THE spark of New York Fashion Week is back. It is unclear as to whether it is due to the decision of the new CFDA chairman, Tom Ford, to cut Fashion Week from seven days to five or something else. Either way, the runways this season have felt rejuvenated after frankly what seems like years of dullness.
Case in point: the Marc Jacobs SS20 presentation was simply delightful. Fashion is never better than when it is beautiful and artful yet doesn’t take itself too seriously. There’s no right way to do runway; and Marc Jacobs created a playful new experience.
Wednesday’s Park Avenue Armory show began with a group of models emerging together out of a small door. It was an exhibition of exuberance: colours, floral prints, sparkly things and, oh, the hats from Stephen Jones. After that, it was more of a traditional runway parade but it was a memorable preamble.
Jacob’s liner notes criticised the inauthenticity of digital approaches to design, so it’s no surprise this collection felt like an homage to the history of fashion, independent of decade and trends. There were tributes to Lagerfield, Saint Laurent and the actresses in All That Jazz. There was even a Fosse moment in which some models danced across the stage like one of his dancers. Somehow, the sheer eclecticism and enthusiasm of Jacob’s SS20 collection made it intensely cohesive, partly because the presentation was so experiential.
Fashion has a long way to go to figure out its future both in the digital revolution and in our shared cultural experience. But, wherever it’s going, you can be sure that Marc Jacobs will be along for the ride.
by Jessica Quillin