ALEXANDER Wang stirred hell up in Harlem for AW17 by leaving showgoers standing on the fringes of the seatless runway that guided the presentation of his latest collection in an ex-theatre in the New York neighbourhood. The clothing, intended to be just as non-standard as the location, appeared as a commanding shift away from what is expected during New York Fashion Week. Avoiding all that is innocuous in his fashion capital Wang made grunge chic and streamlined, giving the unkempt trend a flirtatious new attitude.
Black all over, saw Wang play to his urban elegance strengths, amassing his Wang Squad of models and influencers that are currently hot property for added brawn. It was he who had the brains to put ill-sized and faded denim along with skin-clutching leather, spliced with sparkly diamanté that did well to add more modesty and flair to barely there mesh dresses. Just the kind of stuff that his audiences will don or at least desire in order to augment their online presence.
Whether or not audiences felt it was a collection that warranted over an hour spent with feet planted in the same spot, which might in fact be the decider, AW17 gave a good indication of where Wang’s enthusiasm lies now his dalliance with Parisian high fashion seems long-past. Doing what he likes best in a city that can’t help but love his uptown-downtown-funk-you-up propensity and the tout de suite trendy clothing it produces still appeals.
by Livia Feltham
Images courtesy of Alexander Wang