New York Fashion Week — September 9, 2015

Sarah Sophie Flicker and Debbie Harry at the Rachel Comey presentation in Red Hook, Brooklyn

Most everyone has a creative side, whether they are in a creative profession or not. I consider fashion buying a creative profession to some degree, but when I was in high school I engaged in the more obviously creative activities of sketching and sewing. My former boss was an investment banker and a commercial real estate broker before becoming a clothing designer. A family friend teaches calculus and physics and has released a series of studio albums as a singer and songwriter.

A coat that I designed and sewed when I was 15

Even if we are all creative, it is not always understood where this creativity comes from. It’s tempting to say it simply “comes to you”, as if out of nowhere. Based on all of the poetry I have written while caffeinated, I think creativity is a product of an active, passionate state of mind. Yet sometimes we don’t give our environment enough credit. My final theory is that creativity comes from the convergence of an active and passionate mind and the right external stimulus, although remembering the exact source of our inspiration can be difficult considering all of the environmental stimuli we are exposed to at every minute.

The talented designers of New York Fashion Week tend to identify exactly where the inspiration for a given season’s collection came from, a degree of recollection that is an art form in itself. Below are some lines from Wednesday and their creative origins.

See by Chloé

Clare Waight Keller was inspired by Big Sur, California.

TSE

Tina Lutz was inspired by Jamaica and dancehall culture, specifically the books “Dancehall: The Story of Jamaican Dancehall Culture” by Beth Lesser and “Yes Rasta” by Patrick Cariou (pictured above). 

Tamara Mellon was inspired by the concept of a tribal, gypsy warrior woman; Peter Beard photography (his photo of Iman pictured above); African carved wood sculptures; and Maasai craftsmanship.

Angela Missoni was inspired by the circus.

Sylvie Millstein was inspired by the view of the sunset from a city rooftop.

      Lisa Perry was inspired by the Robert Irwin installation “Who’s Afraid of Red, Yellow, and Blue?”

À Moi

Alejandra Alonso Rojas was inspired by “the elevated sartorial traditions of the past” (Allende). Charles Worth haute couture gowns from the nineteenth century shown above.

O’2nd

Minsoo Chung was inspired by the colors used by Gary Hume, the cut-outs of Henri Matisse (pictured above), and the shibori prints of Korea.

Warm

Tracy Feith was inspired by his old line and Warm, the Nolita boutique for whom he designs. This meant giving beachy clothing a new sophistication.

Rachel Comey

Rachel Comey was inspired by “the degradation of fabrics” and the essay “The Circle Is Gathering” by Judith Plant, pictured above (Garced).

Happy NYFW!

Photo Credits:

(Sarah Sophie Flicker and Debbie Harry) — Steve Eichner    (Designer presentations) — WWD Courtesy Photo

(blurry lights) — allposters.com   (Big Sur) — bigsurcalifornia.com      (Yes Rasta) — betweenthebooks.com

(Peter Beard photography) — fashiontrendsdaily.com    (circus) — ian-darragh.com   (sunset) — huffingtonpost.com

(Irwin installation) — pacegallery.com    (Charles Worth gowns) — thefashionhistorian.com

(Matisse cut-outs) — interiordesign.net    (Warm boutique) — whatwelikenyc.com    (Judith Plant) — innserendipity.com