The collection is inspired by the work of an iconic American artist Henry Darger (1892-1973) who portrayed the artistic expressions of the endless deeds of human interactions. 

Designer Hiroaki Sueyasu feels that Henry had been living with both his feet set in reality and non-reality, living in the real world alongside the insanity.

“Darger probably felt the urge in expressing the kingdom of the world of unreality, a clarification of a fantasy using his lifetime to express,” Sueyasu says. 

Through the collection, Sueyasu honors the lifestyle of an outsider who acts on one’s own faith without the influence of the social ideals and the existing framework.

Hiroaki Sueyasu launched Kidill in 2014, blending punk and skate culture, androgyny, and streetwear influences.

Photos: Ko Tsuchiya

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The set of the fashion show was airy, bright, colored-in baby blue. There was a blue house with a red chimney that had smoke coming out from it. A huge bed in the middle. A long dining table, where orchestra musicians were seated, playing Tyler, the Creator’s composed music. It was like Abloh’s own home in the heavens.  

The fog smoke blowing on the runway made it seem like the models were walking on clouds. The collection unfolded on 20 dancers and 67 models and the clothes ranged from two-piece suits and fur coats to sculpture, angel-like lace-wings or veils.

The inclusion of a Grim Reaper graphic was a breathtaking visual from a designer who created his legacy with the knowledge that he would be posthumously gazing down on his own mortality today. 

The show ended with all-white looks. For the finale, all models, performers, and the crew walked out to Tyler, the Creator’s well-fitting song “See You Again”… Lyrics gently piercing through the space: “Can I get a kiss? And can you make it last forever? I said, I’m ’bout to go to war, and I don’t know if I’ma see you again…” 

The audience erupted into a standing ovation, some most definitely wiping off their tears (including me).

See the once-in-a-lifetime performance for yourself.

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NYMD is a bi-annual initiative that helps nurture emerging talent and consolidates the showing of contemporary menswear collections. Each season, NYMD features twelve menswear brands in a group presentation format over two-hour periods, with six designers showing in the morning and six in the late afternoon. Each designer has its own studio and the freedom to create decor relevant to the brand’s identity. This season, the event took place at Creative Drive on Water Street.

In the morning, designers AGENT, Limitato, Bristol, HBNS, Krammer & Stout and David Hard presented their collections. In the afternoon: Vanessa Zhang, Life in Perfect Disorder, Taakk, Sundae School, Descendant of Thieves and this is Sweden.

Photos by Vedant Gupta.

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The week kicked off on a resounding sour note after what can only be termed “Yeezygate”. The Adidas-sponsored sportswear label headed by Kanye West set out to show its fourth collection on picturesque Roosevelt Island, a presentation that turned into a nightmarish four plus hour ordeal. Models in parkas and sweaters fainted in the 90-degree heat; some wore shoes so small they had to be escorted down the runway. To top it off, the collection was the same parade of glorified Spanx the rapper has shown for the past four seasons. What was once a somewhat compelling anti-fashion style is now tired and unsurprising.

Despite a rough start, NYFW provided shows that were actually worth the buzz. The VFiles show made headlines when rapper and fashion ingénue, Young Thug, made styling adjustments to a model mid-catwalk. Clothes were deconstructed only to be reconstructed into fantastical new garments (see the floating jacket or what I like to call “the new overcoat”). Between fetishized religious imagery and sleepover-gone-wrong face doodles, the show wasn’t exactly ready-to-wear. It was opulent in its never-ending absurdity. Is anyone going to wear a plastic garment bag posing as a cape? We should hope not. However, the VFiles show brought back some of the spectacle and whimsy that was lacking overall this season.

On the other end of the spectrum, J. Crew offered up picture perfect ready-to-wear collection. Crisp white suits, structured denim dresses, ruffled skirts, and an incredible mix of prints looked expressly modern and forward thinking without being too avant-garde. Altuzarra had a similar idea, with boldly patterned ensembles which, when worn together, pack a high fashion punch, but could easily function separately as a statement piece in a more demure outfit. Flowers of every size adorned midi skirts and itty-bitty bralettes—a vintage-feel made current by slick styling.

While J. Crew and Altuzurra managed to be both fresh and true to brand, others leaned too hard in one direction. Jeremy Scott’s bright colored cartoon clothes looked vapid compared to past seasons, going as far as appropriating a toothpaste logo on a few pieces. While the collection had its bright points—the hot pink asymmetrical dress and corresponding two-piece set adorned with zippers referenced Italian futurism—Scott resorted to his bread and butter and the result was not nearly as exciting as it once was.

Then there was the mass of shows that left you scratching your head. Fan favorite Alexander Wang played with familiar concepts to the designer, highlighting the intersection of masculinity and femininity. For example, a harsh all-over flame print was used on a 90’s fit pair of trousers and then later reinterpreted in delicate lattice on a white button down. These moments of synchronicity were beautiful, but interrupted by bouts of pure nostalgia, wherein models in flip flops looked ready to hit Venice beach circa 1994. Marc Jacobs’ stunned crowds and sparked controversy by adorning his models in rainbow dreadlocks. His clothes were a hodgepodge of ideas that morphed into a seventies Burning Man psychedelic mess. While a selection of looks manifested as a cohesive combination of references, most buckled under the weight of ideas.

What Marc Jacobs’ tremendous, Lady Gaga filled Fall/Winter 2016 collection was to last January’s NYFW, Proenza Schouler is to this season’s shows. The design house, headed by Jack McCollough and Lazaro Fernandez, has long been known for its focus on construction and tailoring, but shocked audiences this season with its unabashed use of primary colors and prints. A long knit dress is color-blocked in a way that’s not quite Yves Saint Laurent’s Mondrian dress, but striking with a more digital, modern approach and agency, detailed with a sassy ostrich feather fringe. The main success of Proenza’s collection is the designer’s ability to balance graphic abstraction with radical silhouettes, knowing when to give a little on either end, and executing it all with couture precision. It’s the perfect summation of what every collection strives for: awe-inspiring, exciting, thought-out clothes.

Edited by Brianna Arrighi

Published by The Urban Watch Magazine

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What they said: The gentlemen of Versace –men of the world, men of character and individual attitude.

Our verdict: There is just something about witnessing a Versace show. It’s grand, it’s glamorous, it’s fashion amplified. From the first long-legged model strut onto the catwalk to Donatella’s bow to close the show, it exudes sexiness in a way unlike any other. This is, and always has been, the magic of Versace. And it was there in abundance for the men’s SS17 outing.

This season as well as celebrating a few of the men that inspire her Donatella has looked for a sense of functionality in her collection. This was also explored in the AW campaign, with Weber shooting models and Chicago locals together to get a sense of how the everyday man wears his Versace.  For spring that’s lightweight silk knits and silk shirts, easy tailoring with elasticated waists and cuffs and jersey jackets and loose summer trenches or laser cut leather bombers. In a fitting tribute to Prince there was even a series of purple raincoats. Underpinning the collection’s functional side was the new Versace Active collection of cycling shorts, leggings and lightweight trainers, topped off with Versace socks. Function, but still full on fashion of course.

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Best moment: Aside from the fact that the attitude laden show felt like a glorious throwback to the supermodel era, the Prince medley featuring previously unreleased material that the singer had gifted Donatella made it a very special one. And to remember her close friend Donatella took her bow wearing a purple suit.

Who walked: Versace’s usual army of bronzed, muscled Adonis types, with the addition of a few girls including Stella Maxwell and Dilone.

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Edited by Sarah Huntington

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