Desigual autumn/winter 2017 collection catwalk show for NYFW

Braving the largest blizzard of the calendar year, New York Fashion Week in Manhattan would not be stopped. Outside the Clarkson Square space, photographers waded through the slush to snap pictures of the fabulously fur-clad spectators, who were minded not a snowflake or two invading their shot. The Desigual autumn/winter show was set to begin, to the rapt anticipation of the audience. As the plastic covering was removed from the runway, embroidered floral patterns bloomed from underneath.

The floral runway was quickly set upon by the first model, and a massive mélange of color, pattern and influence soon followed. The show was broken up into a series of stages, each representing a mood behind the show’s overarching theme: women in subculture. The power of the feminine aesthetic that dares to defy convention was imagined and reinvented in a number of decades.

The first mood of the day featured leather and asymmetrical lines. Centered on the partiers of bygone decades, specific articles of athletic wear mixed into contemporary and classic pieces, mixing everything from bowling shirts and vests to brogue shoes and high-waisted oxford trousers.

The show continued with a series of punk-inspired pieces. Blending seemingly opposite trends into each ensemble. Ripped/torn pieces of denim were blended into tweed waistcoats. Animal prints and ska checkerboard patterns were corralled into submission with hard geometric lines.

Rounding out the show were a series of looks that were a bit more romantic and traditional to Desigual’s pan-global aesthetic. Dramatic floor-sweeping tartan trench coats offset with embroidered miniskirts and leggings. Idyllic floral folk-art inspired embroidery was a major component of most pieces, being found on everything from leather accents to denim tops. Maxi dresses and faux-fur trimmed newsboy caps in a variety of bold colors sought to defy conventional pairings.

As the show closed, the models gathered en masse at the head of the runway sitting atop the mirrored columns before they began their final walks to thunderous applause. Subcultures, the “vehicles of culture” themselves, served as an inspiring theme to Desigual’s overall collection. The playful moods of the garments that adorned each model reflected a spirit of feminine power and rebellion, displayed to quite colorful effect.

Alex Zarlengo
Photos: Jeenah Moon