Glam Rock is back!! If you are old enough to remember the New York Dolls, Ziggy Stardust (early 70s David Bowie), the Glitter Band, Gary Glitter, or early Elton John, you know there was time where rockers had long hair, were lots of glittery stage makeup and wore shiny, sparkly tight clothes while they sometimes sang in a falsetto or screamed loudly about love, sex, and rock n’ roll.
We cannot exactly bring that era back, as much fun as the fantasy was—remember music taste have drastically changed—but, the fashion of that era is back with a vengeance. Glam rock fashion reigned at Michael Kors, Paco Rabanne, Faith Connexion, Rick Owens fall 2019 collections, as well as Phillip Plein’s resort 2019 collection. Add to that esteemed list, Hakan Akkaya’s fall 2019 collection.
Not a stranger to New York Fashion Week, this was Hakan Akkaya’s third outing at NYFW: The Shows (NYFS). And in this fall 2019 outing, Akkaya demonstrated that he has the ability to take a retro trend and elevate it a modern distillation of style with a fashion-forward sensibility.
Though Hakan Akkaya’s fall 2019 collection is not for that timid, shrinking violet—there are lots of statement-making pieces in this collection—there were some great separates that could be easily mixed and matched for that consumer that wanted to be fashion forward, but was not looking to overwhelm.
There was lots of silver metallic and shiny black in this collection with touches of pink and other pastel colors through in to balance out the looks. There was also a range of black and white and bold-striped faux fur coats in the collection.
Still, this collection is really for the adventurous consumer who is not afraid to look like they are in a perpetual state of being in route of a rock concert or the main act. Restraint be damned, pull out all the stops and let fantasy be your guide.
Photos courtesy of The Bromley Group
And though there were some fantastic women’s looks in this collection, it was the menswear garments that might have the most retail appeal. Particularly, if that male consumer lives on the edge and is not reticent about making a statement. The women’s looks are lot more niche and perhaps are more limited in their appeal to a wider consumer base.But all that doesn’t really matter. NYFWS needs more fantasy collections like this. In a season where most collections didn’t register on the fashion Richter scale, Hakan Akkaya certainly caused fashion heartbeats to amp up.
Standout looks in the collection, and there many, includes Hakan Akkaya’s men’s silver metallic parachute coat—can you say Norma Kamali?—pewter, shoulder-padded bodysuit, men’s black velvet tuxedo jacket with quilted, silver metallic padding, silver and pewter jogging suit, and off-the-shoulder velvet jumpsuit with sequin-embellished thunderbolt.
The Blonds eat your heart out. You’ve got competition!!
—William S. Gooch
With Son Jung Wan you know that there is always going to be lots of combinations of fabrics and a wide color palette. Sometimes Son Jung Wan’s combination of fabrics and colors work, other times it is disjointed. Still, there is lots of imagination. It is almost as if the experimentation never stops and continues onto the runway in a product that is not finished. And sometimes that is good thing, other times it might look messy.
Though there was a boxiness to many of the silhouettes in the collection, the padded shoulders to conjure up images from the early 70s when many fashion designers were referencing the 1940s. The boxy shoulders were best in Son Jung Wan’s jumpsuits which were to die for, and those jumpsuits were the most successful looks in this outing.
For that fashionista that wants flirty, fun clothes with a bit of edge, Alice + Olivia has been a go-to brand for that customer for over a decade. As one of the most coveted shows during New York Fashion Week: The Shows, Alice + Olivia always draws a huge crowd and on occasion a few select celebrities show up for good measure.
For the past several seasons, Stacy Bendet has presented her collection in a presentation format, a format that works so much better for the brand than a runway show. Editors, stylists, industry professionals and attendees can get an up close and personal view of the collection.
Ethical fashion is obtaining a stronger presence in fashion. There was even a Vegan Fashion Week for the fall 2019 season at the same time as New York Fashion Week: The Shows (NYFWS).
Launched in 2008, NONIE’s creative director Nina Kharey has solidly placed her fashion brand as a part of Canada’s, and more specifically Vancouver’s, hierarchy of fashion-forward fashion brands. And with the brand’s debut Kharey is hoping to get more market traction in the US after much acclaim in Canada.
Fashion has on-going love affair with classic silhouettes from the 1950s and 1940s. And those eras of changing attitudes in fashion is not enough for the current arry of fashion designers, brands and designers will reach back to iconic fashion designs of the 1960s, 70s and 80s. And if grunge becomes the style that a fashion designer is referencing, then the 1990s becomes the order of the day.
For it pre-fall 2019 collection, Missoni reaches back to some of the brand’s iconic knitwear collections from the 1980’s while its founder and creator Ottavio Missoni was still at the helm of the company. This archival re-imagination of 80s trends successfully accomplishes what brands of Missoni’s ilk sometimes fail to demonstrate.
Conjuring up and repurposing iconic collections of yore is a risky move for well-known fashion brands, particularly when the originator of the iconic collection is not currently manning said fashion brand. The repurposed collection will always be compared to the original iconic collection.
Still, it takes quite a bit of craftsmanship to pull all of these inspirations and design aesthetics into a cohesive collection. And for pre-fall 2018 Missoni has done just that!!
Two things can be said about Anne Barge, her bridal collections are ideal for brides that are looking for traditional gowns and her collections always have a strong story. That is not to say that Anne Barge’s bridal collections don’t contain the occasional trending bridal pieces; however, Anne Barge, for the last couple of decades, has established her bridal brand as the go-to bridal brand for modern brides that want traditional fare.
“The Anne Barge fall 2019 bridal collection is full of mystery and surprise. Past the clean, graphic lines of the collection lies layers of rich detail and meticulous craftsmanship,” explains Jacobs. “This season, inspiration is taken from perspective photography, with each dress open to interpretation base on the viewers’ lens.”
Inspired by modern women who live in diverse cities and diverse cultures, Justin Alexander used this inspiration to explore graphic silhouettes juxtaposed with soft textures and floral embroideries, creating a modern collection that transcends tradition.
In this collection Jason Alexander had the arduous task of finding that delicate balance between keeping the collection market viable and expanding his design aesthetic beyond just beautiful bridal gowns. In an ever-expanding bridal market that is faced with over saturation, bridal designers are challenged to increase their bridal demographic while at the same time staying true to their vision and core audience. With this fall 2019 collection, Justin Alexander does just that!!
There are too many superlatives about Ines di Santo bridal than can be described. However, without gushing here are a few. Her bridal designs are stunning, innovative, thoughtful, and above all, consumer ready and market friendly, particularly if the bride has deep pockets.
Ines di Santo enhanced her exquisite bridal collection by launching her first jewelry collection that was made its debut on the fall 2019 runway. Partnered with Ciner, a 125–year old, family-owned jewelry company known for its attention to detail. Ines di Santo’s Fairytale Collection was inspired by illustrations from “East of the Sun; West of the Moon.” The jewelry featured pavè stones, antique glass flowers, and birds freed from their cages on a range of exquisite rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. Additionally, the models in the fall 2019 show wore crystal-heeled shoes, The Diego Dolcini footwear, inspired by Baccarat, the quintessential French crystal maker.
What also can be said about this bridal collection is that the bridal gowns displayed in this collection is for the bride that wants to make a big statement with her gown selection. These gowns in this collection are chosen casually, these gowns should be collected for the bride that is planning a well-thought out bridal ceremony. And there is a reason for that. Ines di Santo’s gowns are for brides that have deep pockets and many of these gowns can be passed on as legacy or heirloom gowns.
One thing that can be said about Gracy Accad, she always includes a pretty wide demographic in her bridal collections. And there’s lots of variety of bridal garments for Accad’s ever-expanding bridal customer.
“Through this collection, I south to represent their influence, whether through sheer feats of craftsmanship, or dramatic re-embroidered laces. Frothy gowns of Italian tulle move like the romantic whisper of a poem, while silk taffeta coats billow as if aerated by a soprano’s bravura,” explained Gracy Accad.
