Evisu at Fall 2007 New York Fashion Week

Evisu at Fall 2007 New York Fashion Week

by Yuan-Kwan Chan

Even the biggest fashion fans are exhausted by the end of New York Fashion Week. Nerves of steel at the start of dozens of shows all over Manhattan have burnt to an undecipherable singe, and designers’ collections start to blur into one large runway show with little to no distinctions between outfit changes. Who better, then, to kick off the final day at the Bryant Park tents than Japanese denim house Evisu, skipping the a.m. shift to start at noon, no less?

To a thumping retro soundtrack that even Carson Kressley couldn’t resist – A tribute to James Brown! A remix of Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al!” – Evisu unleashed its kimono chic in a refreshingly casual collection. Breaking up the visual monotony of cocktail dresses and business suits that dominated the week’s shows, the women strutted down the runway in impossibly high platform shoes wearing tunic, kimono and flapper dresses, while the guys looked ready to take an autumn road trip with their jackets, jeans, scarves and matching bags. The tongue-in-cheek designs were in line with the company’s roots in Japan’s kitsch capital of Osaka, and the show proved that fashion doesn’t always have to be so darn serious.