Updated Sept. 2, 2014 10:32 p.m. ET
Is that a runway or a stage? A number of fashion shows displaying the spring 2015 collections in New York City will go far beyond the catwalk, evolving into theatrical events meant as much to entertain as to show a designer's collection.
New York Fashion Week kicks off on Thursday, and already the city abounds with models auditioning and the crates of production companies setting up on the west side of Manhattan, where most of the shows take place.
Amid the last-minute rush, eight designers pulled back the curtain on the concepts they will reveal at fashion week by sharing sketches of key looks, as well as hints about what inspired them.
Sketching is the most artistic part of any designer's job. Their approaches can vary widely, from the loose silhouette of Thakoon Panichgul to Maria Cornejo's pencil and ink, which is ready to hang on a wall. The looks, too, vary, but it's generally looking like a season of easy, loose shapes and abstract prints, as well as attention to textures and materials.
The New York shows will run until Thursday, Sept. 11, at which point the collections will move on to London, followed by Milan and Paris. The term "fashion week" has become a misnomer. As more designers attempt to crowd in, beginning before Thursday's official start, New York's week now extends for 10 days. By the time the spring 2015 shows wrap up in Paris on Oct. 2, collections will have been heading down runways for 34 straight days.
Among the brands preparing to roll out a new collection is Opening Ceremony, which on Sunday evening will show its apparel in a 30-minute play written by Spike Jonze and Jonah Hill, and directed by Mr. Jonze. This pushes beyond the label's February show, which drizzled melted chocolate down a backdrop, filling the theater with the scent of hot chocolate.
With the help of sponsor Lexus, Gareth Pugh, who generally shows his moody, dark collections in Paris, is hopping the pond to New York, where he has said his theatrics will face less competition. Mr. Pugh on Thursday evening will show what he is calling an "immersive multimedia fashion experience," choreographed by Wayne McGregor from London's Royal Ballet, with sound composed by artist Matthew Stone and a kinetic sculpture contributed by Daniel Wurtzel.
"This is an opportunity to elevate my work and present it in a more innovative and meaningful way," says Mr. Pugh. "I hope to explore a new visual language—something that transcends the nature of a traditional fashion show—where images penetrate and the audience have a deeper understanding of the story I want to tell."
Designer Reed Krakoff says he will create an "installation" this season rather than hold his typical runway show. "This season I decided to create an installation for spring in a gallery space that combines architecture, design and fashion to give people an intimate, personal narrative in which to see my collection," Mr. Krakoff said.
All these attention-getting moves can make collections memorable—and create valuable footage to be used on websites and in stores throughout the season. They also challenge the frequent complaint that New York's runways lack the drama of the collections that follow in London, Milan and Paris.
Ultimately, the purpose of these shows is to sell clothes to stores. Concepts that sell will be produced in coming months so they can arrive in stores next February and March. (Contrary to logic, the spring collections are sold when it is likely to be sleeting outside.)
Even designers who are sticking with the traditional catwalk seek to stand out with deeply researched ideas. Bibhu Mohapatra will reveal a collection that has been percolating in his mind ever since he traveled across the Atlantic by ship on a vacation several years ago. Boredom ("because after you're 50 miles off the coast, your cellphone doesn't work anymore," he says) led him to the ship's library, where he discovered Lois Gordon's biography of cruise-ship heiress Nancy Cunard.
"The spunk and the verve that she had" in the early 20th century inspired the designer to create clothes that he felt she would wear in the 21st.
Expect leather—she wore leather aviator jackets—and bangles and possibly a turban. Mr. Mohapatra's drama will be in the fabrics, such as one from Laos which involves traditional weaving of strips of leather with silk, leaving a textile one can see through. "It's the most exquisite leather I've ever seen," says Mr. Mohapatra.
The show's music will also explore the theme of Ms. Cunard in a 21st-century setting, says Mr. Mohapatra. The music will be created by DJ and producer Javier Peral, who is currently reading Ms. Gordon's biography. "I told him, please finish the book before the show," Mr. Mohapatra says.
Write to Christina Binkley at christina.binkley@wsj.com
via fashion - Google News http://ift.tt/1qpmmsK
0 意見:
張貼留言