Michael Kors Collection is celebrating its 40th Anniversary. And to honor the occasion, the American designer held an actual show in the heart of New York City’s Theater District.
Just outside two Big Apple institutions, Sardi’s and the Music Box Theater, with the Broadway signs for shows like ‘’Come From Away’’ and ‘’The Lion King’’ in the distance, a cast of supermodels past and present paraded down a stretch of 45th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenue, in festive combinations of leather, glitter, and fur.
For his latest collection, Kors began thinking about the city opening up, how women will be in a mood to turn heads walking down the aisle to their seats at the theatre or winding through a restaurant to get to their table. The collection really did make one long for the performance of dressing up for an opening night, or any night really, in a liquid look black sequined turtleneck and flannel trousers, a Swarovski crystal pin-striped tuxedo jumpsuit or a white puffball of a pet coat.
The color palette included ivory, fire engine reds, and gunmetal blacks, evocative of the high-contrast, fast-paced city. Kors also included prints that any confident woman could find in her wardrobe like pinstripes, cheetah print, and houndstooth. Monochrome looks added a graphic element that electrified the whole collection. Luxe cashmere sweaters, dramatic trench coats, and sequins studded gowns embodied the elegant yet pushy attitude that makes New York so magical.
“For my 40th anniversary collection, I was really thinking about the joy in getting dressed up and stepping out for a night on the town”, said Michael Kors. “Whether you’re going to the office, having a casual dinner in the neighborhood or are in fact ready to go to a party again, this collection is all about making every moment a special occasion and feeling confident, glamorous and upbeat. There’s a sense of timelessness and big-city optimism that has been a linchpin of Michael Kors since the very beginning-a yin-and-yang balance between opulence and simplicity, something that’s laid-back and at the same time luxurious”.
Kors also seemed to be inspired by some archival pieces of his own.
Indeed, 16 looks from the archives were remade as part of the collection, including a lipstick-red patent leather car coat originally worn by Cindy Crawford in 1991, now modeled by Bella Hadid atop a matching red turtleneck sweater dress. It all culminated in gold and silver mirrored T-shirt dresses and tank gowns; posh puffers lined in faux fur and sequins; and a gray flannel tailored jumpsuit pinstriped with Swarovski crystals. Those archival looks will come with QR codes enabling the customer to pull up the history of the garment.
A longtime supporter of the stage, Michael Kors, the company, has made a donation to The Actors Fund in support of the theater industry and its 87,000 employees who have yet to get back to work since the beginning of the pandemic. Kors also made a personal donation to The Fund.
“The theater is the heartbeat and the pulse of New York City and an endless source of inspiration for me, so to see Broadway shut down has been really heartbreaking”, said Kors. “It’s an honor and a dream come true to celebrate my 40th at Shubert Theatre and to have someone as brilliantly talented as Rufus Wainwright perform live. This show is my fantasy night out”.