Today marked the tenth anniversary of 9/11, a day no one in America will ever forget. While Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York consumes the style world right now, the aura at the shows today was different. Everyone attending remembered what this great city and country faced ten years ago today, and DKNY Spring 2012 remembered this day in a special way. The scene of the show was in a warehouse on 26th street, filled with dark floors and exposed brick walls. The seats all contained the usual press kit on the seat, but Donna Karan made sure to address the significance of the day with an important message on the front page.
When the lights went down, the models entered from the street into the space, with a NYC taxi as their backdrop. The music filled the room with songs like “American Woman”, which was so perfectly fitting not only for the symbolism of the day but also to match the collection itself. So let’s get to the show, shall we?
Prints, bright colors, and matching accessories were the major themes of the collection. From floral red and blue patterns to bright Barbie pinks, the collection suits spring ever so perfectly. The handbags not only coincided with different items but also had full on identical matching patterns and colors. While matchy-matchy does not always work, there was a fun quirk in the way DKNY pulled this off which made it young and fresh. The clothing itself was sleek and pulled-together, with many pants paired with blazers and floppy hats galore. I can’t imagine anyone leaving this show not wishing for spring to arrive while also remembering the great loss we all felt ten years ago alongside a great sense of pride and love for this city and country.
