Michael Kors’ latest offering was a showcase of his fall/winter 2021 collection and a celebration of his 40th year in fashion, but above all else, it was a love letter to New York City. More specifically, it was an ode to Broadway—to the fantasy and glamour that can be found in the theatre. The show was an uplifting celebration of the joys of dressing up, of hitting the town on a night out, of putting on a show.
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To kick things off, a prelude filmed at Sardi’s, the legendary theatre folk haunt, starring Broadway’s biggest names such as Bette Midler, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Chenoweth playfully poking fun at the Zoom fiascos that are an everyday reality of pandemic life. The clip ended on a more serious note—with a call-to-action in aid of The Actors Fund, an organisation supporting performing arts and entertainment professionals.
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The collection itself was a reiteration and celebration of everything Michael Kors does best—it was the jet-set chic of the olden days updated for a modern generation; it was American sportswear at its most sophisticated and streamlined. All throughout, there was that blend of glamour and ease that is a Kors signature—the way men’s coats were shrugged over evening dresses, the tuxedos that evoked Nan Kempner wearing nothing but a Le Smoking jacket, the slink that hinted at the Halstonettes, the shine flashing back to Studio 54.
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Reflecting on 40 years in the business, Kors was also obviously thinking about timelessness—the knits, dresses, tailoring and outerwear were all designed to be age-proof. The palette was mostly made up of restrained, refined neutrals—interspersed with the occasional va-va-voom scarlet or vampish animal print. A diverse cast of women spanning different ages and shapes—Naomi Campbell, Shalom Harlow, Helena Christensen, Alek Wek, Liya Kebede, Karen Elson, Ashley Graham and Carolyn Murphy, among them—further drove home the inclusive appeal of Kors’ message.