No After-Party: Alexander Wang Fall/Winter 2017

by Paige Reddinger

“No After-Party” was printed in red at the bottom of the Alexander Wang invitation for the Fall/Winter 2017 show. No one seemed to believe it, however. Before entering the venue in Harlem, guests were audibly mumbling about the after-party. That intensified when, upon walking into the venue, guests were greeted by giant stacks of Peroni kegs and were handed a beer. “I hear there’s a secret after-party at 1:00 a.m.,” said one.

Rap blared throughout the once-upon-a-time theater at 3560 Broadway in Harlem—the dilapidated theater was built in 1912 and must have been a place of grandeur in its heyday. “It reminded me of New York in the ’80s when I first came—the vibe of a derelict theater as a nightclub,” said Vogue‘s Hamish Bowles. “Very evocative. It’s a beautiful space. I love it.” Another British guest was overheard saying it reminded her of house parties she attended in the ’90s. Guests were given party wristbands that assigned them to various sections; the runway snaked through the center of the theater, allowing people to cozy up to the foot of the stage (and maximizing the social media push of the show). On the lefthand side, a rowdy crew of A-listers, like Sofia Richie, Teyana Taylor, A$AP Ferg, Zoe Kravitz, Kylie Jenner, Tyga, 21 Savage, Luka Sabbat, Ansel Elgort, Brooklyn Beckham, and Fetty Wap, danced and mingled in their VIP section. So what did Bowles think of the democratic layout and the pre-show hype? “I missed some of the dramatic mise en scène. I’m not as familiar with the subway this far uptown.”

The show began, and out trotted every major model in Wang’s crew, from celeb-types like Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid to Hanne Gaby Odiele, Molly Bair, Selena Forrest, Julia Nobis, Natalie Westling, Stella Lucia, and so on. As for the clothes? Black, black, black, and more black, punctuated by grey checked and one pair of blue denim jeans. “Night of Treason” read Hadid’s waffle t-shirt, which was paired with leather hot pants. The mood was dark, as it has been on other runways, but Wang has always had a penchant for black. It’s the uniform of his downtown dolls and #WangSquad. There was some Americana thrown in, like cowgirl fringe on a black button-down, studs, and a leather bolero. (Western Spirit, the all-encompassing cowboy store, is just blocks from Wang’s New York HQ.) There were plenty of looks for cool girls to drool over, but it was the “No After Party” tights that you should expect to see walking into Paul’s Casablanca. Cost: $125. Availability: Sold out. Just be sure not to rip them at the after-after party.

 

 

You may also like

Leave a Comment