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What would hygge look like in the hands of America’s long-reigning king of luxe leisurewear? This morning in New York, “cosy glamour” was the answer for Michael Kors as cashmere cable knits and coats designed to swaddle the wearer took centre stage.
“There’s no stiletto heels, no tight dresses – it’s all about comfort and ease,” said Kors, speaking at a press preview yesterday before the show. “In today’s world we’re living in very shaky times. Every day there’s something so difficult for us to comprehend. So are the best things that you can wear things that make you feel like you’re in a chic security blanket? Yes.”
Though, as the designer hastened to add, don’t mistake this for athleisure. “I think maybe we pushed it too far,” he continued, in reference to the wealth of women he sees every day kitted out in sports bras on the streets of New York city. “We’ve got to reel it back to feeling a little more polished.”
Of course, this is familiar territory for Kors, who’s name has become a byword for the “sexy, sporty” jet-set aesthetic that has turned his brand into a multibillion dollar company.
For next season, that translated onto the catwalk into quilted cashmere sweatshirts, checked blanket skirts and cuddly shearling coats.
As the brand approaches its 40th anniversary next year, Kors was also in a reflective mood – a fact made problematic that the designer failed to maintain an archive of his early work. “I was young, I didn’t think about it,” he admits. “Now, when we travel to different cities I ask vintage stores to look for Michael Kors from the Eighties, Nineties and early Noughties – though one store said to me, we never get anything because people keep your clothes. They wear them all the time.”
As a result, Kors focused his efforts on creating timeless, investment pieces. The whole collection was shot through with a decidedly equestrian vibe – a reoccurring calling card for the brand throughout the years – from tailored jodhpurs to flat riding boots and caped coats. This theme was also complemented beautifully by a live performance from masked Canadian country musician Orville Peck.
This delve into the house’s heritage was also behind the inclusion of one particular camel, tangerine and chocolate striped poncho designed in homage to a similar style worn by Naomi Campbell in 1999 and modelled this morning on the catwalk by Kaia Gerber.
Though Kors’ nostalgic mood was also fused with a thoroughly forward-facing sensibility. “It’s teaching a new generation about the pride of owning something that lasts,” he said. “More and more younger customers who grew up with fast fashion now realise its the worst thing we could do for the world.”
One physical manifestation of Kors’ increasingly sustainable mindset to take to the catwalk came in the form of a loose cut bubble evening dress covered in sequins made from waste plastic bottles and lined in recycled viscose.
As Kors confirmed; “when we can make something this soft and chic and simple and at the same time make it fully sustainable, nothing could be better.”
