KaufmanFranco Fall 2013: Fashion – and airport – runway ready

The list of celebrity fans flaunting the designs of KaufmanFranco reads like a Who’s Who of film and music, with just a few of the many names including Jennifer Lopez, Taylor Swift, Gwyneth Paltrow and Megan Fox.  But the label’s co-designers, Ken Kaufman and Isaac Franco, acknowledge that despite their star endorsements, they’ve been able to soar unnoticed since founding their company in 2004.

That was the situation until earlier this year, when American Airlines announced that KaufmanFranco would lead the first fashion revamp of their crew’s uniforms in more than two decades.  Shortly afterward, the designers took the runway in New York.

“We’ve stayed under the radar,” Kaufman told Meniscus Magazine of the duo’s decision to show at the Fall 2013 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week collections.  “We’ve heard so many times, ‘Why don’t I know about you?’  We wanted to share what we do with a broader audience.”

For Fall 2013, KaufmanFranco unveiled a collection more befitting of a fierce femme fatale gladiator as opposed to their widely photographed flowing evening gowns on the Hollywood red carpet.  Onyx, silver and black dominated the impressive 38 looks, which also included a Manolo Blahnik shoe collaboration specifically made for the label.

After making such a bold opening statement, what do the designers have in mind for American Airlines in the coming months?

“You want them to look comfortable, but sleek,” Franco said of how airline fashion should appear.  “I think being put together is very important.”

“Definitely timeless and timely,” Kaufman added.  “It needs to evolve, look like she or he’s in 2013, [and] have a sense of function, utility.”

Video: KaufmanFranco Fall 2013: Interview, backstage & runway – New York Fashion Week

interview and backstage video by Yuan-Kwan Chan / Meniscus Magazine
runway video by Kwai Chan / Meniscus Magazine

Photo Gallery: KaufmanFranco Fall 2013 – New York Fashion Week
all photos by Kwai Chan / Meniscus Magazine

Credits:

Stylist: Michaela Dosamantes
Hair: Peter Gray for cutler/Redken
Make-up: Gucci Westman for Revlon
Shoes: Manolo Blahnik for KaufmanFranco
Furs: Saga Furs