Best Moments From New York Fashion Week AW18

From the celebrities sitting front row (FROW) to the throwback looks (hello, ’80s!), New York Fashion Week (NYFW) wrapped by showing New Yorkers that the city that never sleeps sure knows how to stay ahead of the trends, innovating style by reimagining the past.

As the fashion cycle is keen to channel looks and inspiration from decades past, the movers and shakers of the style industry also look to shake things up. By encouraging inclusive model casting, opening up the FROW to accessible personalities, and bringing style to the streets, New York’s fashion elite is intent of progressing dressing habits one sleek step at a time. Here are some of the best moments that made AW18 a New York Fashion Week to remember.

1. Model diversity

In just a couple of seasons, model Winnie Harlow, shown here at Marc Jacobs, has become a permanent fixture on the hottest shows. Once bullied for her skin condition, vitiligo, Harlow is part of the changing face of beauty, promoting self-love.

At CFDA-winning Chromat, models of every size wore Bandelettes on their thighs as accessories. So much for the notion of the thigh-gap.
A post shared by KAIMIN (@kaiminofficial) on Feb 20, 2018 at 6:46am PST
Indie label KAIMIN, heralded by some of fashion’s biggest names, chose an inclusive approach to her models— de-emphasizing everything from size to gender.

2. The changing FROW

A post shared by CHROMAT (@chromat) on Feb 15, 2018 at 5:18pm PST
Sitting front row at all the best shows, Whoopi Goldberg made for an unusual sartorial critic. But New Yorkers loved it.
A post shared by Every Outfit on Sex & the City (@everyoutfitonsatc) on Jan 17, 2018 at 12:35pm PST
We’re live and… popping!?? Go to @VogueRunway’s Instagram Story. 🍿🍿 pic.twitter.com/ENY1r60Ezy
— Kyle MacLachlan (@Kyle_MacLachlan) February 14, 2018
Kyle Maclachlan reporting for Vogue? Absolutely. The Twin Peaks and Sex and the City alum took over Vogue‘s Instagram for Raf Simons for Calvin Klein’s show (pictured below).

3. Back to the future

Tom Ford, channeling Jem and the Holograms, brought some “truly outrageous” looks to the runway. Looks like the ’80s and ’90s continue to stay on-trend.

Marc Jacobs also paid homage to ’80s maximalism, fabrics, and color palettes.

4. Style spotted on the streets

The sidewalk became a veritable catwalk. Look who Culture Trip spotted outside of Spring Studios! Bella Hadid was only one of the fabulous faces spotted in our New York Fashion Week street style special.

5. #MeToo honored backstage with private dressing areas

Backstage Músed by Lindsay Jones AW18, models brought social awareness of the #MeToo movement to fashion week by honoring the backstage area as a sacred space. Models were treated with respect and were offered privacy to get dressed to prep and dress for the runway. “Models have raised concerns about invasive photography and lack of privacy while changing clothes backstage at New York Fashion Week,” Sara Ziff, founder of the Model Alliance said in a statement, according to W Magazine. By providing models with privacy to change, Jones takes a small step forward to protect the civil liberties of models of all genders.

About the author

Jill Di Donato

Fashion Editor

Jill is a New York native who holds a BA in Literature from Barnard College, and an MFA in writing from Columbia University. She is the author of the novel Beautiful Garbage (She Writes Press, 2013) about the downtown Manhattan art and fashion scene in the 1980s. A former staff writer for The Huffington Post and Bustle, Jill comes to Culture Trip after working with Refinery 29, Vice, Salon, Paste Style, Los Angeles Times, Nylon, Shopify, Autre, and producing content for emerging fashion labels. She teaches classes about fashion and culture at Barnard College and The Fashion Institute of Technology. Her prized possessions are her Gucci fanny pack, vintage rocker t-shirts, and her grandmother's collection of costume jewelry. She's always on the lookout for a gem-encrusted turban.