DUBAI: British-Moroccan model Nora Attal and Libyan-American journalist Noor Tagouri were spotted on catwalks around the city at New York Fashion Week — and it’s being lauded as a step in the right direction for diversity on the runway.
Attal walked the runway for Brandon Maxwell, whose collection ranged from pantsuits with plunging necklines and caped sleeves to full-bodied skirts that sweep to the ground and cinch at the waist. He designed in black and white and monochrome for some looks, the Associated Press reported.
A black sports bra with a keyhole was worn under a sleek black blazer trimmed with satin. There were cinched white coats worn over white skirts barely visible from underneath. Maxwell also showed black-and-white leopard print dresses with a subtle “B” hidden in the pattern.
US-Palestinian model Bella Hadid also walked in the show, appearing in a satin white dress that zipped in the front to reveal a white turtleneck. Of the 35 looks, only six were in color.
Hadid also took to the runway for Prabal Rana Gurung, who now has 10 years in the business behind him and looked home for inspiration to Nepal, where he recently spent some time.
The result was a joyful, bright ready-to-wear collection — a theme he had introduced last season after several years of more sober designs, AFP reported.
He played with sari draping, especially in ikat and mandala-inspired prints.
No monochromatics or tone-on-tone ensembles here — purple or mustard yellow and turquoise, red and pink — women should use their imagination in Gurung’s world.
The designer said in his notes that he hoped to create a “multi-faceted, colorful and optimistic place where integrity, purpose, levity and love are our most celebrated virtues.”
As more and more American designers flee New York for London, Paris or Milan, foreign fashion houses are flocking to the Big Apple to take advantage of the style vacuum.
Case in point: venerable French label Longchamp, which is looking to develop its stateside presence and staged its second New York show at the weekend. Attal walked the runway for the brand, which is known for leather goods, handbags and riding gear.
For next fall, designer Sophie Delafontaine kept it classy but sensual — embracing pleated short skirts, black studded leather and lots of looks in black and white.
For her part, journalist Noor Tagouri walked the runway for US brand Rebecca Minkoff as part of the label’s push to highlight inspiring women on the catwalk.
“Storyteller @noor went out of her comfort zone today when she hit our catwalk this morning. She was one of many inspiring women who walked our runway today,” the brand posted on Instagram.
