Nicholas K. & Mongol, 2 phenomenal shows, with designers who have vastly different aesthetics. However, each presented very clear designer POVs, complete with a great deal of stunning looks! The runway shows for NYFW were at MBFW, Lincoln Center. So first up, let’s check out Nicholas K.!
Siblings Nicholas and Christopher Kunz found inspiration in “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,” a 1920 German silent horror film. “It’s very distorted,” said Nicholas, citing its Expressionist themes and stylized sets. “If you watch it now, it actually looks very modern.” I’ve not seen this film, but I can see a modernized take on Nicholas K.’s signature with this driven inspiration of the 20s film.
The duo’s dark, brooding beauties strutted the runway in long, capelike knits, floor-length coats with fur collars, sheer silk dresses in hand-dyed labyrinth prints and aviator skullcaps. Leather and hardware accented the draped separates, mostly in black and brown tinged with pops of red and burgundy.
Nicholas K. has distinct signatures, one such being the eye-catching details of a given piece. So no, the brand is not just about your average everyday black asymmetrical coat. They really do pay attention to even the tiniest of details — leather straps, gloves, outerwear snaps, jewelry, and more.
Nicholas K. is all about the “urban nomad”, creating looks made for movement, a journey, traveling, and performance in step with the 21st-century consumer. The vision here has always been to have a more relevant approach to fashion. And with the utilitarian brilliance of uniforms, inventing a new platform of luxurious everyday sportswear with an urban edge has thus been created. This is exactly what this collection embodies, only escalating it all to the next level. Nicholas K. is continuously evolving and I’m glad that season in, season out, I am able to witness this evolution!
Celebs & special guests in attendance — CEO of CFDA Steven Kolb, Lizzy Plapinger, Natalie Bergman, Shaun Ross, Irina Pantaeva, Eric West, Pete Wentz, George Kotsiopoulos, Kristen Taekman.
Next up, Mongol!
Born in Mongolia, stylish ‘It Girl’, Bayarmaa Bayarkhuu (affectionately known as BB) showed love for her Mongolian heritage with a debut collection filled with colorful, daring, and dynamic clothing. The show opened with an artistic performance featuring a musician playing the morin khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed stringed instrument, and was later joined by a hip-hop singer creating a dramatic intro to the anticipated collection. The pieces here perfectly encapsulated tradition, luxury and casual comfort, a true fusion of fashion, style and culture.
The inspiration here is clear. It’s straight from “traditional Mongolian costumes combined with [the] urban casual as well as [the] entrepreneur lifestyle.” Despite a traditional garb style inspriation, Bayarkhuu maintained contemporary fashion trends with the use of laser-cut applique overlays, geometric cutouts, and sequins. The pieces featured ornate fabrics in opulent colors that included turquoise, amethyst, sapphire and emerald to accentuate the raw materials used.
The collection featured fur-trimmed kimonos, lamb fur boleros/coats, cut-outs, cashmere, embroidered silk, leather, and more. Draping over the shoulder was a common theme throughout. There were unique fabrics that included PVC and artistic laser-cut appliqué overlays.
This presentation was well thought out. Each look was not only fascinatingly unique, but was styled with great accessories! The jewelry, the eyewear, headpieces, and more made this runway all the more show-stopping.
I’m impressed by BB’s debut here. The quality, the craftsmanship, tailoring, fit and all were supremely top notch. With each piece there was such a regal quality, some with more flare than others, but a great balance of drama and understated pieces. From start to finish, this was indeed a full on, completely captivating show!
Celebs & special guests in attendance — DJ Alex Merrell, model Taylor Badgley, designer Ben Schulman, Lily Lane, Cory Kennedy, Kendall Schmidt, Lauren Rae Levy, Andrew Werner, Producer Ten Travis, model Jessica Minh Anh, Gregori Lukas, Mr. India Galaxy Prakash Patil.
