On Thursday morning, the first official day of New York Fashion Week, meteorologists foretold of a rainy, gloomy week ahead, perhaps as a warning to fashionistas desperate to wear those sparkly Miu Miu booties or vertiginous Balenciagas stilettos. Yet, as Richard Chai's show was about to begin, the thundering clouds broke and revealed a scorching sun and an unexpected bout of sticky humidity - a cruel twist of fate. Inside the tents (now more efficient than ever), Chai's runway was lit in an arctic blue and the model's entrance was framed with what appeared to be crinkled paper, giving off the appearance of an ominous iceberg. Designer Phillip Lim, model Erin Wasson, blogger BryanBoy and basketball star Amar'e Stoudemire sat amidst a healthy mix of men's and women's buyers and editors (Chai consolidated his gender specific shows this season).
But if Chai's chilly pre-show atmosphere left one feeling cold, it soon became clear that it was all a confident hoax. From look one, he displayed a penchant for the assured and liberal use of colors and patterns that many of his peers have also been adopting of late, all the while retaining the tougher aspects of his aesthetic producing plucky yet familiar garments shown in beachy, tropical hues. For women, this translated into graphically whimsical stripes and ikats in yellow and army green (the same pattern appeared on men's garments), or cheery pink and blue florals (also shown on men), crafted in easy-to-wear sleeveless dresses or mix-and-match sportswear pieces. The Nineties grunge princess paradigm of creased, lightweight outerwear layered over droopy blouses and biker shorts received a jolt of energy. Boys had a similar sense of effortlessness with soft, crumpled sports coats, un-tucked dress-shirts and sizable shorts shown in shades of mint green or sunflower. A waxed-cotton funnel coat in orange was shown with a leisurely gray button-down and tailored herringbone biker shorts and looked relaxed and hip. Cheery rebels...who would've thought?
Chai mindfully included utilitarian precepts rendered in familiar grays and olives for die-hards not yet ready to embrace color, and a handful of bucolic dresses were adorned with Swarovski riveting, a clever way to add some risk to otherwise standard day-dresses. A few naîfs sported cobalt blue or purple lips. Backstage, Chai admitted that he was dreaming of a vacation, which led him to this lusher, island-tinged collection. Upon leaving the Lincoln Center, the skies had cleared, perhaps as a response to the designer's convincing argument.
SEE THE RICHARD CHAI SHOW ARCHIVE