In New York, formality can cover all manner of trends. During New York Fashion Week – those boundaries stretch even further. One might expect that such an epic annual sartorial event would entail only the haute-est of haute couture to be the attendee’s dress code, and in some cases that remains true. However, at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, glamorous ball gowns are eclipsed by the mod and hip pieces from today’s contemporary designers. Ripped jeans and black ankle length dresses, red berets and Mad Men-esque pencil skirts are all highlights of this fashion week gallery. People deliberately match or clash pieces together to create a definitive look or style, rather than focusing on one single article to carry the outfit. This is fitting, seeing as the backdrop is Fashion Week – seven days deliberately reserved for cooing and worshipping the newest looks of the season. At New York Fashion week people are free to experiment with any level of dressing up or down, and as long as the experiment is executed with gusto and style, it will fit right in. Despite the diversity in Fashion Week attire, there is one sacred commonality: heels. Whether choosing casual or chic, heels automatically elevate any outfit, literally and figuratively, to a higher plane. So if you’re getting dressed to gander at the runway in New York this week, choose what you like - cotton or silk - but wear it with purpose, class and maybe a stiletto. Photos by Robert Hicks / Written by Caitlin Clarke
