and high heels.”
Michael Kors S/S 2021
More than a few New York labels are sitting out this season. Not Michael Kors who took the party to the streets — literally 45th Street in Manhattan’s Theater District. Kors gave a taped message announcing a money-raising drive for the Actors Fund: “The Broadway community has been suffering terribly since the shutdown,” he said. Indeed his show felt like a broadway one, with NYC marquees lights and cars as the backdrop, as we enter month 13 of the pandemic, the setting of 45th Street Kors brought an emphasis on opulence and glamour. Much like the roaring 1920’s, the 2020s will bring the desire to step out, get dressed up, maybe even overdressed. Whether in a red patent leather balmacaan, hand-sequined silk jersey gown, a shearling coat, or a glossy black puffer cape, it is the reemergence of decadent style paired with a sexy pair of heels.
Many of the looks also gave a post-pandemic back-to-work vibe. With work from home on the rise since March 2020, many of us have become accustomed to our loungewear. But for Kors’, his tailoring suggests a return to the clean, sleek, and elevated office attire. Kors believes in timelessness, but not stasis. He’s ready to go on with the show when we are, with pops of red, zebra, and shimmering metallics.
Carolina Herrera
y
,
Christian Siriano S/S 2021
“This is the fun, this is the glamour, this is what you dream of when you’re a little kid wanting to be a designer”
Christian Siriano S/S 2021
Wes Gordon still believes in event clothes. Just back from officiating at his little sister’s wedding in Atlanta—rescheduled from June and with an intimate guest list of 25—the Carolina Herrera designer knows that the pandemic won’t permanently cancel special occasions. “Women are still coming to mark milestones; there’s still a desire for clothes that create unforgettable moments,” he said from his house in Connecticut, where he was self-quarantining. But events do look different now, and the changes are reflected in his spring collection.
This was not an abrupt departure for Gordon, who’s about two-and-a-half years into his stint at the label. In fact, he said he’d “doubled-down” on Herrera-isms, like dramatic sleeves, color, polka dots, and prints. It was more so that the attitude of the clothes has shifted. He listed his muses as Mia Farrow, Sade, and Mrs. Herrera herself. Overall, the sensibility was more youthful and casual than usual, while holding onto the grace that is the house founder’s legacy.
The models wore brogues and other flat shoes as they strode through the former Williamsburgh Savings Bank where this look book was photographed. That was the first big difference. Another was the Rosemary’s Baby–era abbreviated hems. A third were the party pants: high-waisted and cropped above the ankles and worn with those brogues to gamine effect. Among the more formal dresses, a willowy black number whose volume blossomed below the knee was especially striking.
Gordon spoke of the satisfaction of getting back into the studio and into the company’s Garment District atelier after having to design, produce, and fit the resort collection that preceded it via computer screen. As he described looks, he named the craftspeople responsible for them. Oksana, the resident tulle whisperer, worked on a sculptural pink tulle party dress; Miro worked on another short number with an asymmetrical bow detail. “All his pieces, you want to dance in them,” Gordon said. “It’s my favorite collection since I’ve been at Herrera,” he added. The pleasure he took in making it shows.
