Michael Kors under the influence of Gloria Steinem, for the last day of New York Fashion Week

It must be said, there are influencers and influencers: and this was particularly true at Michael Kors, which presented a chic and bohemian collection on Wednesday morning, on the occasion of the last major fashion show of New York Fashion Week.

A collection that was inspired by Michael’s vision of a true influencer, which for him translates to “eternal icon”, an accomplished and distinguished woman, and not an Instagram star. Exactly like Gloria Steinem, the famous feminist activist, who was in the front row. Many models sported the Michael Kors version of the famous low-rise, multi-buckle harness belt that became the emblem of Gloria Steinem: it comes in ribbed knits, flared pants and cheeky mini-skirts.

The parade took place in an all-glass space at the intersection of the Meatpacking District and the Hudson River, a stone’s throw north of Greenwich Village. Hundreds of fans craned their necks to catch a glimpse of the VIPs and stars inside. The key novelty of this collection was the lengthened proportions. Ankle-length coats, worn with mini-skirts and ankle boots, or tight evening dresses. Like Gloria, Michael doesn’t do frumpy feminism.

And neither are its front-row followers, with this season’s Kate Hudson, Katie Holmes and Mindy Kaling in particular. Nearby were New York Governor Kathy Hochul, whose presence has become a recurring presence at major parades in Manhattan, Lea Michele, Ellen Pompeo and Isabelle Adjani, as well as Beatrice ​Grannò. The latter wore a houndstooth coat, her face completely hidden behind her ringlets.

“For this collection, I really thought about everything that influenced me in my youth in the 1970s, the women who marked me, the neighborhoods, and this mixture of urban glamor and bohemian that I found then. in Greenwich Village”, explained the designer.

Bohemian chic tight dresses are slit below the waist, to better reveal the legs, while the necklines are plunging. Monochromatic to the extreme, not a single print in sight, and the star of the collection was this dramatic double-faced cream cashmere cape, worn over high-legged dresses, skirts and shorts.

Half of the outfits are ripped, slit, from skirts to gray leopard dresses and scarves, very cool. Mini dresses with maxi fringe are complemented by lizard ankle boots. Michael also offers masculine but sensual suits, with shoulder pads, which he presents without a shirt, just a medallion here and there. Its palette is vast, graphite, chocolate and hazelnut, wine-red, raspberry and forest green.

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See the parade

For a more trendy evening, the Kors girl will come out this fall in a dress with sequins, but with cutouts, to reveal a maximum of skin. It is true that Gloria Steinem made a name for herself in journalism by being hired as a “bunny” at Playboy, and by writing a long report on her experience and on the exploitation of women in general: “A Bunny’s Tale”, published in Esquire in 1963.

At a press conference ahead of the parade, Michael Kors unveiled a mood board which included, in addition to Steinem, other stars of the 1960s and 1970s: Jane Fonda, Aretha Franklin, Yoko Ono and Cicely Tyson.

The rhythm of the parade was sustained, with a grandiose dimension brought by an orchestra accompanying live songs recorded as Somebody to Love of Jefferson Airplane, mythical anthem of the rebellious counterculture of the sixties. Or Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac, which gave just the right amount of optimism to the high-flying cast. There was in particular the Italian star of the catwalks Vittoria Ceretti to open the ball, accompanied with talent by Irina Shayk, Amber Valletta, Liya Kebede and Adut Akech.

Shares of Capri Holdings – owner of the Kors brand – tumbled 24% last week when the company lowered its full-year earnings forecast, announcing a rather bleak outlook for 2024 and citing a slowdown in the economy. demand for luxury handbags and clothing from department stores.

But today, Michael Kors was in a celebratory mood. After the show, he marked the occasion with a lunch reserved for the ladies and fashion editors at the Waverly restaurant, while his “influencers” settled in the garden, outside.