DUBAI: Arab models Imaan Hammam, Loli Bahia and Nora Attal took over the Michael Kors runway this week at New York Fashion Week, presenting some of the US designer’s fall/winter 2023 collection.
Kors’s designs included sexy slits, power suits, flared pants and sweeping coats and capes, playing with proportions by pairing long jackets or short flirty looks.
The designer put a twist on evening wear by designing sleek jumpsuits and evening gowns with daring cut-outs.
Dutch-Moroccan-Egyptian Hammam, who had her signature curly hair in a slick-back bun, wore a red knit dress with a turtle-neck and a thigh-high slit. She wrapped a brown belt around her waist.
Bahia, who is of French-Algerian decent, stepped on the runway in two looks. The first was a black glitzy set with an oversized blazer and a black button-down, while the other was a grey dress with a knee-length matching cape and grey heeled boots.
Attal wore a sheer, flowy brown dress with a halter neckline. She completed the look with matching boots and a belt that snatched her waist.
Kors designed his new releases with singer Tina Turner, actress Jane Fonda and multimedia artist Yoko Ono in mind.
“There’s the moment in my life when I decided I wanted to be a designer. I fell in love with women who were very inspiring to me at the time,” said Kors. “But I also fell in love with Greenwich Village and this whole idea of urban Bohemia.”
Kors selected a location that allowed the city to be a part of the show: “I’m a New York designer, so I love that people can watch from outside.”
The color palette was warm and earthy yet sophisticated.
“Beautiful shades of taupe and mocha, lots of chocolate brown. I think it’s a nice alternative to black and warm, and people look so great in it,” Kors said.
“And then I always think that metallic as a color . . . like putting on something gunmetal or bronze automatically, just lifts the spirits and lifts and lifts your face. You look great.”