Scene setting: the American Stock Exchange Building was transformed into a dystopian Surrealist vision of America for Calvin Klein’s runway show. Installed with an immense set featuring barnhouse doorways, with barn walls painted with artworks by Andy Warhol (a continued collaboration with The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, which saw artwork printed underwear released earlier this month), scaffolding structures and a popcorn-covered floor, which all bore the hand of artist Sterling Ruby, the concept conjured up a pastiche of American pop-cultural references from the settting of horror films to praririe romances into a dream-like landscape.
Mood board: to this, Raf Simons added a mash-up of American cultural tropes in wearable form. Working with a list of 50 words to represent each of the United States, the collection included chiffon prairie dresses in pastel picnic checks, Western yolk shirts with contrasting coloured accents, knitwear reverse stitched with familiar cartoon characters like Looney Tunes' Wile E Coyote and Road Runner, quilting motifs on puffer vests and the patchwork formations that have been a central motif since his debut show (featuring in the lining of parkas and hanging from the brand's refurbished Manhattan store) transformed into prints. There were notions of American heroism throughout the show, embodied in rescue worker jackets and overalls with reflective strips, thick protective gloves and a scalloped detail dress in spaceman like silver foil.
Sound bite: Simons stated, ‘This collection is an evolution of my idea of Calvin Klein... It’s an allegory for a meeting of old worlds and new worlds, relating to the discovery of America, the 1960s Space Race and the 21st century Information Age. Reflecting the notion of democracy, there is no cultural hierarchy... More than anything else, this collection is about freedom. A word that defines America, and Calvin Klein.’
Calvin Klein 205W39NYC A/W 2018.
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Out of office: what the Wallpaper editors have been doing this weekA week of jetsetting has seen the editors in Tokyo, Milan, Vienna, Miami, New York and drinking Guinness with Jonathan Anderson in London
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The Living Places experiment: how can architecture foster future wellbeing?Research initiative Living Places Copenhagen tests ideas around internal comfort and sustainable architecture standards to push the envelope on how contemporary homes and cities can be designed with wellness at their heart
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Turin’s Museo Egizio gets an OMA makeover for its bicentenaryThe Gallery of the Kings at Turin’s Museo Egizio has been inaugurated after being remodelled by OMA, in collaboration with Andrea Tabocchini Architecture
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Sarah Moon brings painterly fashion and dark fantasy to Fotografiska New YorkOctogenarian French photographer and filmmaker Sarah Moon shows 30 years of work at Fotografiska New York – spanning fashion and fantasy, mystery and the macabre, it’s dark, painterly and compelling
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‘In America: A Lexicon of American Fashion' is coming to The MetThe first of a two-part, year-long extravaganza, ‘In America: A Lexicon of American Fashion’ is organised into 12 sections that seek to define the emotional qualities in American style
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Saint Laurent celebrates 40 years of Memphis GroupMemphis Group's milestone birthday is celebrated with a series of colourful furniture installations across the French maison's concept boutiques
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‘A place for the eye to pause’: Ulla Johnson unveils New York HQThe Manhattan-born fashion designer opens a warmly-hued style sanctuary, created in collaboration with architect Rafael de Cárdenas
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Es Devlin-designed time-travelling exhibition opens at The Met’s Costume Institute‘Our aim is to communicate the phenomenon of time as it is expressed through the female form,’ says Devlin of the exhibition she has designed alongside curator Andrew Bolton
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Theory A/W 2020 New York Fashion Week Women’s -
Michael Kors A/W 2020 New York Fashion Week Women’s -
Gabriela Hearst A/W 2020 New York Fashion Week Women’s
