New York
NYFW has already begun with a bang at Ralph Lauren, with a translucent hooded gown, winking with embellishment, that resembled high-fashion armour (a comment on the state of the nation and the need to steel oneself? Perhaps). It's most-anticipated show of AW26—Proenza Schouler—is showing today, however. It's Rachel Scott's inaugural collection as creative director, while her own label, Diotima, will be showing later in the week. Her appointment was met with something more than excitement, although there was plenty of that in the air. As one of the only women—not to mention women of colour—at the helm of a major design house, it's another (long-overdue) step towards parity in traditionally male-dominated spaces, in this case ateliers that, ironically, make clothes for women. Proenza Schouler has long been a byword for the kind of clothes that are easy to wear but make you look twice. With Scott's focus on craft, it's a debut that deserves the hype.
