Sun 12th February
Cue confused faces from gathered fashion folk when news broke that yes, Alexander Wang’s latest collection would be held in Harlem (149th Street? Does it even go up that far?) and that, yes, it was standing room only. Not that it actually stopped anyone – this is Mr Wang we’re talking about and where NY’s fashion wunderkind goes, we follow. The space itself was a massive disused theatre, done out with a stage that looped through the gathered crowd. We got beer in plastic glasses. There was loud music. Kylie Jenner stood in a DJ booth. Let’s call it stomping. And not just because of the soundtrack (it isn’t a party until you’ve popped an eardrum), but also in reference to the physical act of stomping, of pounding the runway. These girls were raging. No-one was getting in their way, not least the crowd, who they exited out into and away off into the night. They were clad in what we’re going to call futuristic equestrian (think: Madonna, Confessions era) – mostly down to those trousers, high on the waist and slick to the body, with a slanted fastening, like jodhpur – coming in denim, leather and houndstooth and worn with boxy utility shirts or big-shouldered tailoring. Giddy up! But there was also much of that nineties grunge girl that Wang often returns to – here found in touches of leopard print, sexy mesh and shiny shiny crystals. Just a few of our favourite things. The girl even had a message, written up the leg of her tights. “No After Party” it read. Which is fitting, really, because who needs an after party when the real party is this good? Bravo Mr Wang. It was stellar.
Photographs by Jason Lloyd-Evans
