New York Fashion Week has evidently become such a minor blip on many designers’ radars that West Village-based Cynthia Rowley chose to skip a three-hour nightmare on the Jitney Bus back to Penn Station in favor of extending her summer vacay out east.
While the remaining fading street style stars hustled for outfit coverage from the scaffolding and ongoing construction work taking place outside NYFW’s new digs at Skylight at Moynihan Station, Rowley instead chose to swap the runway for the shores of Montauk, with the event filmed not by 347 irritable photographers but a squad of obedient drones.
Riding high off the success of the neighborhood’s final summer hurrah bonfire soiree, the American designer selected the beaches of East Hampton as the stage of her spring/summer 2016 show, which was notably absent of any pesky iPhones or selfie sticks. Say goodbye to that Instagram money shot.
The collection had a distinct retro 70s feel, laced with a modern twist, fit for the recently-divorced tech millionaire ready to exchange the keys to her W71st St. digs for a rustic weatherboard number near Rowley’s shop at 696 Montauk Highway – a stone’s throw from the vacation home of ‘that’ hedge fund banker whose penchant for collecting old stock and bond certificates you can forgive in light of his bank balance.
Stacked heels and pointy flats didn’t quite fit the beach glam dress code but kept the vibe effortlessly modern – mind the sand between your toes – with slick ponies and barely-there makeup complementing Rowley’s trademark effortless sporty aesthetic.
A glitzy sequin jacket over a top of the same material was teamed with bubblegum pink pencil pants and a blush colored bag, perfect for cocktails come next summer Friday, while a 60s powder blue baby doll dress with a sequined collar stayed true to the designer’s focus on structured and easy-to-wear silhouettes.
For those looking to stir the sartorial pot up post-Labor Day, look no further than a series of white statement pieces, such as a strappy knee-length dress emblazoned with a colorful floral print, which was also featured on a cap-sleeve floaty frock, both which featured a sequin collar. Catering to a more formal affair was a laser print tunic over a ice blue top, paired with a pair of neoprene trousers, or a black racer back cutaway top in black with relaxed pants.
A standout look included a silk canary yellow jumpsuit with an oversized bowtie waist, another being an off-the-shoulder ruffled dress with tufts of fluttery shredded chiffon in lavender – the perfect accompaniment to your daiquiri of the same name. Ensuring your summer wardrobe also catered to the occasional chilly evenings come September was a crocheted burnt orange long-sleeve knit, the color also the focus of a statement A-line sleeveless dress with an oversized floral sequin print.
The show took a more dramatic turn via a black kimono-style shirt dress sporting a sequin floral print, the showstopper being an off-the-shoulder billowy floor-length gown, sure to turn heads as you act all nonchalant while posing in front of your admirers in the salty afternoon sea breeze.
While the masses sweltered in the heat at NYFW’s new location next its unappealing new neighbor – Penn Station – Rowley’s decision to take fashion to the beach made for a refreshing paparazzi-free way in which to digest her latest collection. The biannual event has drawn much criticism in recent years on the misguided desire to make the once insider gathering of designers, buyers and editors more accessible by removing the velvet VIP rope.
Rowley’s collection for spring/summer 2016 may have played out on public property, but in order to get there, you need to know someone with keys to a Montauk residence. Either that, or you’d have had to endure a long $64 return commute with an overstuffed bus of drunken frat kids on the Jitney Express to gain access.
