Ahead of New York Fashion Week’s spring 2024 edition, which officially kicks off Friday, designers provided WWD a look at how their collections are shaping up, though some played it a little close to the vest.
Michelle Ochs, for one, chose a naked dress form as the teaser image for her directorial debut at Hervé Léger. Ochs’ body-conscious aesthetic could be well-matched to the brand known for bandage dresses, but exactly how she plans to “reset” it remains to be seen.
Equally cryptic was Sally LaPointe, who submitted a partially scratched-off lottery ticket with the accompanying message “…if I won the Mega Millions.” Perhaps the designer has something big planned for her Crosby Street takeover on Sept. 9, which will mark her return to the runway after a three-year hiatus.
Jonathan Cohen, whose next collection will clash 18th-century impressionism with punk, will also be returning to the runway. The same goes for Phillip Lim, but all that can be gleaned from his picture of recycled cardboard boxes is that the collection could be sustainably minded.
Elsewhere, the world of dance is shaping up to be a big influence with Spanish designer Alejandro Gomez Palomo looking to Flamenco and Christian Siriano and Hanako Maeda of Adeam both enamored by ballet. “Fluidity and movement are key elements in the collection,” Maeda said, previewing a sketch of a swishy tulle gown in canary yellow.
Meanwhile, Anna Sui and Sandy Liang are both diving into the mermaidcore trend for their spring shows. The former titled hers “Octopus Garden,” and will reference mixed media artist Sarah Burford’s mermaid series, while the latter looked to Aquamarine from the teenage romantic comedy film of the same name.
Markarian’s Alexandra O’Neill was also feeling nautical, scavenging for seashells by the seashore, and so was Paul Helbers of minimalist luxury label Fforme, pegging pink sails, shimmering water and sea roses as leitmotifs for his first official presentation on the CFDA calendar.
And while Michael Kors may not be directly inspired by the water itself, the designer appears to be designing for holidays spent somewhere nearby it. He chose Ellsworth Kelly’s painting of a plain black bikini, the ultimate in chic resort wear, as the jumping off point for his show on Sept. 11.