SS22: LaQuan Smith.
Sometimes as a writer, you grab the low-hanging fruit: LaQuan Smith’s show at Manhattan’s Empire State Building on Thursday night was a fashion affair to remember. And not only as a cultural marker of long overdue change in the American industry. Of course, it matters big-time that Smith is one of a number of Black designers now storming into the forefront of fashion – a space for far too long unwelcoming to creatives of color. His show was one of the most anticipated of the season.
The event proved notable, too, for its masterful execution, including the near-seamless shepherding of guests into and out of the 86th-floor Observation Deck, where Gotham wore all its sparkly nighttime glory under a clear, dry sky. As for the few grumps who claimed inconvenience – huh? Any show veteran will tell you that low-rise egress (re: Spring Studios; Milk Studios) can have issues of its own.
The aura of ease wasn’t only about logistics. The attitude behind the show was one from which many designers should take a lesson. Too often at a highly anticipated show staged by a hot designer at an exciting venue, mayhem is a tacit goal. The crazier the scene at the door, the harder it is to get in, the more anticipatory screaming, the cooler and hotter the event impression, right? Not for Smith. Yes, he enlisted a band to play outside on Fifth Avenue, and inside, his guests – industry regulars, VIPs, friends – enjoyed mini bottles of champagne. But the mayhem was nil. This show was a party wrapped around serious business, and Smith refused to allow revelry to distract from the professional stakes.
Said stakes: Smith’s is determined to build his business into a mega brand, and it starts with his audaciously sexy aesthetic. The self-aware women of his growing customer base love to work their assets. For spring, he channeled that reality into an emphasis on draping in body-con dresses, twisted and spliced for maximum exposure. He showed ample doses of glittering mesh as well as beach and boudoir-inspired looks. These included novel terrycloth pieces that tempered heat with charm and numerous variations on the bra top that’s shaping up as New York’s item of the season. And because even the most unrelenting siren goes off duty sometimes (and he has a recently inked Puma deal), he showed roomy sweatshirts and Ts – and made them plenty sexy over fishnet hose.
