Tommy Hilfiger, Zendaya rock Harlem's Apollo Theater for NY Fashion Week

NEW YORK -- In one of the most anticipated New York Fashion Week runway events this season, American designer Tommy Hilfiger unveiled his latest ready-to-wear looks on Sunday in a collaboration with actress Zendaya at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.

The '70s-inspired show -- dubbed "TommyNow" -- rolled out the "TommyxZendaya" fall 2019 collection, Hilfiger's second joint effort with the 23-year-old American singer and "Euphoria" star.

"The collection's bold tailored pieces are infused with a modern twist that celebrate the strength that comes from fearlessly being your true self," Hilfiger, 68, said in a statement.

Their last collaboration in March served up bold fashion statements at the Comédie des Champs-Élysées in Paris.

On Sunday, a diverse cast of models including Grace Bol, Halima and Winnie Harlow rocked the runway donning high-waisted snake print pants and dresses, faux furs, velvet blazers and bootleg trousers, leather platform shoes and more.

South African model Candice Swanepoel sparkled in a metallic halter neck jumpsuit and Ashley Graham, who last month announced that she was pregnant, wowed the audience with a polka dot dress and velvet platform heels.

The front row, lined with celebrities including models Gigi and Bella Hadid and the design world's elite, joined other attendees in dancing along to Aretha Franklin's "Respect" and "Move on Up" by Curtis Mayfield.

"It is a goosebump moment for us to become part of the Apollo's storied history tonight," said Hilfiger.

His show was a "see now, buy now" event -- a trend in the fashion industry that sees labels make outfits displayed in catwalk shows available to consumers to purchase immediately.

Viewers watching the event live online were able to click on any outfit they chose and purchase the items right away.

The Hilfiger brand, owned by fashion giant PVH Corp, is one of the best-known names in the US apparel business, with over 1,600 retail outlets in the Americas, Europe and Asia.

The brand is the biggest contributor to PVH's sales.

Nordstrom Inc. will be the exclusive wholesale partner for the "TommyxZendaya" collection in the United States.

New York Fashion Week's five-day schedule, which previously ran for a full week, was streamlined to give buyers and editors more time to attend London Fashion Week, which follows directly after the New York event ends on Wednesday.

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First transgender designer shows at New York Fashion Week

NEW YORK -- Los Angeles designer Pierre Davis made her debut in New York this week, becoming the first openly transgender creator to present a collection at Fashion Week, further shaking up an event that had already featured trans models.

The powerful Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), which says it represents more than 500 creators and has made diversity its battle cry, announced last month that Davis's No Sesso brand would be "making NYFW history" at Monday's event, which opened with a parade of whimsical garments.

Fashion Week began with a focus on men and will turn to women's wear on Thursday.

Davis told CFDA that she hopes the brand "will inspire people to be more community-minded and to realize not everything is just about aesthetics or commerce. It's also about humanity."

She added it is important "that people of all intersectional identities are given a fighting chance regardless of their identity. The playing field isn't level in the world, and it is even more difficult in fashion."

While she embraces her identity as a trans woman in the design field, Davis doesn't want it to be a gimmick, telling AFP it's important for people to see the creations and for them to be recognized.

"I just want to show the work," she said of the agender brand No Sesso, which was launched in 2015 and -- according to CFDA -- counts fans including R&B artists Kelela and Erykah Badu.

"I am just humble and happy that I got to show at Fashion Week," Davis said.

For her Chapter 2 collection -- she calls them "chapters" rather than seasons -- Davis came up with the idea of a wardrobe that blends the sartorial codes associated with the two sexes.

Plain black vests became skirts, cocktail dresses were transformed, and worn with self-assurance by models whose diversity -- male or female, slender or plus-size -- reflected Fashion Week's growing efforts to look beyond the conventional razor-thin body type.

The wardrobe mixed the formalism of work attire with sportswear, producing a jogging jacket with epaulettes, for example.

Davis emphasizes that the label is "very much an LA brand," adding: "We're super-fun and easy to be around."

"The show is inspired by business wear and evoking the spirit of the Glamazon regardless of gender," Davis told CFDA.

It's about making things happen even "when there seems to be no way."

For several years, trans models have regularly appeared at New York Fashion Week, and in September 2017 Calvin Klein featured a 16-year-old trans model.

Last September Marco Marco, another Los Angeles designer, went further with a podium exclusively showing trans models.

Now, with her first New York show, Davis says everybody "can see No Sesso and the world we're creating."

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Rihanna's anything-goes lingerie crowns New York Fashion Week

NEW YORK -- Rihanna celebrated women of every shape, size and color in an outre show unveiling her Savage X Fenty lingerie line, bringing New York Fashion Week to a juddering climax on Wednesday.

The Barbadian superstar stepped out in a figure-hugging coffee dress and sunglasses, smiling and waving to the huge crowd that packed into the Brooklyn Naval Yard.

If there was a theme it was anything goes, be any kind of woman, be beautiful however you are, and Rihanna has all your underwear needs covered -- be it tomboy boxers, sexy thongs or nipple-bearing one pieces.

The models danced and writhed on the astro-turf podium, covered in plants, for nearly 30 minutes, their figures casting long shadows when they stepped in and out of nylon bubble tents.

From femme fatale to pregnant women to girl next door lounging in nice soft pajamas, the underwear garments came in every shape, color and size, worn with matching silk gloves up to the elbow.

Supermodel Bella Hadid, in baby blue, towered above some of the shorter women, holding hands with them at the end. Fall/winter 2018, the collection was available to purchase immediately.

Earlier in the evening, Marc Jacobs, the darling of American high fashion, brought the house down 90 minutes late with a dexterous display of 1950s glamour, pastels and ruffles.

'Very coiffed'

His spring 2019 collection had a 1950s and 1960s feel, all pastels and glamour, but the long delay infuriated guests, some of whom walked out. The designer appeared only fleetingly, for a perfunctory bow.

Guest of honor was rap star Nicki Minaj, dressed in a low-cut red dress with over-sized giant ruffled sleeves.

If there was one word for the Marc Jacobs evening dress it was ruffles and flounces, adorning the throat, shoulders and skirts of frocks that were so voluminous they had a movement of their own, made genteel and lady-like with little pastel-colored handbags and dainty heels.



Elle magazine reported that 37 models in the show opted to have their real hair bleached then dyed in an array of pinks, blues, greens and peaches to color coordinate their dresses with their frocks.

"Marc didn't want a 'fun' pastel, he wanted it to have history and for it to look a little vintage," Redken Global Color Creative Director Josh Wood was quoted as saying backstage by the magazine.

Hair stylist Guido Palau said the looks, which included a high, swinging pony-tail, were a nod to women such as Barbra Streisand and to celebrate a time when women made an effort to always look polished.

"A 'finished' woman is something Marc really wanted to emphasize again," Palau told Elle. "It's a very coiffed look."

'Sunny Side Up'

There was 1980s-style power suiting, hats with netting and plenty of the bang on color trend of the season -- bright yellow and pale lemon.

Earlier in the day, Michael Kors kicked off the end of the bi-annual style fest with A-listers Nicole Kidman and Catherine Zeta-Jones front row for a happy collection inspired by the beach.

The 59-year-old designer created a set of bright, colorful art panels by Australian-born, Brooklyn-based artist Christina Zimpel that evoked the Caribbean or Mediterranean, a stark contrast to misty views of the Brooklyn Bridge through the windows of New York's sprawling Pier 17.

"Global getaway," "Sunny Side Up" and "From me to you -- spread the joy" was how the billionaire Kors summed up the upbeat celebration of color that is bang on the happiness trend for spring 2019.

The catwalk was a riot of print and color, from turquoise to watermelon, persimmon and lemon, to floppy floral hats, a fringed lime green skirt and metallic green pant suit with matching bag.

Pants came in all styles, but most striking were floral and broderie anglaise flares with enormous bell bottoms. For evening, dresses were cut for the beach but designed for soiree in metallics.

Kors put fringes on jackets, skirts, pants and shoulder bags, a trend this season also on display at Longchamp and Coach, and stayed true to his recent M.O of including curve models on the runway.

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Carolina Herrera's spring line features Wes Gordon designs at New York show

NEW YORK -- High-society favorite brand Carolina Herrera on Monday showed the first collection since Herrera stepped down as the house's creative force.

Herrera, 79, whose timeless designs were worn by five first ladies, handed creative directorship of the label to American designer Wes Gordon in February.

Gordon, who worked with the Venezuelan-born Herrera for a year, said "she wanted to be surprised today when she saw the collection. So this is her first time seeing everything."

The collection, with plaids, florals and bold prints, "is about a woman who is not a wallflower, who's looking for beautiful happy colors when she opens her wardrobe in the morning," he said.

"I think the world needs a little more joy, and your wardrobe is a very good place to start.

For inspiration, he turned to old pictures of Herrera in search of the pulse of the house.

Using specialized fabrics, deep colors and bold prints in addition to the traditional pastels of Spring, Gordon said he "played with the classic Herrera cotton shirt."

"We make the most perfect white shirt. We wanted to show a lot of different tweaks and variations on that today, so we took that fabric and we did everything from little smocked dresses to polka dot combinations.

"And then the embroideries ... it really is an embroidery house creating these pieces that are really American culture."

Celebrities filled the show, among fashion week's hottest tickets, held at the New York Historical Society.

Martha Stewart, former first daughters Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Bush, fashion world doyenne Anna Wintour and socialite Nicky Hilton Rothschild were on hand.

New York Fashion Week, previewing the latest looks for Spring 2019, concludes on Wednesday with a party in the borough of Brooklyn featuring pop superstar Rihanna's Savage x Fenty lingerie line.

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Badgley Mischka, Coach take designs to digital world

American fashion house Badgley Mischka and handbag maker Coach took a technology-focused approach as they presented their latest collections on the penultimate day of New York Fashion Week: The Shows.

The luxury brands showcased their work on the closely watched global stage and also on digital platforms. While Badgley Mischka debuted a new app that allowed attendees to rate the looks on the runway, Coach live-streamed its entire show on Instagram.

Though technology was at the forefront of both brands’ Fashion Week moments, the focus remained on the looks. 

At design duo Mark Badgley and James Mischka’s Fall 2018 presentation, a red brocade ball gown that harkened back to 17th century art stole the show.

“We were inspired by the painter Caravaggio and his beautiful use of 'chiaroscuro,' the effect of the darkness surrounding the light coming through the center,” James Mischka said. “So it inspired our fabrications, our colors, our prints for the beginning of the season.”

Coach opted for dark, taking its audience into the woods for its Fall 2018 collection, which featured fringe, velvet and leather.

The brand’s parent company Tapestry recently reported quarterly results that surpassed expectations due to strong demand for Coach handbags.

Models sporting the handbags and backpacks made their way down a foliage-covered catwalk in cowboy boots and prairie dresses as celebrities like Selena Gomez, one of the brand’s ambassadors, watched.

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Abayas only: NY show spotlights rise of modest fashion

NEW YORK -- Indonesian designer Vivi Zubedi made her New York solo runway show debut Sunday, wowing the crowd with her abaya-only collection as she hopes to capitalize on the growing market for modest, Muslim fashions.

In September, she showcased her signature look in a joint show shared with other designers from her homeland. It went so well that she jetted back to New York with the aim of drumming up more business.

"Very excited!" Zubedi giggled backstage after being mobbed by friends and family, taking selfies with stylish US bloggers who admire her fashion-forward Islamic style dressing even if they're not Muslim.

"I have a lot of clients here actually," she giggled again.

It was standing room only as Zubedi sent down the runway a collection of batik prints, black and midnight blue velvet, pearl-rimmed hijabs and American baseball-style hats perched on the top of headscarves.

Unlike the average US catwalk display of leg and cleavage, there was barely a strand of hair in sight, and even hands were cloaked in leather gloves or shielded by flouncy lacy cuffs. 

Zubedi's signature product is the abaya -- the loose, flowing head to toe black garment obligatory in Saudi Arabia and adopted by some of the most strictly observant Muslim women elsewhere.

But it was far from the throw-on-an-abaya-to-head-to-the-shops kind of look. 

This was luxury, crystal-embossed material shimmering in the light, pearls draped around the neck, ruffled sleeves and hip hop meets tradition -- a daring black leather jacket zipped up on top.

"I thought the show was amazing," US blogger and stylist Dyandra Raye told AFP. "I would wear all of them! I'm super dramatic!"

Fashion writer Kristen Martin agreed, another of the scores of impeccably dressed guests -- some of whom queued outside in the rain.

"I absolutely loved it," Martin told AFP. "I think it's really important for us to embrace each other's culture."

"The line was just really detailed and it made me excited," she added.

'Excited'

Since Zubedi established her eponymous label in 2011, modest fashion -- designed specifically for the affluent, modern, religiously observant Muslim woman -- is gaining traction as designers eye the consumer potential in conservative communities all over the world.

Dolce and Gabbana has produced a collection of hijabs and abayas. In 2016, Burberry produced its first ever Ramadan collection and Japanese high street label Uniqlo has moved into the modest market as well.

Nike has produced a hijab line for Muslim female athletes. US fashion houses DKNY, Tommy Hilfiger and Oscar de la Renta, as well as Spanish giants Zara and Mango, have all also produced a Ramadan line.

On Thursday, US retail giant Macy's will start selling a modest clothing range that includes dresses, tops and hijabs, created by a woman who struggled to find clothes after she converted to Islam.

Making the announcement this month, Cassandra Jones, senior vice president of Macy's Fashion, said the collection will help the retail giant to "better serve our customer looking for modest fashion."

Zubedi enthusiastically welcomed the move.

"That's a brilliant project," she told AFP of Macy's initiative. "Now there's a lot of people looking for modest wear and modest wear is not only for hijabi people or Muslim people, but for everyone."

After her shared show in September, Zubedi said she attracted attention from buyers in Dubai, Hong Kong and the United States.

Her next ambition? To open a store for overseas customers, who currently can purchase her wares only online.

"Anywhere -- but outside Indonesia," said the Jakarta-based designer when for her preferred location. "Department store, would be perfect!"

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Diesel Fashion Week stunt pokes fun at knock-off artists

NEW YORK -- Diesel is ditching the catwalk to masquerade as knock-off merchants this Fashion Week, purporting to be a New York fake goods store only to flog customers the real thing.

It's a clever gimmick for the 40-year-old Italian label, which is using the fall/winter 2018 edition of New York's twice-yearly style fest to open a pop-up shop on Canal Street in Chinatown, the heart of knock-off city in the US financial capital.

Sweatshirts and T-shirts are stamped "Deisel" -- making the ruse believable. Hoodies cost $60, jeans $70 -- again believably fake. Except these clothes are limited-range, designer goods.

"We have so many counterfeit products all over the world I thought, 'Why can't we play with this problem that we have?'" Diesel founder Renzo Rosso told AFP, saying he believes that more than a million counterfeit Diesel goods are sold annually around the world.

"We created a fake product, a fake name, and we came to the counterfeit district."

The store opened under the radar last week and hundreds of customers have already browsed and purchased, with most of the initial buyers blissfully unaware that the joke's on them.

"People come and they think it is a fake product. When they discover it's not a fake product, they can sell it for three or four times the value!" said Rosso, 62.

Given the queue to get in, it's paying off. The store is scheduled to close on Monday, possibly even earlier if it runs out of stock.

Otherwise, customers can go down the street to buy fake Louis Vuitton bags or imitation Rolex watches.

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Rihanna headlines NY Fashion Week day 4

NEW YORK -- Barbadian superstar Rihanna brought much needed oomph to New York Fashion Week Sunday, with motorcycle stunt riders soaring over giant pink sand dunes in her latest fashion collaboration for Puma.

After spending the last two season in Paris, the 29-year-old hitmaker brought her spring 2018 collection back to the US cultural capital in a look more sporty than ever, waving and blowing kisses to her fans at the end from the back of a motorcycle, arm around a helmeted driver.

Her models paraded in whites, pinks and electric blues down a catwalk with glistening pink sand dunes in the background -- donning clinging catsuits, body suits, swimwear, cycling shorts and sharp anoraks.

In what was her fourth Fenty x Puma collection, the emphasis was on serious sportswear with striking technicality, different cuts, use of material and propensity for pockets.

Hunky male models strode shirtless, showing off rippling abs.

Razzmatazz came from her motorbike stunt riders jumping off a ramp, soaring nearly 40 feet into the air to open and close the show.

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Kanye West unveils new Yeezy line during New York Fashion Week

NEW YORK -- Three months after being hospitalized for exhaustion, rapper Kanye West made his first major public appearance on Wednesday, turning up for his Yeezy fashion show during New York Fashion Week.

With his wife Kim Kardashian West in the front row next to Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour, West debuted the fifth season of his high-end athleisure wear collection for Adidas to the fashion world's elite.

The show, which has become one of the most exclusive presentations during recent fashion weeks, was not live-streamed on the music streaming website TIDAL as some of West's shows have been in the past.

Many social media users expressed their frustrations when they learned they would not be able to watch online, but critics were positive about the 39-year-old singer's latest runway show, saying the emphasis was on his new collection, rather than him.

"To me it felt like the most traditional fashion show that he's done," said Rickie De Sole, W Magazine's fashion market and accessories director, who was at the show.

"It had a polish to it. It felt like a serious fashion show. It felt substantial and there was less hoopla. It really was all about the fashion," De Sole added.

The collection was dominated by denim, high-waisted jeans, hoodie sweatshirts, baseball caps, cargo pants, knee-high boots and, of course, sneakers.

Muslim model Halima Aden, the 19-year-old Somali-American who competed for Miss Minnesota wearing a burkini and who recently scored a major modeling contract with talent agency IMG, strutted the catwalk wearing a floor-length fur coat and a hijab.

Buzz had been building around the appearance of the so-called "Yeezy Runner" after West was photographed wearing the oversized white sneakers by paparazzi in January.

Kardashian appeared in athleisure wear herself, a sleeveless, see-through turtle neck shirt, track pants and an over-sized winter coat, all of which were maroon.

During the presentation, there were roughly 150 posts per minute about the Yeezy line on Twitter, according to social media analytics firm Zoomph.

The "Jesus Walks" singer emerged as one of Donald Trump's most high-profile supporters during the 2016 election campaign and met the then president-elect at Trump Tower in New York on Dec. 13, making him the target of outrage and sarcasm from fans on social media.

(Reporting by Melissa Fares and Gina Cherelus in New York; Editing by Tom Brown)

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Sheer fabrics, draped pants, take center stage at NY Fashion Week

NEW YORK - Sheer fabrics, backless dresses, draped pants, slit skirts and pastel gowns were the dominant look as designers presented their spring 2015 collections in New York on Friday.

Taiwanese-Canadian designer Jason Wu, a favorite of First Lady Michelle Obama, featured navy blue solids mixed with greens in shimmery fabrics for a look that was all about beauty and women and sportswear at his downtown Manhattan show.

"This collection was about celebrating women and also the new age of American sportswear," he said about the show, inspired by the "impeccable style" of British actress Charlotte Rampling, best known for her performance in the Nazi-themed 1974 film "The Night Porter."

Along with flowing evening dresses in blacks, whites and umber, Wu, 31, also introduced the calf-leather "Diane" shoulder bag, named for his friend and muse, actress and former model Diane Kruger.

"Accessories are a growing category for our business," Wu told Reuters in an interview.

Wu's business is also growing. Just hours before the show, attended by Anna Winter, Conde Nast's artistic director and former editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine, Wu announced that he had sold a majority stake in his brand to InterLuxe, a new fashion platform chaired by his long-term friend Gary Wassner.

Wu decided to do the deal because he felt "like I had the perfect group behind me to take things to the next level," which will include an opportunity to expand in retail and to develop his collection.

InterLuxe is a collaborative venture between New York-based private equity firm Lee Equity Partners and fashion industry executives including Wassner. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Designer Monique Lhuillier played with different dress lengths and incorporated metallics, tulle, sequins, lace and silk crepe in her collection that was inspired by the sunrise.

Known for her bridal gowns, Lhuillier also included shorts, culottes, ankle-grazing trousers, balloon skirts, as well as feminine gowns in a range of pastel colors.

"Spring is all about lightness," Lhuillier said. "I wanted it to be bright, reflective, shimmering, luminous, that is what you are seeing here today," she added in an interview backstage before the start of the show.

Nearly 100 designers will showcase their collections for spring 2015 at Manhattan's Lincoln Center and other venues around the city during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

The semi-annual event, which runs through Sept. 11, attracts thousands of buyers, fashion reporters, celebrities, fashionistas and wealthy customers.

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Models join protest over sweatshops at NY fashion week

NEW YORK CITY - Models joined labor activists on Thursday at New York fashion week to protest clothing brand Nautica over its parent company's failure to sign up to improve conditions in Bangladesh factories.

As Nautica unveiled its spring menswear collection on the catwalks at the Lincoln Center, a handful of people picketed outside, holding boards which read: "no one should die for fashion."

"Nautica don't throw workers overboard," read another, as fashionistas dressed to the nines rushed to the Nautica show.

Liana Foxvog of the International Labor Rights Forum said the protesters were demanding that VF corporation -- which produces scores of popular clothing brands such as Wrangler, Lee Jeans, Timberland and Eastpak -- sign the accord.

In the wake of a series of fatal clothing factory fires, and the devastating factory collapse in April which left 1,129 dead, 86 companies signed the accord to protect the safety of workers who sew their clothing.

They include well-known US brands -- Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle -- but the majority are European retailers such as H&M and Zara.

Kalpona Akter, executive director of the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity, was also at the Big Apple's premier fashion event, imploring the retailer -- one of the world's largest -- to step up.

She hit out at "retailers like VF who know their factories are unsafe and (are) not taking any action."

On its website, VF states it "did not have a business relationship with any of the factories in the collapsed building" but that it works hard to ensure a "safe working environment" for workers sewing its clothes in Bangladesh.

However according to Foxvog a December 2010 fire that claimed 29 lives took place at a factory that produced clothes for VF.

"They prioritize profits over people's lives," she said.

A handful of models also joined the picket such as Sara Ziff who said unsafe labor practices continue because "people turn a blind eye and its as simple as that."

"Ten years ago, when I modeled for Nautica, I didn't think about the garment workers who made the clothes I was wearing," said Ziff.

However after a visit to the factories in that country she said she felt a moral responsibility to expose "the unsafe working conditions under which our clothes are produced, and the plight of the workers who produce them."

The April disaster highlighted appalling conditions in Bangladesh's 4,500 garment factories, where workers toil for 10-12 hours a day for basic monthly wages of around $40.

Foxvog said initial investigations into factory conditions under the accord were starting this month and initial reports were expected by the end of the year.

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