(Courtesy of LES BID)
While so many New Yorkers succumb to the insidious “normcore” and “athleisure” trends, others are determined to stay fresh — and not just the drag queens. With Fashion Week coming up, it’s once again time to focus on the fabulous. Luckily, you don’t have to trek up to midtown (or wherever the shows are this year) to do so, since there are plenty of fashionable festivities in our hoods.
Paintings About the Fashion World
Sept. 5 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at The Hole, 312 Bowery
Finnish designer Daniel Palillo — who makes cheeky, trippy, colorful, cartoony outfits — is in town for this exhibit of, yes, paintings about the fashion world. The show opens next Friday, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., with a performance by Diplo collaborator Jahan Lennon and a DJ set by buzzy rapper/producer LE1F.
“PETS in the LES,” a Pet Fashion Weekend
Sept. 6 and 7 at Hester Street Fair, Hester and Essex Streets
Consider it a precursor to the Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade: Pet owners are invited to bring their little ones to Hester so they can walk the “pet runway” (aka a catwalk) and pose in a photo booth with fashion props. From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., the pet lovers at Hester (we hear they’re partial to felines) will be snapping mini Polaroid pictures, too.
Bushwick Fashion Weekend Parade
Sept. 6, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at The Living Gallery, 1094 Broadway, Bushwick
This event aimed at celebrating “local emerging designers” and erasing “negative competition and judgement from fashion” invites everyone to meet at The Living Gallery at 1 p.m. in their fave outfit — with their “dogs, cats, birds and snakes,” if they so desire — and then parade through Bushwick. Power to the people!
LES Opening Night: Art + Fashion
Sept. 7 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Orchard Street between Grand and Broome Streets
In addition to a spate of gallery openings around town, this annual event brings a day-long block party featuring live music curated by Cake Shop. At 7 p.m., there’ll be a “Looks of the LES” fashion show: dancers will model local designs selected by Cosmopolitan.com’s editor, Amy Odell. The fun starts at 7 p.m., with local makeup artists and hair stylists gussying up the models as well.
Artists & Fleas Style Studio
Sept. 13 and 14 at Artists & Fleas, 70 N 7th St.
Throughout the day, stylists like Ricky Becker of the Spooky Boutique, Martha Camarillo of Gypsy Nation Vintage and Sylvia Karcz of Vagabondia Vintage & Handmade will be outfitting select A&F shoppers and social media followers with items made and sold by the flea’s vendors. Then the amateur models will be photographed for a fun lil’ lookbook.
