Debriefing NYFW and the Trends We Spotted with Haute Le Mode's Luke Meagher

0:01Hi, guys. Welcome back to another episode of Let's Get Dressed. It's your host Liv. I am back in LA after six days in New York for New York Fashion Week. And for today's episode, I sat down with my favorite fashion critic and host, Luke Maher of Hot La Mode. If you don't already follow him, you must go follow him on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. It's all linked in the description of this episode. Not only does he have an incredible, extensive background of fashion history, but I love his perspectives and always learn something new from his page. We chatted our favorite shows from the week, from Marc Jacobs to Altazara and Calvin Klein, what we thought worked and what didn't, some trends that we spotted on the runway that we're excited to see, our underdog of the week, and so much more.

0:42We recorded this episode on Sunday of New York Fashion Week, so there were still two more days of shows left. So if you're looking for more, if you want more after this episode, go to my sub stack, Liv Perez with two Vs, and I have a very expansive overview of trends that I loved from the full week and where to buy them for your closet now. I hope you guys love this episode. Let's go get dressed and debrief New York Fashion Week. Happy Fashion Week. Happy Fashion Week. I'm always excited to see you. I'm always excited to see you. I remember the first time we met at the Michael Kors show IRL. Oh, yes.

1:16I saw you in the corner and I was like, I have to say hi. Like we're internet friends, but I was like, this is you in the flesh. I feel very blessed because like, I don't know if you know, but I remember when you did a closet tour with Brian Boy for Teen Vogue. And like that was my first like live introduction. And I was like, wait, who is this iconic woman? I need to know. No one knows about that. Oh, I'm sorry. I exposed you via the pod. Sorry. No, but like I have not heard someone the way you're looking at me. You're like, excuse me. Me. This is my territory now. Yeah, 100%. Oh my God. For listeners who have not seen this and I hope you have not, there's literally like a teen Vogue goes to college tour.

1:53Yes. And he's talking about where Brian Boy came to my apartment when I was like a sophomore at NYU. I was honestly fantastic. And I feel like Brian was living and then vicariously I was living parasocially. So everybody won. Brian was my first like internship, not internship. Like I was taking his photos when I was like 16, 17 in high school. What? Yeah, that was my like first. Somebody was just talking to me about like out of fashion. They were like, who did you work for? And I was like, I don't know. And then I'm thinking about it. It's like Brian was my like introduction. The Brian boy Rumi Neely era was my introduction into fashion.

2:33That was my introduction into the like influencer Instagram cool people which I feel like that was the first era of like the internet via fashion yes like yes mothers fathers grandparents yes literally they're originals our ancestors no it's literally true it's literally true that's so wild oh my god I can't believe you just brought that to the table I'm curious how did you start doing what you're doing because I really feel that there is a white space in good fashion commentary right now that can be critical and can be nice, but isn't Joan Rivers-esque, which I feel like as an era we've tried to kind of walk away from a little bit.

3:12Yeah, I think that it's actually like 10 years. January 1st was 10 years of doing Hot La Mode. It started off as like a - Wow, congratulations. Yeah, thank you. It started off originally as like a street style blog. And then that's how I got in with Brian. I took his picture at Fashion Week. And then he was like, do you want to take my pictures? And I was like, OK. And then it kept going and kept going. And I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with it. And then I started the YouTube channel. And that was like the first big me talking to the camera. And I think I was talking about like, oh, designers, I'm excited to see it in New York Fashion Week.

3:45And so slowly but surely, it kind of progressed over like a year or two, me figuring out maybe me doing a lookbook is like not what's going to work here. But me talking about like Alexander Wang taking models to three different locations on a bus throughout New York to show his collection. Yeah, that seems like maybe more so what the genre could be. And there was nothing really like that happening. So I just kind of wanted to create the content I wanted to see in the world. It's amazing to hear you say that it's been 10 years because I think I'm I think I'm at year 10, two, maybe year 11. And I only feel for the first time that I'm in my groove.

4:24It's it takes a long time, especially in content to like catch your rhythm. Somebody was just I was a TikTok and they were talking about like Sabrina Carpenter and her Grammys performance. And they were saying like, oh, she's an overnight success. But it's like, oh, my God, she was doing all the work for 10 years before she was this like overnight success. And it's you do kind of need the time to develop and figure out what works. And I'm very grateful that it feels I caught the mode has been a slow, casual growth, which at times I was like, oh, I want to be like super famous and, you know, sit front row at every fashion show.

4:58But I'm very grateful now that I've been given the time to sort of percolate because I think it's made me almost a little bit more intriguing or well-rounded. I think what's most interesting to me about having a job on social media is truly the kind of the patience and grace that your community needs to have to let you throw pasta at the wall and see what sticks. It's true. It's true. It's like the people that have stuck around since the Ryan Boy days. Yeah. Like I think it's an incredible opportunity to reach people if they're willing to grow up with you. Yeah. And I feel like slowly but surely people are like, this isn't where I want to be with you or, you know, it fades out.

5:36But then also sometimes people come back and they're like, oh, I haven't like seen a video in so long. And like, I'm so happy. And people are happy this popped up on my feet. Yeah. And People are always kind of like, well, not always, I guess, but sometimes people say like, oh, I used to watch you four years ago. And it's like, I can see the growth and I'm so much happier now watching than I was then. And I feel like that always feels very reassuring that there is that growth and it's visible sometimes to some people. I feel like the fashion commentary world needs a lot of love right now. Like even when I watch E!

6:09News and I see, you know, commentary there, I feel like it's not as big as it used to be. Like I miss fashion TV. Yeah, it's such an interesting thing because I didn't really grow up watching fashion TV. Like I've watched Fashion Police here and there and like I love Joan Rivers. I think Joan Rivers was an icon and I don't think that we will ever get back to that place. And I also think just because Joan was like a comedian first and foremost And so as much as it was like about the clothes, it was also about like the comedy element of her. But I feel like we are kind of in this like new golden age of fashion commentary, criticism, fashion TV.

6:55It's just not on TV, if that makes sense. Yes, it's on TikTok. Yeah, it's on YouTube. And like that's the thing I think that more and more we're sort of seeing. and instead of it being like E that produces it, it's, I don't know, like some haute couture client that's like, do you want to see my process of, you know, my Chanel dress being made? And I'm like, yeah, yeah, I do. Which might be, in my mind, the most appropriate avenue for it. Like, we don't need a fashion network that's investing a ton of money and making every show about how much money can I make versus I can just be a fan of fashion and know who you are and just follow your channel.

7:30Like, it doesn't, maybe that's just what it should be. I think, yeah, in a weird way, I think that's kind of just what it's become. Right. And I feel like for, I don't know, like the Project Runways and the, I don't know if you remember like the Diane von Furstenberg TV show. I auditioned for that show. It didn't take me. You would have been so good on that. It didn't take me. But also I feel like you're very poised and you wouldn't have, I don't know. I don't think reality TV is for me. No, that's fair. I'm too nice. You know what it is. You have to be willing to like, it's hard to be messy in like that context.

8:01I can be messy. I think I am very messy. But I think you're appropriately messy. Also, I think you having the fashion history and knowledge that you do is what, in my mind, watching you be messy, I'm like, he's got a point. I appreciate that. I think you always know what you're talking about. I appreciate you saying that, Liv. Speaking of which, let's dive in to the week. Where should we start? Where should we begin? Okay, let's start at the beginning. Yes. Mark Jacobs. Love. I really liked the thing is it definitely felt dour than it has the past like two seasons, but it was still the really inflated shapes.

8:40Right. And so I kind of loved the other thing that's really great about it is with Fashion Week. As you know, you go to a fashion show and you sit for 45 minutes and then the show is maybe 15 minutes and then you get up. And that was gracious. Yeah. And so. Oh, yes. Yeah. 15. Yeah, I guess it is. But like Mark, it starts on time, which there is no fashion show except Mark that starts on time. And it was six minutes long. So normally you're in a bad mood because you've just sat and waited. You're tired. You're hungry. You're like social batteries. Yeah. Negative. And so like then also sometimes that goes into the review.

9:21It is. And with Mark, it's like you're in and you're out and you're done. And so people are like, what do you think? And I'm like, I just got out of a fashion show on time in a very quick manner. And I'm going to dinner now. It was amazing. It was wonderful because I'm left in a good mood. Yeah. Do you know, I don't know his name, but the guy who does the subway takes? Yes, yes, yes. Did you see Emily DiDonato's from this week? No. So Emily DiDonato, former model, still a model, ton of Vogue covers. She's gorgeous. She was like the model I remember when I was growing up. I was like, oh my God, she's amazing.

9:52But she got on there and was like, and he was like, what's your take? and she was like, fashion shows need to be longer. That's an interesting take. And he was like, totally disagree. And I like when he disagrees because the banter obviously happens. But he was like, I don't understand like, like why? And she was like, look, you spend hours getting ready for the thing. If you're a model, there's hours of prep. If you're attending, there's hours of prep just for them to walk around twice. And he was like, well, what do you want them to do? And she was like, I don't know, take another lap, maybe like engage with the audience.

10:20And he was like, this is theater. Yeah. You know what it is? I do obviously love the theatrics of like a Chanel by Carl show, like the set, all of that. Like a Tom Brown cute. Yeah. And like a Tom, I think is a great example. But sometimes you go to shows and there's like theatrics. And it's not great. And it's not great. Yeah. And I don't want it to be longer. Right. Because the other thing is you sit and you wait for so long and then it's long. Sometimes it's boring. Yeah. Like sometimes it's really just a risky risky thing it's just close and there's like 10 shows a day and also like you're gonna piss off the editors and the critics and the buyers i sit on vogue runway the whole time yeah and i'm like how are they going to these shows formulating the thoughts that fast writing the review it's wild to me no it's true so yeah i would say if you were really great yeah longer show wonderful sounds amazing but if you're not sure of your capabilities to make it that great, I'd hold off.

11:18I'd make it quick. I'd make it snappy. Okay. American brands are so different now. I feel anything. We can talk about Calvin. We can talk about like coach. There's something about there's just such a commerciality to American brands. So like with Mark, it's like the bags. The bags are like so important to that. And like and the fragrance. It's so important to that business. I will say a lot of the bags that I saw on the actual attendees looked amazing. They were so beautiful. But it's like, yeah, I'd rather almost in a weird way not see Mark try to do like super commercial ready to wear for like the fact that we're going to sell a million of the tote bag.

11:54Why is he not showing on the calendar? That I don't know. That's been like a really interesting factoid of like we're showing, we're not showing. I also just think I was talking to a designer, a young designer, and I was like, oh, it's like what? 100K to like put on a show. And she was like, minimum. Yeah. Minimum. There was a review. Someone did a TikTok like two seasons ago that broke down and it ended up being like$2.50 for them to show. Between models, between from start to finish, like getting a pattern done and then getting it done for a runway, models, hair, makeup, transportation, everything.

12:24It's so much money to show. It is. And so it's like if you can cut. And also it's like when you book a hotel or you book a flight, if they know it's fashion week, the hotel prices skyrocket, the flight prices skyrocket. Insane. So they know that, oh, it's going to be fashion week. You want to put it on a fashion show. will upcharge. So I wonder if that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I wonder if that's maybe why, like, I know Christopher John Rogers was showing off schedule for a while. Mark, Oscar Loretta, like they all were kind of showing off. And in reality, it's like, those are all. Wow. Do you really think that's why?

12:56I think part of it. And I also will say, I find that with my content during Fashion Week, it's usually the hard, it's the hardest time to actually get engagement. And I'm like, oh, I suck. And I'm like, it's just, It's an overload. Everything's happening at once. And you don't have time to really soak it in. But what I'll say is like we put out an Oscar Loretta show review because they showed last April. There was time to actually like enjoy it because nothing was really happening in April. The videos popped. Like it was also the product was beautiful. But the video was really, really popped because in reality, nothing else is happening.

13:30So you can focus on beautiful dresses. That's just kind of hard about Fashion Week now. It's so condensed. It's so. So and I think there's a lot of commentary of like, oh, Fashion Week sucks now because of the people that go and it's for everybody and it's not as exclusive and it's not cool. And I almost just think that the real difference for me is that pre-social media, you didn't need to consume it all that fast. Now it's just a constant overflow of content that makes it almost feel all irrelevant. It's true. Like if you're seeing something all at once, it doesn't feel special. No. And it's also you don't have time to really like take in what you're seeing.

14:06And be like, wow, how beautiful that was. Yeah. And that's the thing. And it's hard to because it's like some brands, especially American brands, are very sort of commercial heavy. They make product for a customer that just wants a nice jacket or a dress. And so it's like it's hard to make that feel exciting to people. And so then you see like, you know, we also have Haute Couture, what, a week and a half Fogo which big and bold and beautiful and brash and like the top of the top into them like commercial New York is such a whiplash. I think it's a real hard juxtaposition that I you know I feel bad for them because it's like you're never gonna top that and then people are like oh let's just get to like Milan and Paris so we can skip through so yeah.

14:49We're the underdogs bring us back. I know I know it sucks. We'll have a renaissance soon. Yeah yeah yeah. I think we're on our way. Yeah yeah. Listen, I feel like we're getting there. Okay, you brought up CJR, Christopher John Rogers, who's our mutual love, beloved. Yes. Yes, beautiful. Thought it was beautiful. And this felt like a whole new focus while still using so many of his codes. Like, I was thrilled to see just a very disciplined collection go down that runway. that he was like, there are commercial pieces here, but there are still the CGR stripe and the CGR like waistline. I was living for it.

15:29No, it's true. I think this I think discipline is like the perfect word to have used because I've been trying to figure out what it is that I felt because it's still so colorful and the silhouettes are big and it's crazy. Yet it didn't have that like over the top feel to it either, which I think when you're looking at like those colors and stripes and you know silhouettes you're like how is this not over the top but it didn't feel over the top so I thought he did a great job honestly and I was really intrigued by the artist references that he used I don't know the name of the other one but I know one of them was Angela de la Cruz who like all of her work is very sort of angular but it's all falling off of the canvas and I was trying to figure out like why a lot of the dresses almost like the models were picking them up on the sides.

16:19It felt almost a little bit like that Galliano princess there was like a princess who's running away from like Bolshevik Russia and where the models came off and running away which also feels like something Chris would you know pay homage to but there was just this interesting way of like bringing about artist references that maybe we don't all know necessarily but now I'm very intrigued in Angela de la Cruz because of Chris's referencing of it. Yeah. Two for one special. I also thought the color choices were equally as disciplined. Yeah. And they like scare me because I'm not a color girl. Like it's very, I'm very navy blue.

17:01And like that's comfortable. I can see that. But there was like beautiful striped sweaters that for the first time ever, I was like, oh, that is a striped CGR sweater that I need and could actually wear in my closet. Not the last show, but the prior show, The first runway show I think he ever did in Spring Place with the chandeliers. And I think about how extravagant that show was. And the ethos of that show was still very present in this show. I agree. And that's the thing is it feels like it's taken almost more of like a madame sort of element to it. And I'm kind of like, as it should be, because I think that Chris is kind of a designer where it's like it's not young hot sexy girl going out to the club kind of thing chris is more of like complex art gallery owner but also sort of like beautiful british tailoring like references and sort of like deep silhouette like he he is kind of a fascinating person and i think in a weird way he's almost hard to figure out what he is, which I think is a mark of a great designer because it feels like something that you haven't really seen before.

18:18Agree. And that I think, you know, a lot of people I can name, you can name every reference that they've done. Chris is not really somebody that you can get there with. Which I think is exciting. It's kind of like what we were talking about earlier with like the 10 years thing. Like I'm excited. I'm willing. I love Christopher so much. I'm willing to grow up with him. Yeah. I'm willing to watch him off the calendar, on the calendar. Like, I'm here for the ride. He's a star. A star. And a lovely human being, too. Equally as lovely. Yeah. Yeah. I'm excited he was back on the calendar. I hope it continues because it felt like a great kickoff to New York Fashion Week.

18:53I agree. I really agree. Like, people were excited. Like, people were juiced. I was ready to go. No, it's true. And to get everybody to go to Brooklyn, Anna was in Brooklyn. I didn't see Anna, but Anna was there. Of course she was there. That's the mark, I think, of a true star. It's the one week of the year where we're all breathing the same air. It's pretty epic. I've been distilling it. Keeping it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, I was in the same room as Chrissy Turlington and Calvin Klein. And that was like, I don't know if you know Lucien Paj, but he was like, oh, we're in the face of beauty. And I was like...

19:26For those of you really quickly who don't know, the probably biggest fashion PR firm. Yeah. I was like, Lucien, I have a jar in my back pocket that I am just like slowly... Her hair just in case. Literally, I'm just like collecting... Compressing the air of Anna Wintour. Chrissy, if you could just breathe right here. Right here? Yeah, in this jar. Thank you. So I can take it home for scientific analysis? Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. So that was like, yeah, you're always in like the craziest rooms full of the craziest people I find. What did you think of Calvin? I actually liked Calvin, which seems like a weird opinion from almost everybody that I've spoken to about it that was at the show.

20:01What I'll say is I don't think that it photographed very well. Brenda, our Brenda hashtag had the same commentary. Yes, me and Brenda, we were chittering and chattering after the show. No one I'd rather chitter chatter with. No, no, no, no, no. And she was also saying something about like price point. And I was like, no, no, no, I agree. What I thought about it was the thing about Calvin is you have to make clothes that people are going to buy now that they can't just go to the RealReal and buy for$50,$60. Because that's how much you can buy a skirt suit or a jacket. Calvin Klein collection on the RealReal for.

20:34so I think it's a it's a really tough job I think Calvin is probably like one of the hardest brands to actually do especially for our generation because there's not really like a super potent image of Calvin except underwear everybody that I've spoken to about the show a lot of the buyers a lot of the older editors were like yeah it's kind of underwhelming and what I'll say is I think because they have the imagery of like sexy Kate Moss, sheer slip dress Calvin or 80s high glam, like beautiful separates Calvin. Whereas I feel like for us, it's not that imagery isn't like first and foremost. My imagery is like Justin Bieber in underwear.

21:17Yeah, my imagery is like denim and the sponsor of Coachella. And so it's kind of like somebody has to make that pop to us in a weird way. To me, that entire show was a reintroduction. It was, hey, this brand, we're reintroducing ourselves. We are 90s Calvin Klein. We are back to the basics. We are back to beautiful, elegant, effortless minimalism. And we are not like the denim kind of influencer-y, celebrity-focused brand that we were. Yeah. And even like that, there was like maybe, I don't know, four or five pairs of denim total that I could see. So it wasn't even a rejection of such an important element of that brand.

22:00It was just kind of like... No, it's like a redirection. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like we still make beautiful denim. It's just that... But we also now make beautiful clothes. Exactly. So I liked it. I think that Veronica Leone is very interesting. I remember going to like see her Kira collections in Paris. It's kind of like dark gothic minimalism in an interesting, almost not like Kate, but in that sort of world, I would say. For someone in their early 40s to come in and do that collection for the first time was, there's a lot of confidence there. Yeah. A lot. Like there was a strong, I think the biggest criticism, not criticism, but like I think the biggest commentary that I've heard all week is like, okay, yes, one, the redirection.

22:44But two, I wish this came out like three years ago when Quiet Luxury was like at its, I hate that term. Oh my God, I'm so tired. It's true. If there's anything from this week that I feel like I've taken away, it's that we're like swinging a little bit more towards the other side of the pendulum of like we're not just focusing on these like great wardrobe essentials like I've loved the big prints and I've loved the big cape style like I've loved the big silhouettes like it feels more exciting to me whereas the three years past have felt a little bit more like tamed and what I'm going to say is there was like this leather loop coat it was like a coat cloak thing that to me felt like showpiece, which showpiece for everybody that's not a fashion girly is like you kind of just make a few pieces in the collection that are like the wow pieces that people can latch onto and talk about.

23:32They might not be produced by the brands and sold, but it's a marketing moment. It makes things exciting so we can talk about it. But there felt like there were a few showpieces in a Calvin Klein collection, which before Raf Simons, I don't think there was like showpieces at a Calvin Klein collection. So I actually think in a weird way, yes, there was a lot of just trenches and skirt suits and, you know, nice shirting. But there was this like light blue silk top that was sort of backless and Greta Lee wore a version that was like similar to it. There was Lexi Bowling, which like also the casting.

24:07Yeah. Crazy to me. Great casting. Like Lexi Bowling and Binks Walton being back 2013, 2014, 2015. Was doing something for me. Luke is gagged. Literally, I screamed out when I saw Banks. I was like, ugh. I really thought that there was a lot of pop of color. There was like little bits of difference that just didn't make it feel like the usual quiet, luxury, grayish, beige, black, white. Valid. Yeah. Valid. It was an in-between. I thought actually like it was a solid start, but. You changed my mind. She really is like. You changed my mind on the pod. I was shocked. She's gotten ripped. Who? Veronica Leone for that collection.

24:45and I was like, you might not feel the same. You just said that and I thought you meant she got like worked out, ripped. I was like, what? She probably is though. Who knows? She probably is. Yeah. Yeah, I don't think it deserves like that harsh criticism. I thought it was a gorgeous, gorgeous collection. I really liked it, like I have to say. So I'm into the Calvin thing and if that makes me, I don't know, a Calvin martyr, so be it. Whatever, so be it. I'm fine. Ride for the murder. I've been a martyr for worse. Yeah, that's true. And then I usually end up right after four or five years when people leave.

25:17I think it's exciting. Look, for me at this point, any of the big designers that are coming in and showing during New York Fashion Week have my love. I agree. Like it could be a whatever collection and I'd be like, well, thank you. Just thank you for being here. Yeah. Because in reality, you need the tentpole brands like a Tom, a Mark, a CJR, a Calvin. And like Chris is different than those because they all have sort of big conglomerates behind them. But all of those brands, like Tom doesn't have to show in New York. He could go back to showing in Paris where he put on a show. But back in the day when I was growing up, we were booked and busy during the week going to Tommy, going to Ralph, going to Coach.

25:53Like, I mean, Coach still shows. Yes. You know what I mean? And we had a little bit more weight than we do now. No, it's true. Yeah. So yeah, I'll give it to Calvin. I will. I'm still here for it. You know. That's fair. Yeah, that's fair. I'm trying to think of who else. What was your favorite show of the week? because we haven't talked about mine yet.

26:12Keep in mind, guys listening, we are Sunday right now. There are still two days of shows. Luke is booked and busy and I'm going home early. But we're leaving out of this conversation Tory Burch and Michael Kors, which you guys will have seen by the time this episode airs. Maybe I'll do a little quick thing sometime this week. But we're leaving those out. So we're just stopping at Sunday shows. I'm going to say... And Tom Brown will be out too. Oh, yeah, yeah. I think I'm going to have to say CJR has been like my favorite thus far just because it felt like such a strong push. And in reality, you could finally kind of put Chris in a league with a Tommy and a Mark and a Tom and a Tori and like all of those brands.

26:54But he doesn't have the backing that all of those brands do. Agree. And so I'm kind of like, yeah. My favorite show is Brandon Maxwell. Oh, I loved. I really, really loved Brandon. I thought it was. I haven't stopped thinking about it. taking up permanent residency in my brain. Maybe because like, you know what it's like when you see a show that feels so you and you're like, I will wear that entire thing. I saw the show and was just like, oh my God, that is me to a T. It's, I mean, literally the layering of this kind of woolly knits. Like he really has evolved as a designer. He really, really has evolved as a designer.

27:30I remember forever ago, it was like pre-pandemic reviewing a collection and I was like, no, I hate this. This is awful. But something about it. A, he's also, again, another lovely person because I met him and he was like, hi, nice to meet you. And I was like, oh, you could hit me in the mouth and I'd be like, deserve because I was cruel. And he was like, it's just clothes. Like, no offense. Like, I care, but like, I don't really care that much. And so he's really, I think, also evolved in this way of like creating just beautiful wardrobe staples that also have little interest and little intrigue along the way.

28:03in the Vogue interview he said when I first started I wanted to be the dress that every woman picked up to go wear out and now I just want to be like the great pant and the great sweater that you pick up every day and love and oh my god that is like that just was like to me the entire collection and then on top of it he's doing one more so it's like you're not only just like like Christopher doing J.Crew it's true you gotta make both things work it's true like I don't know something about that is I think like even Zach Posen and like yeah like there's something about the American designers. I'm feeling excited about that.

28:35Oh, I'm very, I think this is Gap. I've been getting a lot of DMs from people being like, you need to go into Gap and like see what's going on because the basics are hitting right now. Oh, they are. I was going to also possibly wear a linen Gap shirt that I bought the other day. Like it's beautiful. Zach is also like such a character to me. So I am obsessed with him at all times and I was talking to him and there seems to be really exciting things coming from Gap and Old Navy in the future. So I'm pumped to see how that all works out. Very ready. But it seems like a lot of the American designers, you have to be able to like put on runway.

29:12That's great. And then also be able to make commercial product that isn't just going to sell to like a luxury client, but to, you know, the everyday person. I mean, look at Jenna Lyons. It's true. An icon. It's true. Just America. Jenna F. and Lyons, baby. Icon. Yeah. But yeah, there's a coat from Brennan Maxwell that I will be buying. it's like that spotted cape coat okay okay okay okay yeah i feel like a lot of these cape coats so let's move on to trends that we're seeing everyone has cape coat cape coat everywhere i'm seeing so many so many no there's a lot it's so crazy i'm loving that you said that because i saw it the other day and i remember when i first moved to new york it was the era of gossip girl yeah and i was in a peplum every day of my damn life and then thank god they kind of went away for a second, but I'm loving the way they're being reintroduced.

30:02It's not as like angular. It's a little bit softer. It's almost bubbled in a weird way. And it's more, it gives me more like Chloe boho, like, like shape. You love how I'm going like this. But I'm here for it. No, it's true. For the first time of my life, I'm here for it. I like even the way that they're doing them in knits. Like I went to Ashlyn. Let's talk about Ashlyn. It's done. Beautiful. And like easy, just like easy clothes. You know So Ashlyn is my underdog of the week. Brand's only been showing since 2022. Relatively new. Yeah. Loved this collection. Yeah. This collection was it for me.

30:37And those peplums felt bubbly. That's it. Like there was like the, I don't know, beige knit, almost creating godets of sort, which is essentially like kind of an angular put out that creates this sort of voluminous shape. But they were just easy and appropriate looking. Beautiful. and also if you guys are listening and are wanting to look this up it's a s h l y n n yes yes yes yes yes but i thought it was so just classic and beautiful yeah back to capes wow did not think i mean this winter like 2024 2025 i loved them i love a cape like with a glove oh stunning just so up my alley did not think we'd be riding this wave for another year like these They're going to come out fall, winter, and literally, Altuzara, let's get there afterwards.

31:26Altuzara, Brandon Maxwell. Calvin. Calvin, I bet you money cores will do one. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Calvin Klein was also really, I like the capes because in the back, I still can't figure out if they were actually attached to the coat or if they were sort of angular panels of fabric that just attached in the back and layered over top of wool coats. That I like. Yeah, I really think the biggest difference between the current season and this coming season is we figured out the cape functionally. Yes. Whereas before people were just throwing it on and trying to figure it out. But now we're attaching it to the jacket, so it's like a moment.

32:02Exactly. We've gotten functional with it. Utility. Utility. Multifunctionality is important in your clothes, I think. I love it. I'm trying to think of who else. Altizar, I haven't seen. Okay. I've seen clips here and there, but I have not really dived deep into. Did you go? I didn't go, but I loved it. Okay, okay, okay, okay. Another trend I feel like I'm seeing is fringe, but not in the typical way we see fringe. It's not like a Western thick fringe. It's a thready, thin, romantic, almost undone fringe. Form, I saw a lot of - Form, loved underneath coats. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The dress basically had like a fringe headline.

32:38I liked the - I didn't love form, but that was - For those of you who are wondering, form with two Fs. Yes, it's - Yeah. F-form. F-f-f-f-form. I thought it was f-f-f-f-form. But Brandon, same thing. There was like leather fringe. Who else? We need to find a new term for it because it's not people are going to be like oh, fringe Western. It's like fready fringe. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It looks like angel hair fringe. Yes, it is. It's very angel hair. It's angel hair fringe. Maybe that's what we call it. Let's just call it angel hair fringe. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it was angel hair. Which I do feel like you know, last year Western style cowboy Carter vibes.

33:15Yeah. Just give me the chic version of it. What I'll also say is maybe like animal print. I feel like I saw at least like two coats at Mark that were animal print. And then Kate just showed like a whole like six look chunk of animal prints. It was either leopard or cheetah. Leopard prints to me are neutrals. They're always in an ish. That's my take. That's fair. That's my subway take. If he was about to say that, I'd be like, stop saying leopard's a trend. Listen, I respect that. Yeah, it's like always there. It is. I want to say it is. it is it's just we cycle out of like which one it is either it's snow leopard it's leopard it's just yeah giraffe oh oh the calf skin yeah no and also that calvin it wasn't leopard but it's almost like you know that fawn core that they're talking about it's like deer it almost looks like deer skin or like i don't know if you know like a white white tail what spotted white deer or whatever they have the brown hair can't a little white dots on it that's what i'm talking about from Brandon Maxwell.

34:14Okay, okay, okay, okay. Deer spots. Yes, yes, yes. Deer spots. Like Calvin had like a grayish, but it was, it looked almost like actual skins sort of stitched together. It was rather tight in terms of the stitching. It didn't look bad, but. It is a fawn spot. You're right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I feel like we're having an animal. That is very delicate. Skins are in. Hey, don't come for me, Peter. No, no, no. Listen, I mean, I don't know if, I also feel like now everything is. AI skins. I feel like everything is not genuine. Yeah. They're not real. A lot of times they're burnt on or they're printed.

34:49Yeah. Glad we cleared this up. But skins are in. Skins are in. Altizar was beautiful, I thought. I know you haven't seen it yet. Yeah. I think you should say Joseph just does a really good job of feminine, gorgeous clothes. I also felt like this collection, he didn't give a shit about seasonality. Which is good. Which I kind of like. Because it also feels like every client's are kind of in all seasons at all times. It's like the schedule now doesn't make sense the way that it did in the 40s, the 30s. He had like a white chiffon gown with like gold florals up the center. And I'm like, that's a spring summer dress.

35:22But I'm so happy that it's in this fall winter because like I'd send that to like a bride getting married in Mexico over the winter or like I'd wear that for New Year's. Yeah. Like I liked that he was just like, there was a cape and then there was this white dress and then there was a like collared shirt with an argyle sweater and then it was another beautiful like yellow chiffon dress. Like I liked that. I wish I saw more of that. All right. I liked it. Check it out. Okay, I will. I will. I saw clips of it and there seemed to be, I don't know, some sort of bubbly something and like there was a thrilled collar kind of situation going on.

36:00Not to be the Tory girl but Tory in the bubble skirts. She kicked it off. Sorry. Honestly, she did. I live for the Tory Claire McCartney. Like Tory literally said, you know what? I don't know how much you know about Claire Mercado, but iconic designer from the 40s, 50s American. Tori, I think, went to her gravesite, dug her up, pulled her out of the casket and said, get back in the studio. You need to get in there. I couldn't tell if you were being literal for a second. No, no, no. I mean, I would pay money to watch Tori dig up a grave. But I really have enjoyed this sort of idea of like embracing American designers that are not necessarily seen as like iconic in the same way that we talk about like, I don't know, a Fortuny or a, you know, Worth or a Poiré or a Chanel.

36:42It's like, yeah, there are a lot of amazing, like Bonnie Cashin and Coach. Like that's a iconic sort of, you know, play by play that it feels like Stuart Vevers has really honored Bonnie Cashin's ideas, distilled them now in the runways. And it feels nice to see that Tori has also like been playing a lot to Claire McCardle in that regard as well. But then also still spinning a lot of her own sort of, I want to say like Waspy Connecticut girl-ness with like an artsy sort of fun. It's the Waspy Connecticut girl turned cool. Yeah, it's really like, it's been a really nice and fun. I saw her at the CFDA.

37:19They had like a cocktail. It was beautiful maroon. I think it was like a pinstripe suit. That was from the last collection and then the purple pant. And that like, she looked amazing. And so it's like also, I also love seeing like a woman designer because when they're wearing their own shit, you're like, so great. I like, I'm influenced. This makes sense. You're the influencer. You know what I mean? Anything else coming up for you that you're excited about? Yeah. Jonathan Cohen. I'm going to see that after this. He's a real. He's such a sweetheart, too. So I'm like very excited. And this is my first Jonathan Cohen.

37:53OK. So I've been doing a lot of like designers I've never seen before. Which I think you have to at a certain point to just keep it fresh. Yeah, it's true. So, yeah, I'm excited. I think it's going to be a fun rest of the week. Well, I hope you have a really great rest of the week. Thank you. This was so fun. And I feel like I just went to fashion therapy. Oh, love. No, I'm happy. I'm feeling great. This is important to me. Yeah. Thank you for having me.

38:36Thank you.