Studio 54 comes to life at Michael Kors

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Feb 13, 2019

The spirit of the 70s and Studio 54 came to life inside a disco ball-adorned Cipriani in Manhattan’s Financial District for Michael Kors’ Fall 2019 runway show.

Set inside the restaurant’s Wall Street location, the co-ed collection brought all the glamour and decadence of the disco era to the last day of this fall’s New York Fashion Week shows. Low-cut, sparkling sleeveless dresses worthy of Diana Ross followed smart and sophisticated women’s suits fit for Bianca Jagger, and both men’s and women’s jackets came equipped with brazen winged collars to accompany bell-bottom pants.

Huge faux furs and shearling coats came decked out in multiple colors and busy prints, while one sparkling trench featured a metallic patchwork design in silver, gold, black and rust. In the brief moments between the glitter, jackets in leathery black, snakeskin and tweed made appearances, as well as smart Glen plaid suits and several pieces that featured an amusing, officially licensed Studio 54 logo print.

Accessories like warm-toned aviator glasses, turbans and oversized baker boy hats at times made looks verge toward costume, but luggage-inspired bags hit a more contemporary note with simple  and metal hardware.

The show closed with a bang thanks to a finale walk by Patti Hansen and a surprise performance of “Copacabana” by none other than Barry Manilow, who wore a bright orange, crystal-encrusted jacket and trousers while swaying alongside Michael Kors campaign star Bella Hadid.

A subsidiary of Capri Holdings (formerly known as Michael Kors Holdings Ltd.) and powered by a strong accessories category, the Michael Kors brand saw a 4% decline in revenue in Q3.

However, despite being dragged down by poor watch sales, the American label’s classic handbags, men’s shearling and leather outerwear and accessories, and women’s ready-to-wear actually stood out as strong performers in its parent company's results. Currently, Capri plans to continue boosting the Michael Kors label in Europe.