Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is my favorite time of year. The Sex and the City gals and Gossip Girl’s Blair Waldorf and Serena van der Woodsen immediately come to mind. This year, from February 6 to 13, the top dogs of the fashion industry send their masterpieces down the runway at Lincoln Center. While most of us college fashionistas may not be able to attend the most talked about social event on the fashion calendar, it is made accessible to watch live on mbfashionweek.com and hundreds of pictures and updates are posted on nearly every social media network.
There are a vast amount of eclectic and unique trends gracing the runway this year. Fall 2014 is inspired by the Wild, Wild West, with fringe scarves, riding boots, plaid and blanket coats. Other trends seen on this year’s runway are houndstooth and gingham prints. According to Joyann King, Harper’s BAZAAR digital director, “The seasons are becoming less about weather-related clothing and more about key items a woman needs for her lifestyle.” Thankfully for those who love to dress comfortably, the sportswear trend continues to clothe the models walking down the 2014 runway. In the Michael Kors pre-fall collection, he paired sneakers with skinny brocade pants and often uses athletic pieces to accent feminine pieces. There was also a large palette of teal and berry colors paired with caramel and navy neutrals.
There have been a few surprises noted from this year’s New York Fashion Week, in comparison with the past years. Along with fashion shows come the whispers and stares at the skeletal models that catwalk down the runway with size 0 outfits. However, this year there will be plus size models. Modeling agency IMG Models signed contracts with five plus-size models and agreed to put them alongside the most famous runway models. Another fun fact about this year’s Fashion Week is that Alexander Wang moved his show away from Lincoln Center and into Brooklyn. He decided to follow in the footsteps of the iconic Michael Kors, Diane von Furstenberg and Caroline Herrera, who explored other parts of New York in the past seasons.
Marc Jacobs will have his first show since leaving Louis Vuitton in order to focus on the development of his own brand. Lastly, although we all love seeing what the most famous designers whipped together, this year features an array of new and young designers. Twenty-eight people will be featured as young designers who can one day become the next Coco Chanel of the world. The mix of known and unknown designers displaying different forms of art is what makes New York Fashion Week.
The fashion world is all about perfection. Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week displays the personal achievements of each designer that take months to prepare. The designs themselves along with the music, lighting and the overall vibe of each runway show determines the level of success with which each designer leaves. The amount of work that goes into each fashion show seems like an eternity, but it is over in less than four minutes.
