Real appetite for Baguette as ’90s rules New York catwalk

The 1990s reign at New York Fashion Week while Burberry, with its royal seal, drops off the London schedule.

At New York Fashion Week are Lala Anthony, Kim Kardashian, Sarah Jessica Parker and Naomi Watts.

The 1990s reign at New York Fashion Week while Burberry, with its royal seal, drops off the London schedule.

Out of respect for the late Queen, big-ticket London Fashion Week shows including Burberry and Raf Simons have politely withdrawn from the English design showcase that begins on Friday, but Britain’s national mourning period did not stop New York Fashion Week from delivering its most spirited runway return since the start of the pandemic.

Fendi creative director Kim Jones, alongside matriarch Silvia Venturini Fendi, presented the Milanese brand’s latest catwalk collaboration in New York, enlisting Big Apple institutions Marc Jacobs and Tiffany & Co to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its now iconic Baguette bag.

“The Baguette became really famous from Sex and the City, which is the reason we’re here,” Jones told The Australian of the energetic collection inspired by the Carrie Bradshaw era of 90s Manhattan.

“I loved the show and think it represented an important moment for women around the world,” added Venturini Fendi. “What Sarah Jessica Parker said in that episode, ‘It’s not a bag, it’s a Baguette’, perfectly encapsulates the Baguette, its strength, identity and personality.”

“The other obsession I have is the uptown and downtown mix,” Jones said.

“That’s why we invited Marc (Jacobs) to collaborate with us,” said Venturini Fendi. “He represents downtown NY, while Tiffany represents uptown.”

Jacobs’s effort manifested itself in FendiRoma logo mania and the American jeweller in precious Tiffany blue Baguette bags, complete with buckles covered in white gold and baguette diamonds.

Model Emily Ratajkowski.

Of course, Parker was in the audience, alongside Kim Kardashian and Naomi Watts, while Jones’s close friend Kate Moss cheered on daughter Lila Moss and fellow supermodel Linda Evangelista, who closed the show.

“Linda is a real icon, just like the Baguette,” Venturini Fendi said. “She’s a fighter and doesn’t give up and is rising again after what happened to her so it’s a very important message to have her at the show.”

The 90s was a strong starting point for many NYFW spring/summer 2023 collections and also the jumping off point for Khaite – now one of the city’s most in-­demand shows. Designer Catherine Holstein had been watching David Lynch films from the same decade such as Wild at Heart, which spurred her retro redux of python prints, mixed in with blue denim, crystal embellishments, fringe and bubble skirts – another burgeoning NYFW sub trend.

Aussie expat Dion Lee turned the dial up on his sharp tailoring that was spliced with cheeky cut-outs aplenty. To top off the week and in celebration of its 130th anniversary, US Vogue presented a star-powered fashion runway extravaganza featuring Serena Williams, Emily Ratajkowski, Irina Shayk, Karlie Kloss and Amber Valletta. The catwalk coup was paired with a New York City street fair that raised the Fashion’s Night Out initiative to another realm under the new event moniker Vogue World.

On the ground in Manhattan, Vogue Australia editor-in-chief Edwina McCann said of the event: “The enduring influence and creativity of Vogue and our editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, were brought to life with a standout show full of celebrities and supermodel friends from around the world. Staged in New York City’s Meatpacking District, which was the backdrop to the famous supermodel leather-clad Vogue cover of the 1990s, it was an iconic fashion moment.” And the fashion? “Simply the best,” she said.