Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger provide a fittingly all-American finish to New York Fashion Week
To the strains of Jay-Z and Alicia Keys' Empire State of Mind, Fashion Week in NYC came to a close this evening and with it Bryant Park's 18-year tenure as host. Next season, the circus that is the opening week of the bi-annual fashion collections will move to Lincoln Centre and while are no doubt many reasons for the move, it left rather a lot of people feeling awfully nostalgic as the lights went down on tonight's Tommy Hilfiger show.
With the camera men in the pit leading the entire audience in a rousing rendition of Sweet Caroline before the lights went down, the scene was set for a fittingly all-American finale to an all-American day, which also featured shows from Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein.
For his last hurrah at Bryant Park, Hilfiger kept to his trademark preppy aesthetic, but, in his own words, added a 'pop'. Cable knits, cashmere coats and high-waisted shorts and trousers featured heavily, but with unexpected splashes of metallic brocade, lace guipure and grey silk jersey.
At Calvin Klein, the clothes were as sleek and chic as ever, with confident cuts and luxe fabrics. Texture was important with bonded rubber or leather detailing, while it was the gorgeous, shimmering, embroidered evening gowns which closed the show that really stood out for us.
The front row, too, was as starry as you'd expect, with Naomi Watts, Helena Christensen and Kate Bosworth, along with what might be our favourite celebrity sighting of the week, Whoopi Goldberg! (Watch out Eva, there could be a comedienne with an eye on your CK modelling contract.)
So, that's New York all sewn up, with just a good night's sleep ahead before London kicks off in the morning. Phew!