Alright guys, Fashion Week is FINALLY over (but fashion month is just beginning but whatever) and we are all partied out. Like, no more parties for the rest of the year, or at least until the holidays (kidding, please keep the invites coming). Fashion week is as much about the shows and the brands as it is about the after parties and the celebrities attending those parties, which for the purposes of this piece, is what we focused on (I’ll leave the fashion commentating to the fashion editors). So without further ado, I present to you, the essential guide to New York Fashion Week SS 2018 - everything you need to know to not feel left out by your friends conversations.
Tom Ford SS 18 at the Park Avenue Armory
While last season Tom Ford opted for a toned down yet intimate dinner with some of his closest friends and friends of the brand, a guest list that read like the nominations for the Oscars, this year he took quite a different approach. Held at the Park Avenue Armory, Tom Ford went back to doing what he does best, and that was throwing a glitzy dance parties where celebrities and instastars mingled and thanks to Virgil Abloh (who had just come off the heels of his Nike collab debut) danced well into the night. Given that it technically took place the day before Fashion Week even began, some editors (this one included) had a bit of difficulty making it to their early morning meetings and appointments, but none the less the party was worth the hangover. Guests included Kim Kardashian, Cindy Crawford, Hailey Baldwin, Karlie Kloss, Virgil Abloh, and many others.
Markarian & Coveteur Host a Dinner & Cocktail Party in Celebration of their new collection
Dinners are pretty common place in NY and especially during fashion week, most new restaurants try to stage at least a few with some big names to help make a splash, so when the invite came and the restaurant wasn’t a restaurant but a flower shop. Held in a Chelsea flower shop, Dutch Flower Line, Markarian showed their clothes in a very innovative albeit tasteful way -- by dressing the attendees of the dinner with their new collection. Guests included model Hilary Roda and fashion darling Olivia Perez all wore pieces from the new collection while sipping cocktails that included Disco cubes (beautiful ice cubes that had a flower encased in ice).
La Prairie Hosts a Vernissage Evening Celebrating The Art of Caviar Exhibition
Swiss luxury skincare brand La Prairie celebrated the 30th anniversary of their iconic Skin Caviar collection with the opening of the Art Of Caviar. The evening included a select group of artists who developed an art exhibition interpreting caviar in all of its facets. Guests included Dita Von Teese, Andy Cohen, Zac Posen, Bryanboy and many other notable attendees.
Interview Magazine September Issue Launch
Fashion week officially launched on Thursday the 7th and with it came one of its staple parties, Interview Magazines. This year they opted to launch their September in conjunction with their partnership with Lexus which was the first part of an immersive 3 day luxury lounge experience for tired fashion goers. The theme this year was Set In Motion with the installation being open to the public for the 3 days after the exclusive party.
Richardson x Pornhub NYFW Party
I know I say this a lot but I think this may have been the best party of Fashion Week. Period. Point blank. It was crazy, fun, different, and interesting in every single way AND was socially conscious. The collaboration between the streetwear/art giant, Richardson and one of the internet’s most visited sites, Pornhub, was to show how sexuality and by extension, women, continue to be silenced and discriminated against in some parts of the world. The party, which turned an art gallery into a pop-up strip club (the invite said to bring singles) was quite possibly one of the hottest tickets in town, bringing out the likes of Diplo and renown adult film star Asa Akira.
Calvin Klein SS 2018 After Party
Ever since Raf Simons took the helm of Calvin Klein approximately one season ago, the interest and cache has skyrocketed. Bringing with him a new sense of European minimalism into an iconic American brand, both the Calvin Klein show and afterparty have become some of the seasons hottest tickets thanks to both the clothes, the models walking (Calvin Klein played host to Cindy Crawfords daughter Kaia Gerbers runway debut this season), and to the celebrities sitting the front row. This season was of course no different. The after party, like last season, was held in the Calvin Klein headquarters in an assuming building in Midtown west just a stone’s throw from fashion most despised place, Times Square. Raf Simons himself remained at the midtown fete until what some sources say was 6 am, partying with the likes of Paris Jackson and Brooklyn Beckham.
Color Blind Streetwear Launch Party
Color Blind hosted by Brandon Jennings and Chris Brickley at SKY that celebrated the brand's streetwear launch. Color Blind celebrates the light in all of us. In times when society fails to empower one another, Color Blind is a reminder that the only color we see is BLIND.
Off-White Gallery Opening Cocktail Reception
This may have been one of the most fashion week parties I’ve ever attended and as a result, one of the most standouts. There wasn’t a celebrity DJ (even though Off-White creative director Virgil Abloh is himself a DJ), there wasn’t a performance, there wasn’t even an open bar! Instead guests, all friends of Virgil were treated to an evening of music and wine, all of whom got an opportunity to mingle and chat with the designer, who was coming off launching his Nike sneaker collaboration with a series of talks earlier that week. The party felt more like a celebration of the brand and designer than a full blown rager, which Virgil is more than known for. Soft spoken but incredibly bold, Virgil spoke with every guest, some of which included Sarah Jessica Parker and her son, G-Eazy, Halsey, Rich The Kid, Luka Sabbat, and many others. The crowds outside were all hoping to catch a glimpse of a Kardashian or a Hadid, but for this occasion, none appeared nor were missed. The focus of the evening remained solely on Abloh and the garments and space he has worked tirelessly to create.
Alexander Wang SS 18
Alexander Wang is known for throwing incredible parties and shows, all of which bring out elite fashion people and celebrities. For seasons, getting an invite to a Wang party is the holy grail of fashion week, and this season was no different. Guests went out to Bushwick to see the final leg of the #Wangfest show, which was staged on the street in various New York locations. While yes, the party was a little chaotic at first (which great party isn’t) it quickly turned into a full blown rager. Wang treated his guests to a blow up bouncey castle, an inflatable pool full of beers, tequila trucks and an ice luge for vodka. In addition, he had a full blown music lineup that included ASAP Ferg, Vince Staples, Cardi B, Ja Rule, and Ashanti. Well worth the trip the Brooklyn, honestly.
Opening Ceremony Changers
Opening Ceremony is no stranger to holding unconventional fashion shows and for the last few seasons they’ve been one of the more socially aware brands showing. This season was no different, this time having teamed up with Amex Platinum to put together a live performance directed and written by Spike Jonez. The performance is about love in a city and how the two protagonists fall in love, inevitably drift apart and ultimately come together. All of course with various wardrobe changes showing Opening Ceremony’s winter collection.
David Beckhamn Launches Kent & Curwin at Saks
This fashion week menswear enthusiasts were treated to a very special event with one of the world’s top sports stars, David Beckham. Mr. Beckham was in town not only to support his wife in her show (she shows in NY every season) but also to celebrate the launch of his collaboration with Kent and Curwin here at Saks.
Donald Robertson celebrates the launch of Donald
Donald Roberston has made quite the name for himself amongst the art and fashion world, oftening drawing portraits of celebrities and fashion legends in bright, fun colors. This fashion week he released his own book named Donald at Bergdorf Goodman with Assouline. Linda’s at Bergdorf Goodman was transformed by Donald to evoke the artist’s colorful and cheeky aesthetic.
NYFW Screening of Models.Com Open Mic
It’s not easy being a model and that’s one of the biggest misconceptions in fashion. A lot of them come from countries outside of the U.S. where they’ve been marginalized, discriminated and hated on. The film project, directed by Alec Maxwell of Kloss Films (yes, THAT Kloss) is called models.com Open Mic. The film was shot in Brooklyn and chronicled the life of various models and the hardships they faced. The movie was incredibly emotional and captivating, and since the screening was on the rooftop of SIXTY Soho, it almost felt like you were in the film.
