Denim on the Runway: NY Fashion Week S/S 2011: G-Star Raw

Since the primary location for NY Fashion Week has changed to Lincoln Center it seems that changing venues is the fashionable thing to do this season. G-Star Raw, who has held their runway presentation at the Hammerstein Ballroom for the past few seasons, went with the much more spacious location at Pier 94 on the West Side Highway.

 After making a quick stop at the step and repeat to see the VIPs, I walked into the venue which was like walking into a science fiction novel. The space was massively cavernous, like a dark airplane hanger, with a white light shining at the back where the show was to be held. The runway was uncharacteristically conventional for the brand, which usually has a winding stage where the models meander through the audience, however G-Star's signature 'Arc' pant was a recurring motif on the runway and on a giant wooden sculpture in the back. 

The models came out in a sea of white and the brand's ultra-modern approach to tailoring and design was immediately apparent. Molded leathers in skirts, tops and men's shirts looked slick and futuristic, especially with the neutral color palette of bright whites, light grays and taupes. As the show went on a desert theme began to emerge; first in accessories like desert flap hats  and wraparound hoods that sometimes covered most of the face. Then, a change in color palette to sandy beige in voluminous pants and outerwear, as well as rust colored leathers, further emphasized the desert theme.

Because the color palette was so pale and light, the dark blue indigo of raw denim was a burst of color on the runway and showed that although the brand has become comfortable using different materials, they have not strayed far from their roots. Carrot leg silhouettes and the 'Arc' pant are still a big part of their offerings. However, a piece that elicited 'oohs and ahhs' from me was G-Star's version of an evening gown. The upper bodice was molded raw denim, while the lower half was a flowy, indigo-colored, parachute-like material.