New York Fashion Week was held for six days from Friday, September 8 to Wednesday, September 13, 2023. A total of 71 designers officially participated this season, presenting its Spring/Summer 2024 collection.
During the event, the weather was not favorable, with unexpected strong winds and rain in reaction to the summer heat wave, but all the shows were fully booked and filled with energy from guests.
In this article, we will introduce eight of the most prominent brands (Coach, Ralph Lauren, Kate Spade New York, Helmut Lang, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Tory Burch, and Michael Kors), along with highlights from its latest collections, during the Spring/Summer 2024 New York Fashion Week.
COACH
On September 7, Coach presented its Spring/Summer 2024 collection, a step ahead of the official New York Fashion Week schedule. The brand’s runway was held in the Celeste Bartos Forum at the New York Public Library. The runway show celebrates the 10th anniversary of Stuart Vevers’ appointment as Creative Director of Coach. The anniversary collection reflected the looks that inspired Vevers when he was a fledgling designer in New York in the 90s, as well as the inspiration he has gained through his own travels.
All of the looks on the runway were grunge styles with a more intense edge than the brand has offered in the past. Coach’s signature leather jackets appeared in abundance, reborn in a more oversized, loose-fitting silhouette. Cotton and wool suits were also new additions to the lineup. Moto boots were worn on the feet and the rock style that excited young people in the 1990s was successfully combined with a “modern” look.
At the same time, what added a novelty to the collection were the shiny slip dresses and see-through looks that showed off their underwear. In a statement, Vevers said, “I remember the girls at the Pyramid Club who were dancing in a slip dress — so this is the slip dress I remember.” The sheer dresses that actually appeared on the runway were again retro yet ” modern,” with delicate lace and asymmetrical silhouettes that Gen Z youth would love to find in the vintage stores of Williamsburg.
To showcase the new silhouettes on the runway, Vevers revealed that he “repurposed” leatherwear and denim from previous collections. For example, the shredded-looking knit dress featured in the collection is a perfect echo of Coach’s Fall 2023 collection. The slips are also made from unused lace and fabrics from Coach’s previous collections and colored with vegetable-based dyes. The brand launched “Coachtopia” this spring as a new sub-brand focused on circular crafts and collaborative creativity, and previous collections have demonstrated a practical approach to ecology and upcycling.
As for handbags, the double bag is the standard style, as it was in the previous season. Oversized tote bags, the latest version of the iconic tabby bag in pop colors, and playful duck- and dog-bone-shaped purses were also on offer. Several of the models are already available for purchase on Coach’s See-now-Buy-now.
Ralph Lauren
On September 8, Ralph Lauren held its Spring/Summer 2024 collection runway show in Brooklyn. The venue was held in a renovated warehouse at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, decorated with shining chandeliers and draped canvases.
This is the first time in four years that the brand’s fashion show will be held during New York Fashion Week. The last time Ralph Lauren held a show during New York Fashion Week was on September 7, 2019. Lauren held his show in a spectacular ballroom on Wall Street that was transformed into “Ralph’s Club.” In subsequent seasons, the brand has presented shows outside of the calendar in Los Angeles and New York.
The Spring 2024 collection was truly a gorgeous, sophisticated look that evoked the greatness of Ralph Lauren’s American legacy, as well as a renewal of American casual that evoked the designer’s return to his roots.
“My Spring 2024 women’s collection is about a new kind of romance— cool and sophisticated,” said Lauren.
The first half of the show featured denim skirts and washed-out jeans with picturesque, artistic floral prints. The beautiful floral prints were equally present on shirts, blazers, and bustiers, creating an American style that blended pastoral serenity with cool modernity.
From the middle of the show, the show transitioned from sophisticated daywear to sparkling evening wear, with a glamorous array of black and gold looks. The Perfectly tailored black blazer and the military jacket were paired with silky gold pants. Solid black and gold evening dresses also offered bold glamour in one piece.
In the latter half of the show, the mood changed and shifted to a colorful and playful hippie style. Layered necklaces of different sizes and types of stones and beads were strung together, and paisley-patterned scarves were accented around the neck. Also featured throughout the collection was a large gold hardware leather belt with the RL logo engraved on it, giving it an acoustic, bohemian look.
The finale was a gold lamé one-shoulder gown worn by Christy Turlington, who closed the show in a regal and beautifully elegant manner.
Ralph Lauren Spring/Summer 2024
Kate Spade New York
On the morning of September 8, the first day of the official New York Fashion Week calendar, Kate Spade New York presented its Spring/Summer 2024 collection.
The venue at the High Line was filled with bright pop spring colors, with a large white rose object at the entrance and tables decorated with the brand’s logo.
The Spring/Summer 2024 collection was a sporty casual take on Kate Spade New York’s iconic ladylike style. Posing on an artificial lawn, models wore shirt dresses with navy and white rugby stripes and pants with drawstring waists. The dresses were worn with varsity jackets and baseball caps, giving a tomboyish touch to the original ladylike look.
On the other hand, the brand’s lovely femininity was not forgotten. Handbags were decorated with sculptural floral handles, and white mules had beautiful white roses. Also, details on jackets and dresses were accented with pearls and sequins. The color palette included fresh shades of green, lime, white, and powder blue that evoked the arrival of spring.
Notably, the brand revived its iconic Noel Print – an archival classic launched by Kate and Andy Spade in 1999. The print was used on everything from pants to cardigans this season, making Kate Spade’s typical spring outfits even more playful.
Proenza Schouler
On September 9, Proenza Schouler presented its Spring 2024 collection at the Park Avenue headquarters of auction house Phillips.
Talented designer duo Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez unveiled a new brand code, the Proenza Scourer monogram, in this season’s collection. The new monogram is an abstraction of the PS Infinity symbol, with the two P’s arranged upside down, making the whole look like an S in the alphabet. In fact, it took McCollough and Hernandez approximately 9,000 design iterations and three years to complete the monogram. The debut of the PS monogram thus created was made all the more remarkable by a special presentation Philips made at an online auction.
Proenza Schouler has always offered a wardrobe for the subtle and sophisticated woman. In particular, last season’s Fall 2023 collection produced a more sophisticated and understated style that leaned toward the “quiet luxury” favored by women living in the city.
The Spring 2024 collection continued these concepts from last season but with a more minimalist expression of lightness appropriate for spring. The details were beautifully transparent layering, knitwear with back exposure, and intentional draping, which make our ordinary days more glamorous.
While many fashion brands sway to some novel approach with each collection, McCollough and Hernandez never break from the brand’s signature style. Rather than making major brand changes, they build on the stable, minimalist aesthetic of Proenza Schouler, refining it each season with more subtlety and sophistication. This continuity of style is the secret to the long-lasting support and love of many women.
Yet, it never ends with simplicity alone. There are always some impressive details incorporated into the clothes. For example, straight jeans with a bleached finish and a black leather coat with straps hanging down from the hem like a riding suit give a strong sense of individuality in the simplicity. Utility belts with waist pouches added practicality to these items. In addition, hand-woven mesh dresses and thin gauze separates embroidered with countless “shattered glass” pieces exuded the designer’s high craftsmanship and delicate artistry.
Proenza Schouler Spring/Summer 2024
HELMUT LANG
On September 8, Helmut Lang presented its first collection since the appointment of Peter Do as its new creative director.
Designer Do graduated from FIT in 2014 and later received the LVMH Graduate Award. He then joined Phoebe Philo’s Celine design team, where he was responsible for the creation and development of the runway collections. Since the launch of his eponymous line in 2018, the modern minimalism created by Do has been well-received by many in the fashion industry, and expectations for his new Helmut Lang have risen very high.
When the appointment was announced, Do said, “No one embodied radical thinking more definitively than Helmut Lang,” “It is my deep honor to be entrusted with ushering in the next chapter of Helmut Lang’s legacy,” he added.
Presented with such expectations, the Spring/Summer 2024 collection centered on wearable formal wear based on black, the symbol of New York style. Blazers and pants were sharply tailored and accented with fuchsia and yellow straps reminiscent of the seat belts of yellow cabs on the streets of New York. In addition, geometric color patterns, graphic T-shirts, printed denim, and a variety of leather shoes brought a new vibrant, and modern element to Helmut Lang’s collection. The main color palette was neutral, but there were some flamboyant neon colors woven into the mix.
Helmut Lang Spring/Summer 2024
3.1 Phillip Lim
On September 10, 3.1 Phillip Lim presented its Spring/Summer 2024 collection. This season, the brand returned to New York Fashion Week for the first time in four years in the form of a runway show, after recently only exhibiting its collection in stores.
The venue was at Chinatown in Manhattan. This location was chosen to reflect designer Lim’s background as a Chinese immigrant. In his show notes, Lim stated that the inspiration for the Spring/Summer 2024 collection was the ever-evolving tapestry of New York City and the brand’s love story. He also said that the story of this collection, his return to the runway, reflects the stories of countless people who have arrived here with hearts full of hope.
The first half of the show began with a soft, see-through look with a sprinkling of bijoux. Lined with white and lavender colors, they were as fresh as tulips swaying in a gentle spring breeze.
Highly functional and wearable American sportswear, the core of the brand, was also seen in the blousons and coats; paired with skirts and pants with soft movement, establishing a good sense of slouchiness. Other real clothes that were perfect for New York City included a denim jacket with an unconventional cut, a light dress with movement that looked like it was made by sewing together scarves, and a pajama set with a playful sprinkling of crystals.
There were also many full-length glamorous dresses and skirts, which had never been seen before in his collection. The simple yet beautiful silhouettes of these urban chic evening wear pieces, which can be worn without overstretching the shoulders, caught people’s attention.
The diverse styles presented to the people of New York, with its mix of different cultures and diversity from around the world, were balanced and harmonized with Phillip Lim’s worldview and expressed with the lightness of spring.
3.1 Phillip Lim Spring/Summer 2024
Tory Burch
On September 11, Tory Burch presented its Spring/Summer 2024 collection in the atrium of the new Gilder Center at the American Museum of Natural History. The collection, which was said to be inspired by the Gilder Center, built to draw inspiration from natural formations that inspire curiosity and exploration, was rich in simplicity and more sophisticated.
The formal blazers that appeared at the beginning of the show were deep navy and green with shimmering particle lamé. Next came a micro mini dress with soft, beautifully curved drapes that were undulated, giving the impression of a mysterious Greek goddess.
“This collection is designed to be lived in, to move with you, and to instill a sense of lightness and optimism,” designer Burch wrote in the show notes. “In a chaotic world, we thought about what ‘effortless’ means now. Clothing that frees up space in your mind.”
Effortless” was the keyword for the Spring/Summer 2024 collection, and the minimalist designs stood out. For example, no printed fabrics were used in any of the pieces, and a three-dimensional feel was created through tailoring, cutting, and layering that maximized the beauty of the original materials. The color palette consisted mainly of neutral colors such as white, black, beige, and silver, with silver threads, rhinestones, metallic accessories, and materials embodying a refined glamour.
A bi-colored tunic with a deep U-neck cut at the chest and a wavy pure white miniskirt peeking out from the hem of the skirt enhanced the mature and feminine look. In contrast, the sophisticated all-white pantsuit style made one imagine a handsome woman.
The finale of the show featured the look of a viscose knit dress with a wired hem and three-dimensional accents. Whenever the model walked, the hem of the dress swayed like a hula hoop loop, giving a light, optimistic, and pretty impression.
Among the jewelry that accompanied the looks were cow-shaped earrings and necklaces, which caught the eye with their odd details that seemed to fit in with the museum’s ambiance.
MICHAEL KORS
On September 11, Michael Kors presented its Spring/Summer 2024 collection at Domino Park in Brooklyn.
After several days of record-breaking heat and sudden rainstorms in New York City, the morning skies were clear and the show was held in the fresh air against the scenic backdrop of East Leaver.
The first look on the runway was a white all-lace kaftan maxi dress paired with a new Julie bag. This was followed by an all-white lace look that was shaped into shorts, a cropped top, and pants, as well as a black see-through lace midi dress.
For the Spring/Summer 2024 collection, the keyword was a light “lace and see-through” combination. Michael Kors’ signature crisp tailoring mixed well with the relaxed spirit of resort wear, creating a perfect balance. The combination of pink all-over lace shorts and nude-colored knit sweaters was one of the best in my opinion.
In addition, the proposals from the Kors are always accompanied by a sense of gorgeousness. For example, a black swimsuit-like bodysuit was worn with a sheer wrap skirt and embellished with gold embellishments. Similarly, gold strings were incorporated into the kaftan, creating an elegant atmosphere. On the other hand, the flowing silhouette of the long skirt with large fringe swings, while the mini-skirt shows off the healthy tanned legs.
In every look, I could see New Yorkers seamlessly wearing their Michael Kors wardrobes from the beach to cocktail hour as they visit summer vacation destinations.
“This season, we’re taking everyone on holiday,” Kors said about this collection. “It’s the transcendent joy of getting away, it’s the sweeping romance of a glamorous escape and it’s a jolt of sophisticated, chic optimism.”