By Alicia Powell
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Fashion designers Badgley Mischka and Tadashi Shoji presented vibrant colourful outfits on the first day of New York Fashion Week on Wednesday, offering plenty of eye-catching hues and florals for women’s spring wardrobes.
While the event is seeing a return to physical shows this season, both brands opted for pre-recorded digital video releases to present their spring-summer 2022 womenswear lines.
Designers Mark Badgley and James Mischka chose lime, orange, lemon and blue as well as softer neutrals for their collection, inspired by Bette Davis in “Now, Voyager” as well as Italy.
Against a recording of lapping waves in the background, models wore designs in an array of prints – floral, butterfly and salamander.
There were sparkly trouser suits and sleek evening gowns, some belted at the waist, others adorned with sparkly embellishments including butterflies on the shoulders of one dress. Frocks were pleated, tasselled, sequined, off-the-shoulder or strapless.
“It’s about colour and print … James and I sketched these really pretty butterfly prints and we have a crocodile print. We have a salamander print. We have a turtle print,” Badgley told Reuters.
“Her coming of that cocoon, out of being so sheltered and so sequestered for her entire life and all of a sudden blossoming on this cruise,” Mischka added of the line’s main theme.
Shoji looked back to the Roaring Twenties for his collection, presenting modern takes on the decade’s styles with an array of colourful dresses adorned with intricate shoulder cut-outs, lace trimmings and sequined fringes.
Frocks were floaty, cinched at the waist or embroidered and came in dusty or bold pink, greens and blues. Shoji also presented a wedding dress made up of a lace top and tulle skirt.
“(The) desire for the joyful life, normal life … Let’s do roaring 20’s – this is the theme,” Shoji told Reuters.
Designer Christian Siriano kicked things off early with a catwalk show on Tuesday night in front of an audience including actor Katie Holmes and rapper Lil’ Kim. Siriano presented 59 looks including colourful asymmetric suits, oversized coats, voluminous gowns and dresses with cutouts.
“A lot of looks, because we haven’t done this in a while,” Siriano told Reuters. “I felt like if people are going to come out for a show, they need to see a show.”
New York Fashion Week runs until Sept. 12.
(Reporting by Alicia Powell; addition reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Writing by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
