CNN
—
Against the backdrop of a global pandemic and unprecedented political, social and environmental crises, culture in the United States has been swayed by extraordinary forces in recent years.
As a result, the fashion industry – one of the country’s largest creative sectors (apparel and footwear was valued at $1.9 trillion in the US in 2019) and among its most powerful mediums of expression – has been forced to take stock.
The industry has, of course, grappled with Covid-19’s impact on its ability to make, present and sell clothing. But designers and labels are also attuning themselves to less tangible complexities.
During the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, for instance, fashion faced uncomfortable questions about its lack of diversity and elitist culture. With silence on social and political issues increasingly viewed as a form of complicity, many American fashion designers have also become outspoken campaigners. Sustainability has meanwhile forced its way up the agenda at almost every fashion business.
There’s a growing sense that the industry is teetering on the verge of a brave new era. Yet, it’s one that is still very much being defined.
This all makes the new blockbuster exhibition “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York, feel especially timely. Opening on Sept. 18, and inaugurated – as is tradition – with Monday evening’s glitzy Met Gala, the show poses a crucial question at a moment of industry-wide introspection: What is American fashion today?
01:20 - Source: CNN
Watch stars model the Met Gala's most dramatic looks
According to Vogue’s editor-in-chief and one of the longest-serving arbiters of American aesthetics, Anna Wintour, it is many things simultaneously.
“American fashion is a celebration of exuberance, joy, and creativity. That hasn’t changed,” said Wintour, who has chaired the Met Gala since 1995, over email: “What it has become in 2021 is a patchwork, reflecting the world we’re all living in, as seen through many different lenses.”
This patchwork has been on full display during New York Fashion Week, which ended Sunday evening. Across six days of runway shows and presentations, dozens of designers offered their latest take on how Americans could and should dress today.
Caitlin Ochs/Reuters
Highlights from the New York Fashion Week Sping-Summer 2022 shows: Sequins, lamé and glittering gold chains dominated the Tom Ford show. Scroll through for more.
Caitlin Ochs/Reuters
It was a mesmeric fashion week finale, topping off the event with dose of disco fantasy.
Vincent Tullo/The New York Times/Redux
A bustling SoHo street served as the runway for the Tory Burch fashion show.
Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
Beauty at Thom Browne's latest show consisted of abstract fascinators and 3D floral face paint.
Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
Models at the Thom Browne runway looked like sculptures with their wet clay face paint.
Landon Nordeman/The New York Times/Redux
Less was more at Eckhaus Latta, where models donned wispy, sheer pieces made from nylon and mesh.
Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock
Gigi Hadid closed the Brandon Maxwell show wearing a white satin suit.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Christian Cowan's new collection celebrated extravagant, dialed up evening wear.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Winnie Harlow closed the Christian Cowan show in a cascading plume of angelic white feathers.
Lev Radin/Sipa USA/AP
Paris Hilton walked the runway at The Blonds show in a draped purple dress.
Dolly Faibyshev/The New York Times/Redux
Vaquera was all about larger-than-life tiered gowns in slick, vinyl-like material.
Caitlin Ochs/Reuters
Watercolors were a recurring theme at Jason Wu -- as seen with this sunset-hued ballgown.
JP Yim/Getty Images
With its ruffled neckline and dramatic puff sleeves, this dress was one of the many voluminous silhouettes in Jason Wu's new collection.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
A scene from Coach's show.
Taylor Hill/WireImage/Getty Images
Gigi Hadid made numerous appearances at New York Fashion Week, including at Michael Kors' Spring-Summer 2022 showcase where she walked in a black sequined dress.
Cindy Ord/Getty Images
Elegant, outsized hats added a sense of mystery at Markarian.
Andrew H. Walker/Shutterstock
Guests sat in a ring around the runway at Markarian's intimate showcase.
Jason Mendez/Getty Images
Pastel hues on display at Private Policy's show.
Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
Designer LaQuan Smith held his show at the Empire State Building, with Winnie Harlow among the models walking for his eponymous label.
Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
A model was accompanied by a poodle at LaQuan Smith's Empire State Building show.
Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AFP/Getty Images
Behind the scenes at LaQuan Smith, a model prepares to walk the runway.
Carolina Herrera/PIXELFOR/SIPA/Shutterstock
Oversized, flowing silhouettes brought Carolina Herrera's show to life.
Mary Altaffer/AP
Moschino's showcase was full of bright colors and cartoon motifs.
Randy Brooke/Getty Images
Model Taylor Hill walks the runway at Moschino wearing a mobile headdress and teddy bear-printed cocktail dress.
Mary Altaffer/AP
Disabled transgender model Aaron Philip featured in Moschino's show, wearing a yellow skirt suit.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Designer Sergio Hudson created a brand new red version of former First Lady Michelle Obama's inauguration outfit.
Andrew Kelly/Reuters
Fringe details are a recurring trend this season, as seen with this silver creation at Naeem Khan's showcase.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Sculptural pieces took center stage at ThreeASFOUR.
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
Barbara Palvin, Elsa Hosk, Emily Ratajkowski, Ciara and Lala Anthony pictured in the front row at Dundas' show.
Andrew H. Walker/Shutterstock
At Collina Strada, a model walked hand in hand with a young child.
Jason Mendez/Getty Images
Pharrel-esque hats made an appearance at a runway show by Harlem's Fashion Row.
Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images
At a runway show by indie label Imitation of Christ, models danced in the brand's latest collection at St Mark's Church in The Bowery.
Fernanda Calfat/Getty Images
Gigi Hadid walked the runway at Proenza Schouler's show wearing a bright yellow and blue patterned dress paired with a black vest.
Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AFP/Getty Images
Backstage at designer Prabal Gurung's showcase, make-up artists and hairstylists wore face masks as they prepared models for the runway.
Bebeto Matthews/AP
Designer Christian Siriano, who shot to fame by winning "Project Runway" back in 2007, put on a vibrant show that generated significant buzz on social media. Welsh singer and songwriter Marina performed live as models walked the runway.
Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images
Models walked in formation at Christian Siriano's show, led by plus-size model Candice Huffine. Siriano is known for his inclusive approach to model casting, with plus-size model Precious Lee also taking part.
Andrew Kelly/Reuters
Neon shades appeared throughout Christian Siriano's Spring-Summer 2022 collection, including this vibrant tulle ballgown.
John Lamparski/Getty Images
American fashion designer Teddy Vonranson presented his collection "Elusive Paradise," which featured rainbow knits and oversized floral accessories.
Dominik Bindl/Getty Images
Guests captured the moment at Ulla Johnson's runway show, which was held at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
Pregnant model Alex Jacob prepares backstage at Imitation of Christ's runway show.
At a show by indie label Imitation of Christ, staged at St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery, a cast of nearly 80 performers (many of whom had spent months out of work due to Covid-19) struck poses and danced untethered in upcycled garments. After the choreographed portion of the show ended, some of the models grabbed strings of balloons and ran out onto the streets, inviting passersby to join the impromptu parade.
At Collina Strada’s show the day before, adults and children walked hand-in-hand, drenched in bright psychedelic prints that wouldn’t look out of place being promenaded down Venice Beach in Los Angeles.
Elsewhere, Nepali American designer Prabal Gurung – who in 2019 famously put runway models in sashes reading “Who gets to be American?” – posed a different question with his latest collection, “American Girl”: Who gets to be a woman?
“America has always been a woman – but she has not always been treated beautifully,” he wrote in his show notes, “What does it mean to be the most essential person in this country? What is feminine? What is American? And who gets to be it all – or none of it?”
At Italian label Moschino, long helmed by American designer Jeremy Scott, the Black transgender and disabled model, Aaron Philip, made her fashion week runway debut. After the show, she wrote on Instagram: “I hope this is the start of more and inspires & empowers more global brands at the same level to truly work towards including and normalizing disabled presences and talents in their showcases.”
Mary Altaffer/AP
Model Aaron Philip's debut at Moschino.
For Scott, American fashion is, like the country itself, a “melting pot of style, taste and personality,” he said over email.
“Traditionally, ‘sportswear’ has been one of the main linchpins of American fashion,” he added. “I feel like over the past few decades the definition of sportswear has broadened and morphed to encompass so much more than ever before.”
Scott’s designs are among the 100 or so ensembles going on display at “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.” The work of other American heavyweights like Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren and the late Halston will also feature, but the show extends beyond established names to spotlight some of US fashion’s brightest independent talents, including Telfar Clemens, a Liberian American designer whose eponymous label has upended just about every fashion norm, from gender binaries to runway show formats. (His tote bags, nicknamed by some as “The Bushwick Birkin,” are perpetually sold out.)
Becca McCharen-Tran, who runs the Miami-based swimwear and ready-to-wear label Chromat, will also feature. She has been an advocate for inclusivity from the beginning of her career, with an everyone-deserves-this-space mentality that is now flourishing.
“Ten years ago, things were so different,” McCharen-Tran told CNN Style via email. “It took a lot of work and intention to find plus-sized models, trans models and even models of color. Now, that’s the bare minimum expected in a runway cast. As it should be!”
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Leyna Bloom walks the runway for Chromat in September 2019.
Other young designers appearing in the Met’s exhibition may be in earlier stages of their careers, but this doesn’t mean they haven’t already made history. In July, Pyer Moss founder and creative director Kerby Jean-Raymond became the first ever Black American designer to feature on Paris Haute Couture Week’s official schedule.
Hosted remotely from New York, his couture show was staged at the former home of Madam C.J. Walker, a beauty entrepreneur considered to be the first Black female self-made millionaire in the United States. Jean-Raymond’s designs were an ode to Black American inventors and entrepreneurs, celebrating their historical creations with bold silhouettes referencing everything from outsized peanut butter jars to cellphones.
“I wanted to use the stage to share with other Black Americans who inspire me – and Black people who inspired me,” he told CNN after the July show. “So, I chose to make the collection a highlight reel, in a way, of many of the things we’ve contributed to society at large.”
David X Prutting/BFA.com/Courtesy of Pyer Moss
Pyer Moss' Haute Couture collection was inspired by Black inventors and their creations. Scroll through the gallery to see a selection of looks from the show.
David X Prutting/BFA.com/Courtesy of Pyer Moss
A model sporting a bottle cap dress and hat.
David X Prutting/BFA.com/Courtesy of Pyer Moss
A green outfit featuring a real curtain rod, draped with tasseled curtains.
David X Prutting/BFA.com/Courtesy of Pyer Moss
A model dressed in an outfit inspired by a gas mask.
David X Prutting/BFA.com/Courtesy of Pyer Moss
This Pyer Moss-branded jar of peanut butter was one of the show's most eye-catching garments.
David X Prutting/BFA.com/Courtesy of Pyer Moss
A horseshoe-inspired evening gown with cut-outs.
David X Prutting/BFA.com/Courtesy of Pyer Moss
A model wears a gold shimmering dress, accessorized with a padlock-inspired headpiece.
David X Prutting/BFA.com/Courtesy of Pyer Moss
Pyer Moss reimagined an ice cream cone with dramatic cone chaps and a colorful cut-out top.
David X Prutting/BFA.com/Courtesy of Pyer Moss
Chessboards got a colorful twist at the show, with one model sporting a brown and tan checkerboard suit.
David X Prutting/BFA.com/Courtesy of Pyer Moss
A model wearing one of the most colorful looks of the collection: a Super Soaker-inspired blazer and bucket hat.
David X Prutting/BFA.com/Courtesy of Pyer Moss
A sculptural outfit resembling a hand holding a mop.
David X Prutting/BFA.com/Courtesy of Pyer Moss
A model poses in a traffic light mini dress.
David X Prutting/BFA.com/Courtesy of Pyer Moss
A typewriter-inspired white suit, featuring fabric sheaves of "paper."
David X Prutting/BFA.com/Courtesy of Pyer Moss
A tent outfit featuring artist David Hammons' African-American flag design.
David X Prutting/BFA.com/Courtesy of Pyer Moss
A model dressed as a bristled wave brush.
David X Prutting/BFA.com/Courtesy of Pyer Moss
A strappy outfit inspired by the sandal.
David X Prutting/BFA.com/Courtesy of Pyer Moss
Bicycle handles became an unexpected waist belt for this white long-sleeved leotard look, which was completed with a striped helmet.
David X Prutting/BFA.com/Courtesy of Pyer Moss
A model wears a black, red and white sculptural Pyer Moss Haute Couture gown.
David X Prutting/BFA.com/Courtesy of Pyer Moss
Fire escapes get the Haute Couture treatment with this sculptural look.
David X Prutting/BFA.com/Courtesy of Pyer Moss
A gown paying homage to the hot comb.
David X Prutting/BFA.com/Courtesy of Pyer Moss
A white suit paying tribute to folding chairs, with one strategically placed across the model's shoulders.
David X Prutting/BFA.com/Courtesy of Pyer Moss
A gigantic cellphone slung cross-body over a model.
David X Prutting/BFA.com/Courtesy of Pyer Moss
A model holds up a faux air-conditioning unit.
David X Prutting/BFA.com/Courtesy of Pyer Moss
Pyer Moss paid homage to the electric lamp, designing an elaborate lampshade headdress fringed with crystals.
David X Prutting/BFA.com/Courtesy of Pyer Moss
A fridge dress featuring letter magnets arranged to read, "But who invented Black trauma?"
Part of the Costume Institute’s mission is to “establish a modern vocabulary of fashion,” according to the exhibition’s press release. It is a mission echoed by American icon Tommy Hilfiger, who said over email: “I believe the new vocabulary will represent fashion that truly connects with you on a personal level. I see it as consumers, brands and culture coming together in a more thoughtful and intentional way.”
The Met Gala’s red carpet may prove to be the place to witness fresh additions to America’s new fashion work stock. As celebrity guests prepare to ascend the Met’s famous staircase on Monday evening, there’s an expectation that their sartorial choices will reflect fashion’s need for deeper values and explore the rich and complex identity of today’s Americans. Young, diverse, eco-conscious designers and brands will, most likely, take center stage.
“Designers are independent as never before and they have their own perspectives, sensibilities and experiences,” Wintour said. “Taken together, the community is an incredibly exciting one. It’s inclusive, sustainability-minded, intent on mentorship and connection, and determined to push important conversations forward.”