Eugenia Kim autumn/winter 2018 collection presentation for NYFW

For fall 2018 Eugenia Kim put on a playful presentation befitting her beautiful hats and accessories. To celebrate twenty years in business, Kim looked back on the start of her brand while also continuing to push boundaries in new designs.

As guests walked into the studio space at Pier 59 they were greeted by a display that had some of Kim’s most eye-catching hats from previous collections set up like works of art on stark white heads. The bold shapes and colours immediately drew attendees in while Kim, wearing a fascinator shaped like an ashtray full of cigarettes, enthusiastically described her pieces.

The new 12 look collection was shown on live models and unlike in most presentations, the viewers were encouraged to go onto the presentation stage and look closely at the accessories and interact with the models.  

Riffing on the idea of looking to the past this season the designer played with the idea of what makes something iconic. While several of the accessories had the word “icon” on them in various embellishments, there were other more subtle nods to the idea. Many of the hats were in classic shapes like fedoras with a twist on the design: in one case a bold Schiaparelli-inspired a pair of fuschia hands.  

These larger than life type designs might not be for the faint of heart or serve any practical purpose, but they are what makes Eugenia Kim an icon in the fashion industry.  After 20 years in the business, the designer is still clearly enamoured with her craft and continues to push the envelope on her creativity. Here’s to twenty more years of whimsical design!

Maggie Gillette
Photos: Dominique Pettway