LaQuan Smith’s ‘Empire State of Mind’ gave us raunchy, radiant optimism for SS22
LaQuan Smith brought sparkles, sex appeal and strutting poodles to the party for Spring/Summer 2022, in a celebration of restored American glamour.
DESIGNER: LAQUAN SMITH
SEASON: Spring/Summer 2022
EVENT: New York Fashion Week
LOCATION: Empire State Building, New York, USA
“I’m all about lights, camera, action!” beams LaQuan Smith as he dashes amongst scintillating clothes rails 102-floors high in the Empire State Building. “My body is shaking, I have knots in my stomach. It’s a full circle moment for me in New York.” No, the designer isn’t discussing a fear of heights, but rather contemplating new heights in his career as a prominent luxury name. It’s an hour before the SS22 show, backstage is looking expectedly chaotic as Smith pauses to recollect his upbringing over a pixelated livestream. Growing up only 11-miles from the show site, in Queens, the designer was gifted his grandmother’s sewing machine as a boy, with which – and a lieu of catsuits later – led to the brand’s formation as a beacon in unapologetic sexiness. His creations have since slipped into the wardrobes of style heavyweights BEYONCÉ and RIHANNA, and under his namesake, the womenswear label won April’s CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund prize for its triumphs in Black-fronted design.
Needless to say, LaQuan Smith just keeps on shining. A show setting of such grandiose Art Deco influence spoke to Smith’s affection for Old Hollywood glamour. This season saw the undeterred glitz of Breakfast at Tiffany’s remixed with traces of hot girl summer. Sexy seeped through in surplus skin; navel-grazing bodysuits and gauzy halters in which models walked nonchalantly with French poodle dogs to heel. The message was clear: live lavishly. Minidresses dripping in diamantes were the sartorial embodiments of a discoball, taking centre stage in his optical rooftop party – where everybody was invited into a progressive vision. Smith signified a time for celebration: of Black talent, of women, of America.
When guests were whisked up to the observatory in elevators, they were seeing a starlit city skyline as much as they were a spectacle show taking place. Amidst the mesh looks and lace finery that fit like a glove, traces of daring LIL KIM looks came to mind. While The Notorious B.I.G. bumped hip-hop through the rooftop speakers, Frank Sinatra crooned cocktail-goers in the downstairs lobby; honouring hallmarks in US pop culture history. Crisp whites and blues vaguely emulated the flag, but not so much that it was a garish palette; WINNIE HARLOW stunned in ruby red cargo pants, low slung, with a bodysuit pairing.
Smith’s designs remained fresh, relevant and racy. His departure from the svelte velvet one-pieces of last season translates to no less allure. This time around, nude hues clung to the female form in slick jersey drapery, just as terrycloth rompers comfortably hung from it. Offering enough spa-like loungewear to satiate the current world, Smith too, looked ahead to a gleaming future filled with galas, sumptuous dinners and glitter-spangled dancefloors. There were glossy trousers ready to tease below strobelights, and billowing cloaks that exuded the seduction of a Great Gatsby era mistress descending a grand staircase. Except, these are party clothes of the modern age, worn by independent women who make their own bag.
It was that strength and expensive optimism that shone throughout the collection, a glimmer of hope at the end of almost two quarantined years. The ultimate reintroduction to social-dressing, SS22 was as hot, scandalous and steamy as the atmosphere in bygone Studio 54. When the finale ensued and the glistening satins vanished into the night, it remained clear that this raunchy fashion blockbuster serves only as a premiere in Smith’s, quite literally, sky-high design career.
Images courtesy of Getty.
FASHION WEEK is here to catch you up on the latest trends, designers and lewks direct from the runway with a focus on the best of next generation talent. Whether your cup of tea is giant inflatable balloons parading through the crowd or multi-coloured knitted sweaters, we’ve got something for you.