Los Angeles has seen its share of major fashion shows and presentations, Tom Ford and Burberry among them. But this season brought new fanfare to the city, with several CFDA Members opting to come here rather than show in New York.. For Tommy Hilfiger, Rebecca Minkoff, and Rachel Zoe, the shows brought out big names and even bigger spectacle with the chance to drive home their see-now-buy now messaging.
Rebecca Minkoff started things off with quite a coup. She partnered with the Grove for an elaborate runway that snaked through the outdoor, Rick Caruso-owned shopping venue. The Saturday production included an afternoon of millennial-themed activations replete with models plucked straight from the blogosphere, including Aimee Song and Chriselle Lim, while Lauren Conrad and Chiara Ferragni sat front-row. For the collection, Minkoff revisited her own childhood roots, presenting a fresh take on daywear with emblematic tees, lithe floor-length florals, cutout shoulders and a perfectly placed inflection of fringe and studded detail.
Rachel Zoe chose to present her collection in L.A. because of awards and her affinity for the city she calls home. Models, clad in Zoe’s interpretation of cocktail and eveningwear, wove through rows of guests at the Sunset Tower Monday night to applause from Olivia Culpo, sisters Erin and Sarah Foster, and Eva Longoria among others. Drawing heavily on her time as a stylist, the collection referenced the Seventies and also keyed into the red carpet staples such as sequined black tie suiting, bias-cut slip dresses with an allover dusting of sequins, and jumpsuits with pearl embellishments. The show was a departure from her signature boho designs. Zoe, too, aimed to capitalize on the immediacy she says her customers crave, and added in an eveningwear see-now-buy-now capsule.
The city’s final fashion act came courtesy of Tommy Hilfiger, who staged his Tommyland concept show on Venice Beach. Throngs of guests — Lady Gaga included — fans and onlookers delighted at the perfect fashion spectacle replete with flame-throwers, stilt-walkers, a performance by Fergie, food trucks, carnival games and rides—and that’s before Gigi Hadid’s first exit. The latest TommyXGigi collection, co-designed by Hadid, reimagined old tropes with the social-media generation in mind. The designs showcased throwback logos and ‘90s sportswear concepting, his signature denim with new patchwork detailing and Western appeal in the form of tough-luxe cowboy boots to round out the look. Like the rest, Hilfiger’s See-Now, Buy-Now platform, which has been thought to be disruptive to typical fashion week programming, has not just catapulted sales, it’s also embraced a much more inclusive model. Fitting as it is, in times like these.
