The Best Moments from New York Fashion Week, Day One

At Proenza Schouler? It sure was! But even if Isaac Mizrahi’s former muse wasn’t wearing Look 38, we’d still sit up a little straighter when it came down the runway, because the idea of a monochrome rainbow riff is rather brilliant, especially on an outdoor staple like that black duster coat. (It also comes in white, but we wouldn’t trust ourselves with a latte and a piece of worn art in such close proximity, you know?)

I’m not gonna lie—when I arrived at a monarch butterfly preserve in deep Brooklyn for the Collina Strada show, and saw a line the entire length of Dimes Square, I was scared. Had the huge hype finally overwhelmed the small brand? Would the show collapse into growls of “do you know who I am?” And then… everyone got into see the show. Everyone who needed a seat got one; every look was visible, and beautiful, and made responsibly with upcycled pieces and regenerative materials. (Here’s what that means.) The sun set, the floaty dresses made from orange pulp fiber fluttered, the audience was momentarily giddy because Jemima Kirke was on the catwalk, and the brand was even cooler because it brought people together to witness something pretty gorgeous. This is the inclusive, joyful, skilled future we say we want. Let’s keep it going times ten.

Janet Jackson went to Elizabeth Taylor’s old townhouse to watch Karen Elson open Christian Siriano’s show. Seriously. Says Siriano: “I always want to poke the idea of looking formal without being formal, and referencing grand dames like Katherine Hepburn and of course Liz Taylor without living in the past, you know?” He did it with some Charles James riffs on ballroom skirts and cinched satin waists, along with a hot pink puffball party dress that Barbiecore will likely inhale whole. Also, much like Mr. Sondheim, look—he made a hat! (10 hats, guys. He made ten hats.)

In theory, great clothes should make your life simpler and more complex all at once. In Theory, designer Jeffrey Kalinsky toed that line with a confident stride of cream suiting, cobalt trousers, and a nifty “ballerina” black dress that really nailed Audrey Hepburn’s whole winsome waif thing. But all vibes of people will love the crisp optimism of this collection—so why was every look shown on very young, very tall, very slim people? Don’t say it’s because “fashion is a fantasy.” We all dream in color, and in our own bodies, too. Sure, we’ll also be dreaming of this collection—the little red skirt suit especially—but it shouldn’t take imagination to see this line’s target customer (women with worlds to rule, cash to spend, and a birthdate before Obama’s election) in these modern proposals for womanhood.

Indeed, and they have styled them adorably. Check out this party princess from their recent collection launch, which drew Rebel Wilson, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, and more floral bouquets than a wedding planner’s greenhouse. Also: juicy-hued bucket hats, which we really enjoyed.

Give it up for Roxanne Assoulin, the jewelry designer who follows Harry Styles’ missive to treat people with kindness and understands, implicitly, that this involves croissants. She got them from L’Appartement 4F in Brooklyn—her staff went at 5 am because they were so in-demand—along with quiche, berries, and granola. “I never believed Americans could make croissants like this,” said Nelson Tiberghien, a Parisian stylist whom you might know as “the boy one” in Young Emperors, who stopped by to check out the accessories. As we left, Roxanne handed us cookies in the same rainbow mosaic as her beloved bracelets. (There are glazed enamel rings and gemstone earrings now, too, just a heads up.)

That’s my theory after three—three!—snuggly piles of knitwear debuted the day before Fashion Week’s official start. If you have an Instagram account, you already know about Gigi Hadid’s new brand, Guest in Residence, which makes beautiful, color-drenched staples for warm fuzzy feelings. The rainbow sunset sweaters from Kilte, a new brand with roots in Italy and California, are so reassuringly cool, they’re the closest thing I’ll get to therapy all week. And over at Ayr, they’ve expanded from their (excellent) oversized shirts to sweaters in colorblock camel and ocean blue. (Their party was on a rooftop, and one editor who shall remain nameless, but who is totally Lauren McCarthy from NYLON, snagged a cream crewneck from a model when she got cold. Legends only.)