Michael Kors has always been an optimistic designer. It’s why the perpetually smiling Blake Lively is always sat front row at his shows, why vibrant shades of yellow always appear in his collections, and why his eponymous label is synonymous with the kind of easy, jet setting glamour we spent last year’s lockdown dreaming about. All of which is to say that he’s a designer uniquely qualified to craft our post-pandemic wardrobes. You want a sparkly dress for a night on the town? Talk to Michael Kors. Need a New York weather-resistant cashmere coat so fabulous it will make you grin every time you wear it? Michael Kors again. A soft cotton palazzo trouser for warm evenings in Saint Tropez? Well, you get the picture.
For Michael Kors Collection fall winter ‘22 the designer’s deft ability to read the cultural temperature was on display again. “There’s not a single full-on evening look that’s not as easy as a T-shirt,” he told Vogue. Cue: Bella and Gigi Hadid in figure-hugging sequin gowns that looked like they’d walked straight out of No Time To Die. Emily Ratajkowski in a Clueless-esque leopard print puffer skirt suit. Irina Shayk in a super-cropped metallic silver trench coat. It was glamour and luxury with a decidedly utilitarian feel—fun clothes for people who are still a little battle-weary from the last two years.
“I thought back in the early 90s, we were at the height of the AIDS pandemic. We felt that the world was ending but yet we still craved going out … And when 9/11 happened … Everyone said no one would ever live downtown in New York again. And in fact, we saw this incredible explosion of energy and glamour,” Kors told The Guardian. The idea of fashion as resilience—he called these clothes “the antithesis of sad slipper life”—is a compelling one, especially when you digest the joy-filled street style images that have flooded our screens this New York Fashion Week. “We’ve all been on this crazy rollercoaster, in every city in the world. But … people just want to go back, to gather,” Kors summised.
With his past runway presentations including a surprise performance by Barry Manilow, Kors is known to create a spectacle whenever he presents a new collection. Fall winter ‘22 was no exception. The aforementioned Kors muse Blake Lively was in attendance, as was Brooke Shields, Tik Tok sensation Addison Rae, and Oscar-nominated West Side Story star Ariana DeBose. All of whom were treated to an intimate performance by Miguel, who sang Prince covers include ‘Raspberry Beret’ and ‘I Would Die 4 U’ at Terminal 5, a music venue in Hell’s Kitchen. You couldn’t watch it all unfold without feeling hopeful that New York will soon find itself in full swing again. And when it does, the best dressed ladies in Manhattan will still be wearing Michael Kors Collection.
