Michael Kors Inspired by Grandmother’s Wedding Gown for Fall-Winter Collection at NY Fashion Week

 A model presents a creation from the Michael Kors Fall/Winter 2024 collection during New York Fashion Week, in New York City, US, February 13, 2024. (Reuters)
A model presents a creation from the Michael Kors Fall/Winter 2024 collection during New York Fashion Week, in New York City, US, February 13, 2024. (Reuters)
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Michael Kors Inspired by Grandmother’s Wedding Gown for Fall-Winter Collection at NY Fashion Week

 A model presents a creation from the Michael Kors Fall/Winter 2024 collection during New York Fashion Week, in New York City, US, February 13, 2024. (Reuters)
A model presents a creation from the Michael Kors Fall/Winter 2024 collection during New York Fashion Week, in New York City, US, February 13, 2024. (Reuters)

The original location of the legendary Barney’s Department store in the Chelsea section of Manhattan set the stage for designer Michael Kors to present his Fall-Winter 2024 collection at New York Fashion Week.

Inside the mirrored lobby, the celebrity-rich crowd included actors Blake Lively, Katie Holmes, Rachel Zegler, Brie Larson, Gabrielle Union, and many others. Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour was also in attendance, as well as recording artist Kelsea Ballerini.

Before the show, Kors explained his mission for this collection during an interview with The Associated Press.

“When the world is upside down, I think my job is to make people feel more confident. It’s that simple,” Kors said.

His mother, Joan Kors, who died last year, had a strong influence in his life and career. And while her legacy remains with the designer, this time it was his grandmother who inspired him.

“I found my grandmother’s wedding gown and she got married in the 30s, and I started delving into the 30s because her dress looked so incredibly modern,” Kors said.

From there, he thought about old Hollywood.

“We saw the two sides of women’s personalities, we saw things that were very sensual and we saw Carole Lombard and Jean Harlow, and then we saw the great classic tomboys like (Marlene) Dietrich and Katharine Hepburn and the connective thread that all of that kept going,” Kors said.

The idea of creating the collection based on those elements and ideas impressed Rachel Brosnahan.

“I feel like any time you can inspire your art, whether it’s fashion or acting or music with any kind of emotion, it just makes that iconic and timeless and stand out. So I’m excited and I didn’t know that,” Brosnahan said.

The Emmy-winning star of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” leaves town next week to take on the role of Lois Lane in “Superman: Legacy.”

“I guess the cat’s out of the bag. We’re doing our first table read next week in Atlanta,” Brosnahan said.

Once the runway show began, the crowd was treated to an assortment of tweed jackets, double-breasted coats, slit skirts, and sequined dresses. There were cashmere turtleneck sweaters, thick eyewear, and slender bags. With a few exceptions, the majority of designs employed a neutral color palette, with some gray, and lots of black.

“Black is definitely part of the collection. But there’s also the shock of wearing head-to-toe white in the winter. But then there are some warm tones of cappuccino and chocolate, lots of metallics, gunmetal, which I love,” Kors said.

Outside of the color scheme, Kors strives to create form fitting, sensual designs with roomy comfort.

“It is never just about wearing something skintight because for me it’s comfort for everything. But it’s definitely about showing the body too. That’s why today you will see models of every age and every size, which makes it interesting for me,” Kors said.

He added: “When they get dressed, they put something on, and it makes them feel ready to greet the day and feel their best self.”



Hermes 2Q Sales Rise 13% on Continued Appetite for High-End Luxury

People stand with Hermes shopping bags as they wait at a traffic light in Tsim Sha Tsui, a bustling shopping hotspot, in Hong Kong, China December 5, 2023. (Reuters)
People stand with Hermes shopping bags as they wait at a traffic light in Tsim Sha Tsui, a bustling shopping hotspot, in Hong Kong, China December 5, 2023. (Reuters)
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Hermes 2Q Sales Rise 13% on Continued Appetite for High-End Luxury

People stand with Hermes shopping bags as they wait at a traffic light in Tsim Sha Tsui, a bustling shopping hotspot, in Hong Kong, China December 5, 2023. (Reuters)
People stand with Hermes shopping bags as they wait at a traffic light in Tsim Sha Tsui, a bustling shopping hotspot, in Hong Kong, China December 5, 2023. (Reuters)

Birkin-bag maker Hermes reported a 13% rise in second-quarter sales on Thursday, demonstrating the continued appetite from wealthy shoppers for its luxury handbags, even as less affluent consumers pull back.

Sales at the French luxury group grew to 3.7 billion euros ($4.02 billion), a 13% organic sales rise that strips out currency fluctuations. The figure was in line with analyst expectations, according to a Visible Alpha consensus.

Operating profit for the first half was 3.1 billion euros, compared to a forecast from consensus provider Visible Alpha for 3.2 billion.

One of the most steady performers in the luxury goods sector -- even as economic conditions worsen -- the French group's results stand out after a string of disappointing earnings updates from peers which have raised investor concern about uncertain prospects for the sector in the coming months.

Hermes' famously classic designs and tight management of production and stock have helped reinforce the label's aura of exclusivity, and CEO Axel Dumas told reporters the company had seen "no big interruption in trends".

However, he said Hermes was seeing slightly less traffic with aspirational clients, which was impacting higher volume products like fashion accessories.