Bold maybe-non-workwear shines at the Michael Kors spring show | Fashion

Michael Kors, one of the few big names that hasn’t left New York for a European fashion week, can always be counted on for sleek, classy leisurewear straight from the pages of Condé Nast Traveler. Or as Kors says: “Clothes for women who like to stand out.”

On Wednesday morning, in a glass warehouse in midtown Manhattan filled with palm fronds, he put his money where his mouth is. His spring show opened in a Halston-style white silk suit that was a nod to the one worn by Scarface star Michelle Pfeiffer as the character Elvira Hancock – complete with plunging neckline and beautifully placed ribbon. As evidenced by the suit’s legacy in film costume recognition, it wasn’t just obvious, but impossible to ignore.

If Kors is selling an impossible (and outdated) fantasy of what women want to wear, the star-studded front row — which included Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, joined by tennis champion Serena Williams and award-winning actress Oscar Anne Hathaway. wearing Kors past and present – ​​suggests it’s a fantasy some women still pursue.

Being a spring collection, the idea was to bring “the resort to the city and the city to the resort,” explained Kors. “London is full of people wearing wheelies to work instead of the beach. What we wear on vacation is what we wear in the city.” In Kors’ world, that means women wearing floral-print kaftans to the office, pointy heels on their private jet and to school, and their phones and keys in tiny little boxy bags.

In reality, the collection was probably more suited to an idealized body shape – and the beach than a conference call. Mini sarongs were tied into miniskirts, wide-leg pants in red, black and pink, belted to the arms, and plush silk blouses unbuttoned to the navel. The sequined skirts were paired with sequined tank tops (in gold, of course) and the bras were worn, as were the tops, flashing a little ab here and collarbone there.

Still, there were nuances between peekaboo tops and skirts, with Kors relaunching its famous cashmere shmoo, which looks like a jumper but is actually a scarf or belt. Designed to be slung over the shoulder, it was used to address the issue of sexist air conditioning in offices, which Kors said “are always too cold”. This shmoo came in red.

There was an attempt to tackle the tastier topic of what to pack for your vacation. Michael Kors’ response to austerity? “Buy something that lasts for 20 years,” he said. “The best way to be sustainable is to not buy things you only wear once. I’m not trying to be mean to H&M, but that’s the problem.”

What about the thick socks and pants we’re all used to wearing at home? “Good!” he said. “America invented comfort! But do I mean a jumpsuit? No, of course not.”

New York Fashion Week has been big on high-octane glamour, and understandably so – the much-hyped return to normality isn’t where it is in the UK, and mandatory face masks were lifted on the subway just a week ago. After two years of disenchanting the pandemic, Kors thinks it’s time to move on: “People should enjoy today.”