Another day, another dollar, another New York Fashion Week has come and gone. Once an exclusive event populated by only the most privileged members of the press and industry, New York Fashion Week now provides the opportunity for bright young things to descend upon the bright lights, big city for a chance to attend fashion shows, make connections and, yes, get photographed.
In the recent years that more people have been allowed to enter the dragon’s lair of the elusive fashion industry, and broadcast it for us to see on blogs, Twitter and Instagram, street style has gained almost as much popularity as the designer collections themselves. Yet, Business Insider suggested that much of what passes for street style is “totally staged”, referencing a New York Times article that outs much of what we perceive as street style to be just another form of advertising. Brands lend out their clothing for bloggers to wear during fashion week, where they are guaranteed to have their photo taken and shared online by popular style websites. Despite this shadiness, I have picked out some of my favourite street style looks of New York Fashion Week — ladies whom I am fairly confident are not getting paid to shill.
Susie Bubble is the reason why street style exists, right? It seems as if nobody was interested is what people wore to fashion shows until quirky bloggers began to populate the front row seats. Susie’s madcap style and ability to pair unexpected pieces together is pioneering. Her outfits are held together by her sheer passion for clothing, and she always looks unabashedly, fantastically herself. Picture courtesy of Fashionologie.
An important aspect of having great street style is the ability to style recognizable pieces off the designer runway in a manner where your true style shines through. Meagan of LATTERSTYLE (http://www.latterstyle.com/) has done just that, pairing legendary sequin Meadham Kirchhoff shoes from their S/S 2011 Courtney Love-inspired collection with a well-worn band t-shirt and a freaking amazing sparkly mermaid scale pencil skirt from H&M.
Mattie Barringer (left) and Amanda McGowan (right) of Goo have forgone all trends in favour of putting together looks that highlight their own unique style. No peplum here, folks! Mattie (left) pairs a fuzzy cutout crop top by Eckhaus Latta with a longer undershirt with an ombre patterned maxi skirt and clear plastic booties by Maison Martin Margiela. Her compadre Amanda (right) wears an ethereal silver sequin-and-tulle dress with hardcore S&M granny boots. The results are astounding.
Elena Perminova looks like a modern day Pebbles Flinstone in her leopard print sunglasses and necklace that appears to be made of the fangs of a Saber-toothed tiger. But upon closer inspection, the necklace is actually dismembered Barbie legs. She is also wearing a Kenzo tiger sweater, acid wash jorts and flat sandals, and miraculously appears to be having a genuinely good time at fashion week. Picture courtesy of Fashionologie.
This girl has singlehandedly proven her utter lack of pretension by wearing overalls to a fashion show. The combination of the gingham shirt and overalls is so Farmer Joe that the only thing needed to complete the look is a piece of straw for her to chew on. Picture courtesy of Fashionologie.
Two-piece suits used to be stuffy, but if the shoulder pads are removed and the look is updated to a modern silhouette, they become a breath of fresh air. Kady Taylor is stunning in this atypical blush pink suit, and the look is made even better by her voluminous natural hair. Picture courtesy of ELLE.
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Isabel Slone is a Toronto-based fashion blogger and writer. Follow her on Twitter at @isabelslone.
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