If you thought fashion weeks were all about buyers eyeing the latest trends, frow clattered with high heeled, snap chatting celebs and bloggers instagramming exclusive backstage beauty shots, maybe its time to change your opinion. With the fashion month in full swing, we are one fashion week down and we already have a lot to talk about. This season, New York fashion week was more about designers making political statements than just Raf Simons awaited debut for Calvin Klein or Alexander Wang’s infamous after parties. While Prabal Gurung closed his show with models wearing provocative slogan emblazoned t-shirts, Micahel Kors for the first time roped in a plus size model for his show and Indonesian designer, Anniesa Hasibuan had models clad in hijab at her show.
Here are some of the coolest moments from New York fashion week when opinion took to the runway.
Prabal Gurung’s slogan t-shirts clad squad
Given the current political climate, Prabal Gurung took this opportunity to put forth his thoughts on the runway. The designer who has dressed the likes of Michelle Obama closed his show with models wearing slogan t-shirts which read ‘I Am an Immigrant’ and ‘revolution has no borders’. Bella Hadid took the closing lead in a ‘Future is female’ slogan T while the dusky Puerto Rican babe, Joan Smalls lit the runway with her ‘We Will Not Be Silenced’ slogan t.
Hijab hits the runway at Anniesa Hasibuan Fall 2017 show.
While the world was stumped by Trump’s infamous quotes about Muslims and them entering America, Indonesian designer, Anniesa Hasibuan created history by making every model at her show wear a hijab. It is for the first time in the history of New York fashion week that an entire show, consisting of 48 looks had models in hijabs. Anniesa, who owns a luxury boutique in Jakarta got a standing ovation after the show.
Size doesn’t matter.
As fashion is inching towards being more democratic, the perceptions about ‘ideal shape n size’ are also changing. Want proof? It is for the first time that Michael Kors roped in a plus size model to walk for his show. Ashley Graham ( who has appeared on the covers of glossies such as Vogue and Elle ) walked for him in a thigh-high slit dress with a faux fur coat.
Beauty with a difference.
The Marc Jacobs show is always the highlight of NYFW and this time was no different. The American fashion icon and showman has been making strong statements through his show forever. This time he stripped his show off any fancy gigs and kept it basic, there was no runway track too. He cast a diverse bunch of models but the highlight was, Winnie Harlow. The 5ft 9, 22 years old, winner of America’s Next Top Model, was born with vitiligo, which left some of her skin without pigment.
Christian Siriano, winner of Project Runway and the hottest designer to lend his creations for the likes of Heidi Clum also cast a truly diverse group of models. He also included curvier models such as Iskra Lawrence and Sabina Karlsson in his presentation.
J. Crew’s Somsack Sikhounmuong gave up on models and instead decided to cast real people and friends for the label’s Fall 17 presentation. Adding a pinch of celebrity were comedians Sarah Berhard, Lorenzo “Renny” Cromwell and Reggie Couz.
