KIYOKO SPENCER
Anna Wintour finished off spring/summer 2022 NYFW with a bang titled,” Vouge World.” Vogue World was less of a fashion show and more of a fashion experience. The event took place down West 13th Street which was historically known for being a spot lined with pimps and prostitutes but is now lined with luxury goods stores. The fashion show was literally a FASHION SHOW. Vogue World creatively directed by Anna Wintour was true entertainment consisting of elements such as food trucks, drumline dancers, Oscar the Grouch, a trick bike group, and Lil Nas X.
The purpose of Vogue World was to create a micro New York. New York is a place with delicious, luxurious, and diverse food and it was displayed at the fashion show. Designers sponsored food trucks that gave out snacks like Gucci’s gourmet cookies, Burberry’s high tea cart, and Ralph Lauren’s coffee truck. New York is also the set of Elmo which features the famous Oscar the Grouch. Dance is a big part of the entertainment industry in New York which is home to broadway. Anna Wintour arranged for Howard University’s Ooh La La La dancers to dance down the runway, as well as stunt bike riders who popped wheelies and did tricks down the runway. To end the night Lil Nas X performed a remix of his hit song “Industry Baby.” Oh yeah, and of course, there were legendary models modeling and voguing up and down the runway in between.
Now Vogue World may seem like just an over-the-top fashion show that Anna Wintour threw together as a mini passion project in between the Met Gala and other projects, but it is way more than that. Anna Wintour is setting a precedent for the fashion community through Vouge World. Fashion shows historically were and sometimes still are just elitist fashion people coming together to watch models walk up and down a runway to boring music wearing what is supposed to be the next big thing in fashion. But fashion shows are becoming more and more like shows over time. Fashion shows are creative, and artistic, and should be entertaining to watch, not something attendees have to suffer through. I mean if the clothes were bad at Vouge world (which they were not) at least you would have Lil Nas X singing to you.
Not only in Miss. Wintour setting a precedent for what fashion shows should be like in the future in the sense of entertainment she is also hitting the point of diversity. Vogue World displayed a range of different skin colors and body types in regard to their models. But the diversity did not stop at the models but seeped into the entertainment. Hiring not only a dance team but a dance team from a historically black college, scratch that THE historically black college was an amazing move by Anna Wintour. This was an immersion for the audience into a culture many have not experienced. In addition to the dance team, there were BMX bikers which is another culture of its own that is not very recognized in mass media pop culture. Finally, the performer's choice was perfect. For a fashion show with the goal to set a precedent and display diversity, Lil Nas X was the right choice. Lil Nas X is an up-and-coming, openly gay, black man, who oozes confidence and is an amazing performer therefore some may say he was made for the job.
Overall Vouge World was absolutely amazing and world-changing for many reasons. I am excited to see what Anna Wintour has up her sleeve for the next New York Fashion Week and to see what impression Vouge World has left on the fashion community. All I can say is that I wish I were there to experience Vouge Worlds' greatness in person.