An Amazing Privilege
I came, I saw, I touched the collections.* Before the models headed for the runway, I watched the makeup artists and hairstylists begin transforming them into each fashion designer’s singular vision. Then I assisted with dressing the models, making the transformations complete. I am grateful for my backstage experience at New York Fashion Week Fall 2020.
In this article, I highlight some of the designers, their collections, and some of my backstage experiences. Being mindful of copyright infringement, I am linking to images I curated from designers, makeup artists and hairstylists websites, and their social media postings. Please use the links provided to view the images.
Season after season, photographers, media personnel, actors, artists, politicians, celebrities, and others interested in the fashion industry descend on NYFW. They arrive in anticipation of three things:
- The designer collections for the season.
- The makeup created for each collection.
- The hairstyles sculpted to complement each collection.
The Designers
From world-renowned designers Badgley Mischka and Prabal Gurung to newcomers Tia Adeola and Serena Williams, New York Fashion Week Fall 2020 featured over 75 incredible designers; each with unique styles. Gabriela Hearst produced her first-ever carbon neutral runway show while the glamorous and exciting Zang Toi’s New York handmade collection paid homage to the city of New York. Marc Jacobs had the privilege of closing out the fall 2020 season, with help from pop singer/actress Miley Cyrus. She joined the models in wearing Jacobs’ beautifully tailored ready-to-wear collection to close out the week, making his show one of the highlights of the fall 2020 season.
The Prabal Gurung collection was one of my favorites. It was titled, Impossible Dreamers. The makeup looks created for his collection were dramatic glam by @diane.kendal, as well as punk, and featured romantic nails. These styles enhanced the collection. He showcased his collection at the romantic and elegant newly renovated Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center. People left the show feeling nostalgic.
I was intrigued by Dirty Pineapple, a clothing brand based in Shanghai, which garnered a lot of attention from the press and consumer due to its collaboration with The Andy Warhol Foundation. Their clothing brand features multicultural, high street, non-gender specific items. To complement the retro-streetwear styles collection, some of the models wore gold leaf glitter on their eyelids. It was visibly stunning. To complete the looks, most models wore either doc martens or shiny metallic platform shoes. This was a fast-paced high energy show.
Jeffery Dodd’s show was a highlight of my backstage experiences. I had the opportunity to speak briefly to one of the team members and learned about the work that went into sourcing shoes/boots for the collection. Their themes were southwestern with a hint of rock and roll. The collection used high-quality fabrics and featured poncho throws, woolen knits, oversized leather, suede and denim shirting, coats and jackets. Burnished orange, cream, black, and white were the dominant colors with the occasional bright blue and sea green woven through the collection. The models’ makeup and hairstyles were simple, natural and fresh dewy face looks. I lingered after the show to absorb the experience.
Click on the links to see the breathtaking images of the collections highlighted in this article.
If this article piqued your interest, you can learn more about the designers’ collections at NYFW.com.
* “I came. I saw. I conquered” – Julius Caesar, Roman Emperor, wrote this in a letter to the Roman Senate around 47 BC, after winning a quick victory in battle.
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