Kell On Earth: Savage downtown fashion publicist Kelly Cutrone, who was dubbed as the “dominatrix of NYFW” by Interview, is reportedly working with a new client: Anna Delvey. According to reports, Kelly is helping to produce the convicted scam artist’s New York Fashion Week debut. That’s hot (if true).
The hallowed runways of NYFW have always been a sacred place. From the former white tents popping up in Bryant Park for a single week in September (gone but not forgotten) to the pageantry displayed by everyone from Tom Ford to Marc Jacobs, the island of Manhattan is no stranger to sartorial reverence.
But underneath this shiny veneer lies an insatiable appetite for bravado and buzz-worthy viral moments, which is what Anna and Kelly will deliver in spades. If it actually goes ahead, that is.
Let’s face it, the merit of a good show doesn’t just come down to the technicality and craftsmanship shown on the runway. New Yorkers are natural-born gossipers, they want something to talk about over their coffees in Nolita and brunches at Sarabeths!
Indeed, Peter Do’s debut for Helmut Lang won’t be the only ‘first’ taking place over the week. According to Page Six, Kelly and Anna have formed a “pop-up fashion PR agency” reportedly entitled “OutLaw Agency”.
Anna, whose real name is Anna Sorokin, is currently embroiled in a battle with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and on house arrest while she appeals her deportation and criminal convictions. We wonder how her leaning into the ‘fugitive’ persona will be perceived by the judge at her next hearing.
The publication also reports that Anna won’t be responsible for designing a collection, but rather be ‘representing’ Parsons graduate, Shao Yang, and is “fully involved in all aspects of the ambitious show.” According to the publication, Anna has completely planned the guest list, choreographed the models and is even planning on hosting select fashion editors at her apartment.
From the moment Anna stepped onto the scene as a faux German heiress, she and fashion have been inextricably linked.
While scamming New York businesses, members of the upper echelon and even her close ‘friends’ out of a collective $275,000USD, the Russian-born Grifter was dripping in Alaïa and Balenciaga—a facade that helped her maintain an air of mystique as she schemed and conned her way up the ranks.
Her court looks, which included pieces bought on an emergency spree to H&M for pieces that “didn’t scream ‘inmate’” (as the New York Post put it), spawned think pieces and even an Instagram account boasting 53,700 followers.
Her post-prison, all-black uniform has netizens in a chokehold, with Anna using her weekly visits to her parole officer (the only time she’s allowed out of the house) as an extravagant display of her designer closet.
But given her penchant for fraudulence, we do have to wonder if the entire fashion show is merely a ruse concocted for their pleasure. Speaking to Page Six, Kelly confirmed that the fashion show is legitimate: “This is fun, but it’s not a joke.”
As for what to expect? “This project is like if ‘Thelma and Louise’ and Mother Teresa had a baby.”
Between Anna’s background in PR, her court-appointed limitations on social media and Kelly’s cut-throat attitude, it’s safe to say the fashion dolls of New York will be living for the drama. The messier the show, the more we’ll be eating it up! We are, after all in need of a second season of Inventing Anna.
