new york city
CNN
—
The crowds and gorgeous location are par for the course. new york fashion week. But sometimes it’s the smallest venues that leave the biggest impressions.
On Monday, a packed rooftop show hosted by convicted felon Anna Delvey was one of the most unusual runway shows the city has seen in recent years. And that’s before you factor in the post-show pizza party.
Delvey (real name Sorokin) Under house arrest She served two years in prison for grand theft and other financial crimes, and was detained by immigration authorities for an additional 18 months for overstaying her visa, before pleading for deportation to Germany and receiving a nearly one-year prison sentence. It was. Her subsequent fall from climbing the New York social ladder as a “fake heiress” and defrauding financial institutions (and others) of more than $200,000 has been detailed in multiple magazine features and in a book written by a former close friend. It was later made into a drama on Netflix.mini series “Anna’s invention” last year.
Provided by: Xiao
Delvey (left), wearing a dazzling suit jacket designed by Xiao Yan, poses with publicist Kelly Cutrone (right) after the show.
Dominic Bindle/Getty Images
Models in the lobby before climbing to the roof of Delvey’s East Village Apartments.
A court-ordered ankle monitor may have limited Ms. Delvey’s participation in New York Fashion Week, or indeed any outings she attends. But, coincidentally, Fashion Her Week came to her with the help of Kelly Cutrone, a powerful publicist and owner of the PR firm People’s Revolution.
The two founded a new “pop-up fashion PR agency” called Outlaw Agency. The first designer they chose to introduce was She Shao Yang, a bespoke tailor who is debuting a new brand, She Shao.
Delvey’s penchant for designer clothes is well-documented, and her carefully curated courtroom fashion was often talked about during her 2019 trial, so her involvement in the runway show comes as no surprise. However, it aroused skepticism.
But in a video call with CNN the day after the show, Delvey eased into the role of spokesperson. “I love clothes. I never would have done this if I didn’t love collecting,” she said. “I mean, yeah, I can promote anything,” she said with a laugh.
Debut collections are often talked about, but usually not in this situation.
It was held on the roof of Ms. Delvey’s apartment in New York’s East Village (so that she didn’t have to leave the premises), and attendees were almost certainly large and boisterous after the downpour that had fallen less than an hour earlier. Crowds packed onto a wet rooftop that was never intended to accommodate crowds. . Delvey said she did not get permission from her landlord to avoid the landlord’s potential liability, but she asked for her neighbor’s permission to host the show.
Dominic Bindle/Getty Images
Due to space constraints in the Delvey building, models are styled for the show in an elevator. Cutrone told CNN that most of the hair and makeup was done off-site before the models arrived by bus.
Outside, as guests were drinking and smoking cigarettes and waiting for two surly bodyguards in black T-shirts and jeans to enter, a woman, believed to be Delvey’s neighbor, immediately stopped. I bypassed the line and took my girlfriend and her small pet dachshund with me. she was able to go home. At one point, designer Yang was almost denied entry to her own show as the crowd swelled.
The models reached a staircase from a party bus double-parked on the street, then climbed to a five-story rooftop where guests including Nicola Formichetti and former “Real Housewives of New York” star Leah McSweeney were seated closely. Ta. Some guests braved the building’s brick parapet to take their seats.
After the show, Cutrone, in Mother Mode, loudly warned the models not to get too close to the edge of the rooftop for selfies, and at one point could be heard deadpanning Delvey: Isn’t that great reporting? ”
Provided by: Xiao
An all-black look featuring a leather corset from Xiao’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection.
Provided by: Xiao
Another look from the collection features tennis skirt-style pleats on court dresses.
Yang’s collection spanned sharp tailoring, pinstriped pieces, oversized shirt dresses, and denim workwear with contrast stitching details. A high-waisted skirt with a mottled metallic silver pattern stood out in a predominantly black and white color palette, as did a pop of acid neon yellow on one of the label’s suits. As the models navigated the single narrow loop in front of the air conditioning unit, some were more successful than others, although this was probably unavoidable given the circumstances; There were moments when the whole thing felt a little chaotic.
Yang, who joined Delvey on a video call with CNN, said his collection is “very inspired by old New York, especially the ’80s.”
“Everything in the collection is completely genderless and can be worn by anyone,” she added. “For me, it’s very important to wear clothes that aren’t too flashy. You should be able to love it – wear it, feel like yourself, feel your best, and walk out the door.” ”
Designers were thrilled with the results of the show. She said she was on board the moment Cutrone presented the idea to her, even though Jan knew Delvey’s notoriety might attract more press than her clothes themselves. said.
“I thought it was great,” Yang said. “As a new designer with a new brand, you feel happy just to be a part of it because no one comes to your show. No one will ever really know you.”
As Yang explained his collection, Delvey chimed in with an anecdote about how he was disciplined in prison for hand-stitching uniforms.
“I learned a lot about tailoring while I was in prison,” she said.
Dominic Bindle/Getty Images
Models pose in looks from Xiao’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection, inspired by counterculture and rebellious New York.
At a post-show press conference, Cutrone told reporters that two agencies removed their models from the show after learning of Delvey’s involvement. Asked about this in a video call the next day, Delvey said he was unaware and declined to comment. Separately, she said another modeling agency violated industry norms by demanding advance payment.
“If you don’t feel well, whatever… there are no hard feelings,” she said. “I’m like Google myself.”
She and Cutrone are developing more ideas, but this collaboration is “everything very new,” she said. For now, Delvey added, she wants to put all her focus on Yang’s new label.
“It’s all about Xiao,” she said. “People can think what they like, but we just like to have fun, and we can have fun and have fun. Who cares?”