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From the moment Kim Jones, the London-based creative director of Fendi, pulled down his own huge silk curtain and the music blared, New York Fashion Week really took off.
Usually, Fendi shows, held in Milan, draw great crowds anyway, but on Friday, the greats and the good from New York and far converged on the 12,000-square-foot Hammerstein Ballroom for something special.
To mark the 25th anniversary of Fendi’s legendary Baguette handbag, Jones enlisted the help of fellow designer Marc Jacobs to create a no-holds-barred runway extravaganza to celebrate the moment in high style – and oh, was it’s a star thing.
Front row, as Sex and The City fans might have expected, was Sarah Jessica Parker. The actress helped give the handbag its pop culture status during the robbery scene in the series, in which she is held at gunpoint and asks for her purse, to which she replied, “It’s a baguette.”
She took her place alongside Kim Kardashian, who wore a form-fitting, sparkly Fendi dress, and American TV personality LaLa Anthony who opted for a pink sheepskin jacket and Fendi monogrammed boots.
Designer Jones also welcomed his bunch of supermodel friends. Kate Moss joined Christy Turlington, Amber Valletta and Shalom Harlow to cheer on her daughter Lila as she opened the show and their friend Linda Evangelista, who came out to close the show.
Londoners Adwoa Aboah and Lily Allen also showed up to support Jones, who studied at Central Saint Martins before climbing through the fashion world.
Proenza Schouler also took place on Friday. The NYC-based brand saw models Karen Elson, Emily Ratajkowski and Karlie Kloss gather to watch Bella Hadid parade in a gold knit dress, while Rebel Wilson checked out Kate Spade’s latest collection at the World Trade Center with John Travolta’s daughter Ella Bleu .
Over the weekend, it was Julia Fox who made an impact in town. At Elena Valez’s show on Saturday, the up-and-coming designer welcomed Kanye West’s ex with a welcome plus one — her 20-month-old son, Valentino. The mother and child duo both sported Valez looks for the show, though Valentino stole the spotlight with a pair of black baby Crocs. Undeniably chic.
On Sunday, Fox left the F’row and took the field as a walk for Tommy Hilfiger in torrential rain. However, she had no shortage of fans to cheer her on. Kate Moss posed with her daughter’s best friend and model Stella Jones on arrival before taking a seat next to singer Shawn Mendes. The Kardashian clan, which includes Kris and Kourtney, also braved the weather to support the latter’s musician husband Travis Barker, who took a drum kit onstage during the show.
Earlier in the day, highlights included the Ulla Johnson show, where Vice President Kamala Harris’ stepdaughter Ella Emhoff took a bench, as well as Prabal Gurung who welcomed Anna Wintour and Drag Race star Milk to enjoy his latest collection .
Known as the most influential person in fashion, Anna Wintour decided to take catwalk matters into her own hands with a groundbreaking ‘Vogue World’ catwalk on Monday night. Gathering together for the Met Gala version of a catwalk, the editor-in-chief of the glossy fashion magazine welcomed Kanye West, Jared Leto and Doja Cat to see last season’s best AW22 designs worn by a selection of top models.
First? Serena Williams, who is currently on the cover of the September issue of American Vogue, where she dropped the bombshell that she is retiring from her tennis career. Lil Nas X also cheered on Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid and newlyweds Brooklyn and Nicola Peltz-Beckham as they walked, before jumping up to perform his number Industry Baby. It’s safe to say that the fashion industry was all about enjoying it.
The last day of New York Fashion Week cemented season SS23’s status as the most star-studded in years. To the delight of The Devil Wears Prada fans, Anne Hathaway, who played Andrea Sachs, the hard-working assistant to Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep’s infamous character based on Anna Wintour), took her place alongside the Vogue editor at the Michael Kors magazine. show. Her tan polo collar and leather jacket seemed to pay homage to one of her on-screen outfits, sending the internet into a frenzy.
And Tuesday night saw Tom Ford, who brought sparkling, sexy style to the forefront of fashion in the early ’90s, give NYFW’s conclusion his razzle-dazzle touch. Madonna and her daughter Lourdes Leon joined the Peltz-Beckhams in the front row for a 46-look collection, featuring lamé tailoring, lilac fringed cowboy shirts and sporty silhouettes. Gigi and Bella Hadid then closed out the show with star power, stomping down in sequined cut-out ball gowns.
Scroll through the gallery above for the best of the front row.
