Glamor on one side, activity on the other: Designers Tory Burch and Gabriela Hearst showcased two different approaches to New York Fashion Week on Tuesday.
Opulence and minimalism
American designer Birch presented New York with a vintage-inspired collection that strayed from her signature prints and bright colors.
“These collections have become much more personal to me now that I’m not running a business,” she told AFP after the show.
As of 2019, Birch has handed over management of the company to her husband, Pierre-Yves Roussel, stepping into the roles of chief creative officer and executive chair.
For the spring/summer 2023 edit, Birch said she thought back to when she moved to New York in the ’90s and wanted to highlight “the concept of richness and minimalism” at the same time. .
With sheer cotton tops, lace bras and silver shoes, Birch evoked sleek sophistication and sexiness in the early ’90s.
“I think it’s sexier than anything we’ve done in the past,” she said. “And I think women are feeling that right now. I see that women want to dress that way, but I also like a certain elegance to it.”
She said she also experimented with layering, using a jersey bandeau skirt as a recurring look, sometimes worn over pants.
“I wanted to challenge us to push it a little bit further and also have a more focused approach,” she explained.
Empowering women
Uruguayan designer Gabriela Hirst’s show was full of atmosphere. In a huge warehouse with opaque windows, his models paraded down the runway lined up with a gospel choir.
Gold dominates, shining on a cape, on a breastplate and against the white and black sides.
The long yellow and orange ponchos and red pantsuits sewn in Uruguay also brought to mind the colors of fire.
Some pieces appear to have been molded directly onto the models with collection notes describing how the leather was soaked in water and then draped over a shape to create the unique pieces.
The theme of women empowerment was also woven into the show.
Hirst, who is also the creative director at Chloe, said her 2023 ready-to-wear collection was inspired by the ancient Greek poet Sappho and highlighted the hardships faced by women.
“This Joy,” a gospel song written by Grammy winner Shirley Caesar, was performed by the Resistance Revival Chorus, billed as a collection of female and non-binary singers who explained that music’s “How historically marginalized women have been in the industry.”
The catwalk cast included women’s rights activist Cecile Richards, Mexican-Chilean environmental activist Xi Ba and anti-toxic shock syndrome campaigner Lauren Wasser.
Hirst also said it aims to reduce its show’s climate footprint by working with Swiss company Climateworks, which uses technology to capture carbon dioxide directly from the air.
