Libertine autumn/winter 2016 collection catwalk show for NYFW

Libertine presented autumn/winter 2016 collection at Clarkston Gallery for New York Fashion Week. Designer Johnson Hartig’s shows are a celebration of style. Waiting for a Libertine show to start is like counting down until cannonball launches. And don’t forget to check the pretentious and smug attitudes at the door before walking into their show.

As always there were sequin and poppy appliqués galore. Every girl wore lace tights embellished with pearls and crystals that are probably causing a frenzy in the DIY community. This season Libertine’s theme was centered on political and social issues.

Statements jackets are the rave of autumn/winter, but Hartig’s coats have always made a statement. Overcoats is something he does well. This collections had statement parkas, baseball jackets, peacoats, capes, cloaks – name a coat and he did it. The neon collar furs and  patched swing coat was rad. The crystal hands with red nails crawling up the jacket were dazzling like burned cigarettes.

There was even a neon pink and red cocoon coat that floated down the runway. In the finale the models held up signs that read “Lib 4 Ever”, “Women’s Rights”, and (my personal favorite of all) “What tha goddam hell!” Which is probably how most people at fashion week felt after running from show to show  in the freezing cold and snow. But hey, anything for fashion! And the Libertine show was worth the harsh weather.

The dychotoey of the world is changing and so had the dynamics of the fashion week. The fashion industry needs more designer who aren’t going  to lose their liberty to conformity. Libertine was calling 

Myah Clemens
Photos: Bogdan Seredyak