Debriefing NYFW and the Trends We Spotted with Haute Le Mode's Luke Meagher

Summary

Podcast Summary: Let's Get Dressed – Debriefing NYFW and the Trends We Spotted with Haute Le Mode's Luke Mar

Introduction and Welcome

In this engaging episode of Let's Get Dressed, host Liv Perez reunites with her favorite fashion critic and host, Luke Mar of Haute Le Mode, to debrief the latest happenings at New York Fashion Week (NYFW) 2025. Recorded on the final day of the event, February 12, 2025, Liv and Luke dive deep into their observations, favorite shows, emerging trends, and standout designers from the week.

Notable Quote:

[00:02] Liv Perez: "Happy Fashion Week."

Background and Journey of Luke Mar

Liv and Luke reminisce about their first encounter at the Michael Kors show, highlighting Luke’s decade-long journey with Haute Le Mode. Luke shares his evolution from street style photography to becoming a respected voice in fashion commentary through social media platforms.

Notable Quotes:

[03:12] Luke Mar: "I think that it's actually, like, 10 years. January 1st was 10 years of doing Haute Le Mode."

[04:14] Liv Perez: "I have not heard someone, the way you're looking at me."

The Shift in Fashion Commentary

The duo discusses the transformation of fashion commentary from traditional TV segments like Fashion Police to modern digital platforms. Luke emphasizes the importance of patience and authentic growth in building a dedicated online community.

Notable Quote:

[05:09] Liv Perez: "I think what's most interesting to me about having a job on social media is truly the kind of patience and grace that your community needs to have to let you throw pasta at the wall and see what sticks."

NYFW Show Highlights and Reviews

Liv and Luke delve into their reviews of several key shows from NYFW, sharing both praise and constructive criticism.

1. Marc Jacobs

   • Highlights: Timeliness and concise presentation.
   • Discussion: Luke appreciates Marc Jacobs' commitment to starting and ending on time, contrasting it with the longer, more exhausting shows typical of NYFW.

   Notable Quote:

   [08:28] Luke Mar: "There is no fashion show except Marc that starts on time, and it was six minutes long."

2. Calvin Klein

   • Highlights: Commercial appeal vs. runway creativity.
   • Discussion: Luke expresses a surprisingly positive view of Calvin Klein’s show, noting the challenge of balancing commercial products with high fashion aspirations.

   Notable Quote:

   [19:52] Luke Mar: "I actually liked Calvin, which seems like a weird opinion from almost everybody that I've spoken to about it."

3. Christopher John Rogers (CJR)

   • Highlights: Colorful yet disciplined collections with artistic references.
   • Discussion: Both Liv and Luke laud CJR for maintaining vibrant colors and bold silhouettes without feeling over the top, appreciating the depth of artistic influences.

   Notable Quotes:

   [15:03] Luke Mar: "Yes, yes. Beautiful."

   [16:49] Liv Perez: "I was living for it."

4. Brandon Maxwell

   • Highlights: Evolution towards wearable, everyday staples.
   • Discussion: Liv highlights Brandon Maxwell as her favorite show, praising the designer’s growth and focus on creating versatile wardrobe essentials.

   Notable Quote:

   [27:01] Luke Mar: "Oh, I loved. I really, really loved Brandon."

Emerging Trends from NYFW

The conversation shifts to the latest trends spotted on the runway, with Liv and Luke providing insightful commentary on each.

1. Cape Coats

   • Description: Functional and stylish capes integrated into coats, seen across multiple brands.

   Notable Quote:

   [29:42] Luke Mar: "Cape coat everywhere."

2. Peplums

   • Description: A resurgence of peplum styles with a softer, more bohemian edge compared to the structured versions popularized during the Gossip Girl era.

   Notable Quote:

   [29:47] Liv Perez: "I'm loving the way they're being reintroduced. It's not as, like, angular. It's a little bit softer."

3. Fringe (Angel Hair Fringe)

   • Description: Delicate, thread-like fringes replacing the traditional thick Western styles, adding a romantic and undone flair to garments.

   Notable Quotes:

   [33:03] Liv Perez: "It's like angel hair fringe."

   [33:08] Luke Mar: "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah."

4. Animal Prints

   • Description: Subtle and refined animal prints, such as fawn spots and delicate leopard patterns, integrated into minimalist and sophisticated designs.

   Notable Quote:

   [34:12] Liv Perez: "From Brandon Maxwell."

Spotlight on Underdog: Ashlyn

Liv shines a light on Ashlyn, a relatively new brand debuting in 2022, praising their classic and timeless designs that stood out during the week.

Notable Quotes:

[30:33] Luke Mar: "Yeah."

[30:34] Liv Perez: "Loved this collection. Yeah, this collection was it for me."

Anticipating Upcoming Shows

While the episode primarily covers shows up to Sunday, Liv teases upcoming reviews of Tory Burch and Michael Kors, indicating more in-depth discussions will follow in future episodes.

Notable Quote:

[26:06] Liv Perez: "What was your favorite show of the week?"

Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up

As the conversation winds down, both Liv and Luke express their enthusiasm for the continued creativity and evolution in the fashion industry. Liv describes the episode as "fashion therapy," highlighting the therapeutic and inspiring nature of their discussions.

Notable Quotes:

[38:13] Luke Mar: "This is important to me."

[38:15] Liv Perez: "I'm feeling great."

Conclusion

This episode of Let's Get Dressed offers a comprehensive and insightful debrief of NYFW 2025, blending professional critiques with personal anecdotes. Liv Perez and Luke Mar provide listeners with a nuanced understanding of the week's highlights, emerging trends, and the ever-evolving landscape of fashion commentary. Whether you're a seasoned fashion enthusiast or new to the scene, this episode delivers valuable perspectives to inspire your wardrobe and deepen your appreciation for the art of fashion.

Transcript

[Liv Perez]

Hi, guys. Welcome back to another episode of let's Get Dressed. It's your host, Liv Perez. I am back in LA after six days in New York for New York Fashion Week. And for today's episode, I sat down with my favorite fashion critic and host, Luke Mar of Hot La Mode. If you don't already follow him, you must go follow him on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. It's all linked in the description of this episode. Not only does he have an incredible extensive background of fashion history, but I love his perspectives and always learn something new from his page. We chatted our favorite shows from the week, from Marc Jacobs to Altazara and Calvin Klein. What we thought worked and what didn't. Some trends that we spotted on the Runway that we're excited to see. Our underdog of the week and so much more. We recorded this episode on Sunday of New York Fashion Week, so there were still two more days of shows left. So if you're looking for more, if you want more after this episode, go to my substack, Liv Perez with two Vs. And I have a very expansive overview of trends that I loved from the full week and where to buy them for your closet. Now, I hope you guys love this episode. Let's go get dressed and debrief New York Fashion Week. Happy Fashion Week.

[Luke Mar]

Happy Fashion Week. I'm always excited to see you.

[Liv Perez]

I'm always excited to see you. I remember the first time we met at the Michael Kors show, irl. Oh, I saw you in the corner, and I was like, I have to say hi. Like, we're Internet friends. But I. I was like, this is you in the flesh.

[Luke Mar]

I feel very blessed because, like, I don't know if you know, but I remember when you did a closet tour with Brian Boy for Teen Vogue, and, like, that was my first, like, Liv introduction. And I was like, wait, who is this iconic woman? I need to know.

[Liv Perez]

No one knows about that.

[Luke Mar]

Oh, I'm sorry. I exposed you via the pod. Sorry.

[Liv Perez]

No, but, like, I have not heard someone. The way you're looking at me. You're like, excuse me.

[Luke Mar]

Me. My micro fixation right now. Yeah. 100%.

[Liv Perez]

Oh, my God. For listeners who have not seen this, and I hope you have not, there's literally like a, like, Teen Vogue goes to college tour.

[Luke Mar]

Yes.

[Liv Perez]

That he's talking about where Brian Boy came to my apartment when I was, like, a sophomore at nyu.

[Luke Mar]

It was honestly fantastic. And I feel like Brian was living. And then vicariously, I was living parasocially. So everybody won. Brian was my first, like, internship. Not internship. Like, I was taking his photos when I was, like, 16, 17 in high school.

[Liv Perez]

What?

[Luke Mar]

Yeah, that was my, like, first. Somebody was just talking to me about, like, out of fashion. They were like, who did you work for? And I was like, I don't know. And then I'm thinking about it. It's like, Brian was my, like, introduction.

[Liv Perez]

The Brian boy roomie Neely era was my introduction into fashion. That was my introduction into the, like, influencer Instagram, cool people, which I feel.

[Luke Mar]

Like that was the first era of, like, the Internet via fashion.

[Liv Perez]

Yes. Like, yes.

[Luke Mar]

Mothers, fathers, grandparents. Yes.

[Liv Perez]

Literally their originals. Our ancestors.

[Luke Mar]

No, it's literally true. It's literally true.

[Liv Perez]

That's so wild. Oh, my God. I can't believe you just brought that to the T. I'm curious, how did you start doing what you're doing? Because I really feel that there's a white space in good fashion commentary right now. That can be critical and can be nice, but isn't Joan Rivers esque, which I feel like, as an era we've tried to kind of walk away from a little bit.

[Luke Mar]

Yeah. I think that it's actually, like, 10 years. January 1st was 10 years of doing Hollow Mode. It started off as, like, wow, congratulations. Yeah, thank you. It started off originally as, like, a street style, and then that's how I got in with Brian. I took his picture at Fashion Week, and then he was like, do you want to take my pictures? And I was like, okay. And then it kept going and kept going, and I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with it. And then I started the YouTube channel, and that was like, the first big Me talking to the camera. And I think I was talking about, like, oh, designers I'm excited to see at New York Fashion Week. And so slowly but surely, it kind of progressed over, like, a year or two. Me figuring out maybe me doing a lookbook is, like, not what's going to work here, but me talking about, like, Alexander Wang taking models to three different locations on a bus throughout New York to show his collection. Yeah. That seems like maybe more so what the. The genre could be. And there was nothing really like that happening. So I just kind of wanted to create the content I wanted to see in the world.

[Liv Perez]

It's amazing to hear you say that it's been 10 years, because I think I'm. I think I'm at 10 year 10, too. Maybe you're 11. And I only feel for the first time that I'm in my groove. It's it takes a long time, especially in content, to, like, catch your rhythm.

[Luke Mar]

Somebody was just. I was a TikTok and they were talking about, like, Sabrina Carpenter and her Grammys performance, and they were saying, like, oh, she's an overnight success, but it's.

[Liv Perez]

Like, oh, my God, she was doing.

[Luke Mar]

All the work for 10 years before she was this, like, overnight success. And it's. You do kind of need the time to develop and figure out what works. And I'm very grateful that it feels like hot. La Mode has been a slow, casual growth, which at times I was like, oh, I want to be, like, super famous and, you know, sit front row at every fashion show. But I'm very grateful now that I've been given the time to sort of percolate, because I think it's made me almost a little bit more intriguing or well rounded.

[Liv Perez]

I think what's most interesting to me about having a job on social media is truly the kind of the patience and grace that your community needs to have to let you throw pasta at the wall and see what sticks.

[Luke Mar]

It's true. It's true.

[Liv Perez]

It's like the people that have stuck around since the Ryan boy days.

[Luke Mar]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

Like, I. I think it's an incredible opportunity to reach people if they're willing to grow up with you.

[Luke Mar]

Yeah. And I feel like slowly but surely, people are like, this isn't where I want to be with you. Or, you know, it fades out. But then also sometimes people come back and they're like, oh, I haven't seen a video in so long. And like, I'm so happy. And people always.

[Liv Perez]

I'm so happy this popped up on my feed again.

[Luke Mar]

Yeah. And people are always kind of like, well, not always, I guess, but sometimes people say, like, oh, I used to watch you four years ago. And it's like, I can see the growth, and I'm so much happier now watching than I was then. And I feel like that always feels very reassuring that there is that growth. And it's visible sometimes to some people.

[Liv Perez]

I feel like the fashion commentary world needs a lot of love right now. Like, even when I watch E. News and I see, you know, commentary there, I feel like it's not as big as it used to be. Like, I miss fashion tv.

[Luke Mar]

Yeah. I. It's such an interesting thing because I didn't really grow up watching fashion tv. Like, I've watched Fashion Police here and there. And, like, I love Joan Rivers. I think Joan Rivers was an icon. And I don't think that we will ever get back to that Place. And I also think just because Joan was, like, a comedian first and foremost. And so as much as it was, like, about the clothes, it was also about, like, the comedy element of her. But I feel like we are kind of in this, like, new golden age of fashion. Commentary, criticism, fashion, TV. It's just not on TV, if that makes sense.

[Liv Perez]

Yes, it's on TikTok.

[Luke Mar]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

It's on YouTube.

[Luke Mar]

And, like, that's the thing. I think that more and more, we're sort of seeing. And instead of it being like, E that produces it, it's, I don't know, like, some ok. Couture client that's like, do you want to see my process of, you know, my Chanel dress being made? And I'm like, yeah, yeah, I do.

[Liv Perez]

Which might be, in my mind, the most appropriate avenue for it. Like, we don't need a fashion network that's investing a ton of money and making every show about how much money can I make? Versus I can just be a fan of fashion, know who you are, and just follow your channel. Like, it doesn't. Maybe that's just what it should be.

[Luke Mar]

I think. Yeah, in a weird way, I think that's kind of just what it's become. And I feel like for. I don't know, like, the project runways and the. I don't know if you remember, like, the Diane von Furstenberg E. I auditioned for that show.

[Liv Perez]

They didn't take me.

[Luke Mar]

You would have been so good on that.

[Liv Perez]

They didn't take me.

[Luke Mar]

But also, I feel like you're very poised, and you wouldn't have. I don't know.

[Liv Perez]

I don't think reality TV is for me.

[Luke Mar]

No, that's fair. That's fair.

[Liv Perez]

I'm too nice now.

[Luke Mar]

You know what it is. You have to be willing to, like. It's hard to be messy in, like, that context. I can be messy. I think I am very messy.

[Liv Perez]

But I think you're appropriately messy. Also, I think you having the fashion history and knowledge that you do is what, in my mind, watching you be messy, I'm like, he's got a point.

[Luke Mar]

I appreciate that.

[Liv Perez]

I think you always know what you're talking about.

[Luke Mar]

I appreciate you saying that.

[Liv Perez]

Speaking of which, let's dive in to the week. Where should we start? Where should we begin? Okay, let's start at the beginning.

[Luke Mar]

Yes.

[Liv Perez]

Marc Jacobs loved.

[Luke Mar]

I really liked. The thing is, it definitely felt dour than it has the past, like, two seasons, but it was still the really inflated shapes.

[Liv Perez]

Right.

[Luke Mar]

And so I kind of loved the other thing that's really great about it is with Fashion Week, as you know, you go to a fashion show and you sit for 45 minutes, and then the show is maybe 15 minutes, and then you get up, and then.

[Liv Perez]

That was gracious.

[Luke Mar]

Yeah. And so. Oh, yes. Yeah. 15. Yeah, I guess it is. But like, Mark, it starts on time. Which chic. There is no fashion show except Mark, that starts on time, and it was six minutes long. So normally you're in a bad mood because you've just sat and waited. You're tired, you're hungry, you're sick.

[Liv Perez]

Your, like, social battery is, like, at negative.

[Luke Mar]

And so, like, then also sometimes that.

[Liv Perez]

Goes into the review.

[Luke Mar]

It is. And with Mark, it's like you're in and you're out and you're done. And so people are like, what do you think? And I'm like, I just got out of a fashion show on time in a very quick manner, and I'm going to dinner now. Great. Great. It was amazing. It was wonderful. Because I'm left in a good mood.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah. Do you know, I don't know his name, but the guy who does the subway takes.

[Luke Mar]

Yes, yes, yes.

[Liv Perez]

Did you see Emily Didonato's from this week?

[Luke Mar]

No.

[Liv Perez]

So Emily Didonato, former model, still a model. Ton of Vogue covers. She's gorgeous. She was like, the model. I remember when I was growing up, I was like, oh, my God, she's amazing. But she got on there and was like. And he was like, what's your take? And she was like, fashion shows need to be longer.

[Luke Mar]

That's an interesting take.

[Liv Perez]

And he was like, totally disagree. And I like when he disagrees because the banter obviously happens. But he was like, I don't understand, like, like, why? And she was like, look, you spend hours getting ready for the thing. If you're a model, there's hours of prep. If you're attending, there's hours of prep just for them to walk around twice. And he was like, well, what do you want them to do? And she was like, I don't know. Take another lap maybe. Like, engage with the audience. And he was like, this is theater.

[Luke Mar]

Yeah. You know what it is? I do obviously love the theatrics of, like, a Chanel by Carl show. Like, the set, all of that.

[Liv Perez]

Like a Thom Browne. Cute. Yeah.

[Luke Mar]

Yeah. And like, Thom, I think, is a great example, but sometimes you go to shows and there's, like, theatrics, and it's not great, and it's not great, and I don't want it to be longer. Because the other thing is you sit and you wait for so long and then it' long. Sometimes it's boring.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah.

[Luke Mar]

Like, sometimes it's really just risky thing.

[Liv Perez]

It's just like 10 shows a day.

[Luke Mar]

And also, like, you're gonna piss off the editors and critics and the buyers.

[Liv Perez]

And sit on Vogue Runway the whole time.

[Luke Mar]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

And I'm like, how are they going to these shows? Formulating the thoughts that fast, writing the review? It's wild to me.

[Luke Mar]

No, it's true. So I would say if you were really great. Yeah. Longer show, wonderful. Sounds amazing. But if you're not sure of your capabilities to make it that great, I'd hold off. I'd make it quick. I make it snappy. Okay. American brands are so different now, I feel. And I think we can talk about Calvin. We can talk about, like, Coach. There's something about. There's just such a commerciality to American brands. So, like Mark, it's like the bags. The bags are like, so important to that. And like, and the fragrance, it's so important to that business. And I will say, a lot of the bags that I saw on the actual attendees looked amazing. They were so beautiful. But it's like, yeah, I'd rather almost in a weird way not see Mark try to do like, super commercial ready to wear for, like, the fact that we're gonna sell a million of the tote bag.

[Liv Perez]

Why is he not showing on the calendar?

[Luke Mar]

That I don't know. That's been like a really interesting factoid of, like, we're showing, we're not showing. I also just think I was talking to a designer, a young designer, and I was like, oh, it's like, what, a hundred k to like, put on a show? And she was like, minimum.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah, minimum. There was a review. Someone did a TikTok like two seasons ago that broke down, and it ended up being like 250 for them to show between models, between from start to finish, like getting a pattern done and then getting it done for Runway models, hair, makeup, transportation, everything. It's so much money to show.

[Luke Mar]

It is. And so it's like if you can cut. And also it's like when you book a hotel or you book a flight, if they know it's Fashion Week, the hotel prices skyrocket, the flight skyrocket.

[Liv Perez]

Insane.

[Luke Mar]

So they know that, oh, it's going to be Fashion Week, you want to put on fashion show, will upcharge. So I wonder if that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I wonder if that's maybe why, like, I know Christopher John Rogers was showing off schedule for a while. Mark, Oscar La Renta, like, they all were kind of showing off. And in reality it's like, those are all, wow.

[Liv Perez]

Do you really think that's why I.

[Luke Mar]

Think part of it. And I also will say I find that with my content during Fashion Week, usually the heart, it's the hardest time to actually get engagement. And I'm like, oh, I suck. And I'm like, no, it's just everything's happening at once and you don't have time to really soak it in. But what I'll say is, like, we put out an Oscar La Renta show review because they showed last April there was time to actually, like, enjoy it because nothing was really happening in April. The videos popped like it was also, the product was beautiful, but the videos really, really pop because in reality, nothing else is happening. So you can focus on beautiful dresses.

[Liv Perez]

That's what's kind of hard about Fashion Week now. It's so condensed. It's so. And I think there's a lot of commentary of like, oh, Fashion Week sucks now because of the people that go, and it's for everybody and it's not as exclusive and it's not cool. And I almost just think that the real difference for me is that pre social media, you didn't need to consume it all that fast. Now it's just a constant overflow of content that makes it almost feel all irrelevant.

[Luke Mar]

It's true.

[Liv Perez]

If you're seeing something all at once, it doesn't feel special.

[Luke Mar]

No. And it's also, you don't have time to really, like, take in and be like, wow, beautiful. That was. Yeah. And that's the thing. And it's hard too, because it's like some brands, especially American brands, are very sort of commercial heavy. They make product for a customer that just wants a nice jacket or a dress. And so it's like, it's hard to make that feel exciting to people. And so then you see, like, you know, we also had oka chore, what, a week and a half ago, which big and bold and beautiful and brash.

[Liv Perez]

And sparkly top of the top into then, like commercial New York is such a whip off.

[Luke Mar]

And it's, I think it's a real hard juxtaposition that I, you know, I feel bad for them because it's like, you're never going to top that. And then people are like, oh, let's just get to like Milan in Paris so we can skip through. So we're the underdogs. Bring us back I know. I know.

[Liv Perez]

We'll have a renaissance soon.

[Luke Mar]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

I think we're on our way.

[Luke Mar]

Yeah. Yeah. Listen, I feel like we're getting there.

[Liv Perez]

Okay. You brought up CJR Christopher John Rogers, who's our mutual love. Beloved.

[Luke Mar]

Yes, yes. Beautiful.

[Liv Perez]

Thought it was beautiful, and this felt like a whole new focus while still using so many of his codes. Like, I was thrilled to see just a very disciplined collection go down that Runway. That he was like, there are commercial pieces here, but there are still the CGR stripe and the cgr, like, waistline. I was living for it.

[Luke Mar]

No, it's true. I think this. I think discipline is, like, the perfect word to have used, because I've been trying to figure out what it is that I felt because it's still so colorful, and the silhouettes are big, and it's crazy. Yet it didn't have that, like, over the top feel to it either, which I think when you're looking at, like, those colors and stripes and, you know, silhouettes, you're like, how is this not over the top? But it didn't feel over the top. So I thought he did a great job, honestly. And I was really intrigued by the artist references that he used. I don't know the name of the other one, but I know one of them was Angela de la Cruz, who, like, all of her work is very sort of angular, but it's all falling off of the canvas. And I was trying to figure out, like, why a lot of the dresses, almost like the models were picking them up on the sides. It felt almost a little bit like that Galliano princess. There was, like, a princess who's running away from, like, Bolshevik Russia, and where the models pick, like, picking up. Yeah. K. Moss is, like, picking up and running away, which also feels like something Chris would, you know, pay homage to. But there was just this interesting way of bringing about artist references that maybe we don't all know, necessarily. But now I'm very intrigued in Angela de la Cruz because of Chris's referencing. Oh, I love it. Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

Two for one special. I also thought the color choices were equally as disciplined.

[Luke Mar]

Yeah. And they, like, scare me. Cause I'm not. I'm not a color girl. Like, it's very. I'm very navy blue, and, like, that's comfortable.

[Liv Perez]

I can see that.

[Luke Mar]

But there was, like, beautiful striped sweaters that, for the first time ever, I was like, oh, that is a striped CJR sweater that I need and could actually wear in my closet.

[Liv Perez]

Not the last show, but the prior show, the first Runway show. I think he ever did in Spring Place with the chandeliers. And I think about how extravagant that show was, and the ethos of that show was still very present in this show.

[Luke Mar]

I agree. And that's the thing, is it feels like it's taken almost more of, like, a madame sort of element to it. Yeah. And I'm kind of like, as it should be, because I think that Chris is kind of a designer where it's like, it's not young, hot, sexy girl going out to the club kind of thing. Chris is more of, like, complex art gallery owner, but also sort of like beautiful British tailoring. Like, references and sort of like deep silhouette. Like, he. He is kind of a fascinating person. And I think, in a weird way, he's almost hard to figure out what he is, which I think is a mark of a great designer because it feels like something that you haven't really seen before.

[Liv Perez]

Agree.

[Luke Mar]

And that I think, you know, a lot of people. I can name every. You can name every reference that they've done. Chris is not really somebody that you can get there with, which I think is exciting.

[Liv Perez]

It's kind of like what we were talking about earlier with, like, the 10 years thing. Like, I'm excited. I'm willing. I love Christopher so much. I'm willing to grow up with him.

[Luke Mar]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

I'm willing to watch him off the calendar. On the calendar. Like, I'm. I'm here for the ride.

[Luke Mar]

He's a star. He's truly. And a lovely human being, too.

[Liv Perez]

Equally as lovely. Yeah. Yeah. I'm excited. He was back on the calendar. I hope it continues because it felt like a great kickoff to New York Fashion Week.

[Luke Mar]

I agree. I really agree.

[Liv Perez]

Like, people were excited. Like, people were juiced. I was ready to go.

[Luke Mar]

No, it's true. And to get everybody to go to Brooklyn. Anna was in Brooklyn. I didn't see Anna, but Anna was there.

[Liv Perez]

Of course she was there.

[Luke Mar]

That's. That's the mark, I think, of a true star.

[Liv Perez]

It's the one week of the year where we're all breathing the same air. It's pretty epic.

[Luke Mar]

I've been distilling it, Keeping it. Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah.

[Luke Mar]

Well, I was in the same room as Christy Turlington and Calvin Klein. And that was like. I was talking. I don't know if you know Lucien Page, but I was. He was like, oh, we're in the Face of beauty. And I was like, for those of.

[Liv Perez]

You really quickly who don't know, the probably biggest fashion PR firm. Yeah.

[Luke Mar]

I was like, lucian, I have A jar in my back pocket that I am just like her hair.

[Liv Perez]

Just in case. Literally, I'm just like compressing the air of Anna Wintour.

[Luke Mar]

Chrissy, if you could just breathe right here. Right here. Yeah. In the straw, I think you were.

[Liv Perez]

So I can take it home for scientific analysis.

[Luke Mar]

So that was like. Yeah. You're always in like the craziest rooms full of the craziest people I find.

[Liv Perez]

What did you think of Calvin?

[Luke Mar]

I actually liked Calvin, which seems like a weird opinion from almost everybody that I've spoken to about it that was at the show. What I'll say is I don't think that it photographed very well.

[Liv Perez]

Brenda, our Brenda Hashtag, had the same commentary.

[Luke Mar]

Yes. Me and Brenda, we were chat. We were chittering and chattering after the show.

[Liv Perez]

No one I'd rather chitter chatter with.

[Luke Mar]

No, no, no, no. And she was also something about like, price point. And I was like, no, no, no. I agree. What I thought about it was the thing about Calvin is you have to make clothes that people are going to buy now that they can't just go to the RealReal and buy for 50, $60, because that's how much you can buy a skirt suit or a jacket. Calvin Klein collection on the RealReal 4. So I think it's a. It's a really tough job. I think Calvin is probably like one of the hardest brands to actually do, especially for our generation, because there's not really like a super potent image of Calvin except underwear. Everybody that I've spoken to about the show, a lot of the buyers, a lot of the older editors were like, yeah, it's kind of underwhelming. And what I'll say is, I think because they have the imagery of like sexy Kate Moss sheer slip dress Calvin or 80s high glam, like beautiful separates Calvin. Whereas I feel like for us, it's not. That imagery isn't like, first and foremost, my imagery is like Justin Bieber and underwear.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah. My imagery is like denim and the sponsor of Coachella.

[Luke Mar]

And so it's kind of like somebody has to make that pop to us.

[Liv Perez]

In a weird way, to me, that that entire show was a reintroduction. It was, hey, this brand, we're reintroducing ourselves. We are 90s Calvin Klein. We are back to the basics. We are back to beautiful, elegant, effortless minimalism. And we are not like the denim kind of influencer y celebrity focused brand that we were.

[Luke Mar]

Yeah. And even like that there was like maybe, I don't know, four or five pairs of denim total. That I could see. So, like, it wasn't even a rejection of such an important element of that brand. It was just kind of like, no.

[Liv Perez]

It'S like a redirection.

[Luke Mar]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, we still make beautiful denim. It's just that.

[Liv Perez]

But we also now make beautiful clothes.

[Luke Mar]

Exactly. So I liked it. I think that Veronica Leone is very interesting. I remember going to, like, see her Kira collections in Paris. It's kind of like dark gothic minimalism in a. Interesting, almost not like. Like Kate, but in that sort of world, I would say for someone in.

[Liv Perez]

Their early 40s to come in and do that collection for the first time was. There's a lot of confidence there.

[Luke Mar]

Yeah, a lot.

[Liv Perez]

Like, there was a strong. I think the biggest criticism. Not criticism, but I think the biggest commentary that I've heard all week is like, okay, yes, one, the redirection, but two, I wish this came out, like, three years ago when quiet luxury was, like, at its. I hate that term. Oh, my God, I'm so tired.

[Luke Mar]

It's true.

[Liv Perez]

If there's anything from this week that I feel like I've taken away, it's that we're, like, swinging a little bit more towards the other side of the pendulum of, like, we're not just focusing on these, like, great wardrobe essentials. Like, I've loved the big prints, and I've loved the big cape style. Like, I've loved the big silhouettes. Like, it feels more exciting to me. Whereas the three years past have felt a little bit more, like, tamed.

[Luke Mar]

And what I'm going to say is there was, like, this leather loop coat. It was like a coat cloak thing that, to me, felt like showpiece. Which showpiece for everybody. That's not a fashion. Girly is, like, you kind of just make a few pieces in the collection that are, like, the wow pieces that people can latch onto and talk about. They might not be produced by the brands and sold, but it.

[Liv Perez]

It's a marketing moment.

[Luke Mar]

Yeah. It makes things exciting so we can talk about it. But there felt like there were a few show pieces in a Calvin Klein collection, which, before Raph Simmons, I don't think there was, like, showpieces at a Calvin Klein collection. So I actually think in a weird way, yes, there was a lot of just trenches and skirt suits and, you know, nice shirting, but there was this, like, light blue silk top that was sort of backless, and Greta Lee wore a version that was, like, similar to it. There was Lexi Bowling, which, like, also. The casting was crazy to me.

[Liv Perez]

Great casting.

[Luke Mar]

Like, Lexi Boling. And Binks Walden being back together 2013, 2014, 2015, was doing something for me. Literally. I screamed out when I saw Binks. I was like, I really thought that there was a lot of pop of color. There was, like, little bits of difference that just didn't make it feel like the usual quiet luxury. Grayish, beige, black, white. Yeah, valid.

[Liv Perez]

It was an in between.

[Luke Mar]

I thought it actually, like, it was a solid start, but you changed my mind. She's.

[Liv Perez]

She really.

[Luke Mar]

I'm. I was shocked. She's gotten ripped.

[Liv Perez]

Who?

[Luke Mar]

Veronica Leone for that collection. And I was like, oh, I did not feel this.

[Liv Perez]

You just said that. And I thought you meant she got like. Like, worked out, ripped.

[Luke Mar]

I was like, she probably is, though.

[Liv Perez]

Who knows?

[Luke Mar]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah. I don't think it deserves, like, that. That harsh criticism. I thought it was a gorgeous, gorgeous collection.

[Luke Mar]

I really liked it. Like, I have to say, so I'm into the Calvin thing, and if that makes me, I don't know, a Calvin martyr, whatever, so be it. I'm fine. I've been wor. I've been a martyr for worse.

[Liv Perez]

That's true.

[Luke Mar]

And then I usually end up right after four or five years when people leave.

[Liv Perez]

I think it's exciting look for me at this point, any of the big designers that are coming in and showing during New York Fashion Week have my love.

[Luke Mar]

I agree.

[Liv Perez]

Like, it could be a whatever collection, and I'd be like, well, thank you. Just thank you for being here.

[Luke Mar]

Yeah. Because in reality, you need the tent pole brands like a Tom, a Mark, a CJR Calvin, and, like, Chris is different than those because they all have sort of big conglomerates behind them. Yeah, but all of those brands, like, Tom doesn't have to show in New York. He could go back to showing in Paris where he put on a show.

[Liv Perez]

But back in the day, when I was growing up, we were booked and busy during the week. Going to Tommy, going to Ralph, going to Coach. Like, I mean, coach still shows, but.

[Luke Mar]

Yes.

[Liv Perez]

You know what I mean? And we had a little bit more weight than we do now.

[Luke Mar]

No, it's true.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah. So, yeah, I'll give it to Calvin. I will. I'm still here for it, you know.

[Luke Mar]

That's fair.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah, I like it.

[Luke Mar]

I'm trying to think of who else.

[Liv Perez]

What was your favorite show of the week? Because we haven't talked about mine yet. Keep in mind, guys, listening. We are Sunday right now. There's still two days of shows. Luke is booked and busy, and I'm going home early. But we're leaving out of this conversation, Tory Burch and Michael Kors, which you guys will have seen by the time this episode airs. Maybe I'll do a little quick thing at some time this week, but we're leaving those out, so we're just stopping at Sunday shows.

[Luke Mar]

I'm gonna say I think it happens.

[Liv Perez]

And Tom Brown will be out, too. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Luke Mar]

I think I'm gonna have to say CJR has been, like, my favorite thus far, just because it felt like such a strong push. And in reality, you could finally kind of put Chris in a league with Atami and a Mark and a Tom and a Tory and, like, all of those brands, but he doesn't have the backing that all of those brands do.

[Liv Perez]

Agree.

[Luke Mar]

And so I'm kind of like, yeah.

[Liv Perez]

My favorite show was Brandon Maxwell.

[Luke Mar]

Oh, I loved. I really, really loved Brandon. I thought it was.

[Liv Perez]

I haven't stopped thinking about it, taking up permanent residency in my brain maybe, because, like, you know what it's like when you see a show that feels so you. And you're like, I will wear that entire thing. I saw the show and was just like, oh, my God, that is me to a T. It's.

[Luke Mar]

I mean, literally the layering of those kind of woolly knits. He really has evolved as a designer. He really, really has evolved as a designer. I remember forever ago, it was like, pre pandemic, reviewing a collection, and I was like, no, I hate this. This is awful. But something about it, a. He's also, again, another lovely person because I met him, and he was like, hi, nice to meet you. And I was like, oh, you could hit me in the mouth, and I'd be like, deserve. Because I was cruel. And he was like, it's just clothes. Like, no offense, like, I care, but, like, I don't really care that much. And so he's really, I think, also evolved in this way of like, creating just beautiful wardrobe staples that also have little interest and little intrigue along the way.

[Liv Perez]

In the Vogue interview, he said, when I first started, I wanted to be the dress that every woman picked up to go wear out. And now I just want to be, like, the great pant and the great sweater that you pick up every day and love and, oh, my God, that is like, I. That just was, like, to me, it. The entire collection.

[Luke Mar]

And then on top of it, he's doing Walmart. So it's like, you're not only just like.

[Liv Perez]

Like, Christopher.

[Luke Mar]

Yeah, it's true.

[Liv Perez]

You got to make both things work.

[Luke Mar]

It's true. Like, yeah, I don't know. Something about that is. I think, like, even Zach Posen and, like. Yeah, like, there's something about the Americans.

[Liv Perez]

I'm excited about that.

[Luke Mar]

Oh, I'm very. I'm.

[Liv Perez]

I've been getting a.

[Luke Mar]

This is Gap.

[Liv Perez]

I've been getting a lot of dms from people being like, you need to go into Gap and see what's going on, because the basics are hitting right now.

[Luke Mar]

They are. I was gonna also possibly wear a linen Gap shirt that I bought the other day. It's beautiful. Zach is also such a character to me, so I am obsessed with him at all times, and I was talking to him, and there seems to be really exciting things coming from Gap and Old Navy in the future, so I'm pumped to see how that all works out.

[Liv Perez]

Very ready.

[Luke Mar]

But it seems like a lot of the American designers, you have to be able to, like, put on Runway. That's great. And then also be able to make commercial product that isn't just gonna sell to, like, a luxury client, but to, you know, the everyday person.

[Liv Perez]

I mean, look at Jenna Lyons.

[Luke Mar]

It's true.

[Liv Perez]

An icon.

[Luke Mar]

It's true.

[Liv Perez]

Best America.

[Luke Mar]

That's Jenna F. And Lyons. Baby icon. Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

But, yeah, there's a coat from Brandon Maxwell that I will be buying. It's like that spotted cape coat.

[Luke Mar]

Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay. Yeah. I feel like a lot of these cape coats.

[Liv Perez]

So let's move on to trends that we're seeing. Everyone has cape coat.

[Luke Mar]

Cape coat everywhere. I'm seeing so many peplums. No, they're not.

[Liv Perez]

It's so crazy. I'm loving that you said that, because I saw it the other day, and I remember when I first moved to New York, it was the era of Gossip Girl.

[Luke Mar]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

And I was in a peplum every day of my damn life. And then, thank God, they kind of went away for a second. But I'm loving the way they're being reintroduced. It's not as, like, angular. It's a little bit softer.

[Luke Mar]

It's almost bubbled in a weird way.

[Liv Perez]

And it's more. It gives me more like Chloe Boho. Like. Like, shape. Like, you love how I'm going like this, But I'm here for it. No, the first time of my life, I'm here for it.

[Luke Mar]

I like even the way that they're doing them in knits. Like, I went to Ashlyn.

[Liv Perez]

That. That. Let's talk about Ashlyn.

[Luke Mar]

Beautiful and, like, easy. Just, like, easy clothes. You know what I mean?

[Liv Perez]

So Ashlyn is my underdog of the Week brands only been showing since 2022. Relatively new.

[Luke Mar]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

Loved this collection. Yeah, this collection was it for me. And those peplums felt bubbly.

[Luke Mar]

That's it. Like there was like the, I don't know, beige knit almost creating godets of sort, which is essentially like kind of an angular put out that creates this sort of voluminous shape. But they were just easy and appropriate looking beautiful.

[Liv Perez]

Also, if you guys are listening and are wanting to look this up, it's easy. A, S, H, L, Y, N, N.

[Luke Mar]

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

[Liv Perez]

But I thought it was so. Just classic and beautiful.

[Luke Mar]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

Back to capes. Wow. Did not think. I mean, this winter, like 2024, 2025. I loved them. I love a cape, like, with a glove. Oh, stunning. Just so up my alley. Did not think we'd be riding this wave for another year. Like, these are going to come out fall, winter, and literally. Altazara. Let's get there afterwards. Altazara. Brandon Maxwell.

[Luke Mar]

Calvin.

[Liv Perez]

Calvin. I bet you money cores will do one.

[Luke Mar]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, Calvin Klein was also really. I like the capes because in the back, I still can't figure out if they were actually attached to the coat or if they were sort of angular panels of fabric that it just attached in the back and layered over top of wool coats, which I really. That I like.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah. I really think the biggest difference, like between the current season and this coming season is like, we figured out the cape functionally.

[Luke Mar]

Yes.

[Liv Perez]

Whereas before people were just like throwing it on and trying to figure it out, but now we're like attaching it to the jacket. So it's like a moment.

[Luke Mar]

Exactly.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah. And like, we've gotten. We've gotten functional with it.

[Luke Mar]

Utility, utility, Utility. Multifunctionality is important.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah.

[Luke Mar]

Clothes.

[Liv Perez]

I think I love it.

[Luke Mar]

I'm trying to think of who else all these are. I haven't seen. Okay. Like, I've seen clips here and there.

[Liv Perez]

Right.

[Luke Mar]

But I have not really. Like, dive deep into. Did you go?

[Liv Perez]

I didn't go. But I loved it.

[Luke Mar]

Okay, okay, okay, okay.

[Liv Perez]

Another trend I feel like I'm seeing is fringe, but not in the typical way we see fringe. It's not like a western thick fringe. It's a thready, thin, romantic, almost undone fringe form. I saw loved underneath coats. Like, the dress basically had like a fringe headline. Yeah.

[Luke Mar]

I liked the. The. I didn't love form, but that was.

[Liv Perez]

For those of you who are wondering. Form with two Fs.

[Luke Mar]

Yes. I thought it was fine. But Brandon, same thing. There was like leather Fringe. Who else?

[Liv Perez]

We need to find a new term for it because it's not. People are going to be like, oh, fringe Western. It's like thready fringe. Yeah, it looks like angel hair fringe.

[Luke Mar]

Yes, it is. It's very angel hair.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah, yeah.

[Luke Mar]

Maybe that's what we call it.

[Liv Perez]

Let's just call it angel hair friends.

[Luke Mar]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It was angel hair, which I do.

[Liv Perez]

Feel like, you know, last year, Western style, Cowboy Carter vibes, like, just give me the chic version of it.

[Luke Mar]

What I'll also say is maybe like animal print. I feel like I saw at least like two coats at mark that were animal print. And then Kate just showed like a whole like six look chunk of animal prints. It was either leopard or cheetah.

[Liv Perez]

Prince, to me are neutrals. They're always in an ish. That's my take.

[Luke Mar]

That's fair.

[Liv Perez]

That's my subway take. If he was about to say that, I'd be like, stop saying leopards a trend.

[Luke Mar]

Listen, I respect that.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah, it's like always there.

[Luke Mar]

It's just we cycle out of like which one it is. Either it's snow leopard. Cheetah. It's leopard. Zebra.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah.

[Luke Mar]

Giraffe. Oh, oh, the calf skin. Yeah. No, and also that Calvin, it wasn't leopard, but it's almost like, you know that fawn core that they're talking about? It's like deer. It almost looks like deer skin. Or like, I don't know if you know, like white. White spot, spotted white deer, whatever. They have the brown hair, the little white dots on it.

[Liv Perez]

That's what I'm talking about. From Brandon Maxwell.

[Luke Mar]

Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay.

[Liv Perez]

Dear spots.

[Luke Mar]

Yes, yes, yes.

[Liv Perez]

Dear spots.

[Luke Mar]

Like Calvin had like a grayish. But it was. It looked almost like actual skins sort of stitched together. It was. It was rather tight in terms of the stitching. It didn't look bad.

[Liv Perez]

But it is a fawn spot. You're right.

[Luke Mar]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I feel like we're having an animal, very delicate a skin. Skins are in.

[Liv Perez]

Hey, don't come for me, Peter.

[Luke Mar]

No, no, no. Listen. I mean, I don't know if I also feel like now everything. I feel like everything is not.

[Liv Perez]

No, it's gender. Yeah, yeah.

[Luke Mar]

Like they're not real a lot of times. Like they're burnt on or they're printed. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Liv Perez]

So we cleared this up.

[Luke Mar]

Skins are in skins around.

[Liv Perez]

But Altazar was beautiful. I thought. I know. You haven't seen it yet.

[Luke Mar]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

I think he just said, like, Joseph just does a really good Job of, like, feminine, gorgeous clothes. I also felt like this collection, he didn't give a shit about seasonality, which is good, which I kind of like.

[Luke Mar]

Because it also feels like every clients are kind of in all seasons at all times. It's like the schedule now doesn't make sense the way that it did in the 40s, the 30s.

[Liv Perez]

He had, like, a white chiffon gown with, like, gold florals up the center. And I'm like, that's a spring summer dress. But I'm so happy that it's in this fall, winter, because, like, I'd send that to, like, a bride getting married in Mexico over the winter. Or, like, I'd wear that for New Year's. Yeah, Like, I liked that. He was just like, there was a cape and then there was this white dress, and then there was a, like, collared shirt with an argyle sweater. And then it was another beautiful, like, yellow chiffon dress. Like, I liked that. I wish I saw more of that. All right, I liked it. Check it out.

[Luke Mar]

Okay, I will, I will. I saw clips of it, and there seemed to be, I don't know, some sort of bubbly, oh, the bubble scratch something. And like, there was collar kind of situation going on.

[Liv Perez]

Not to be the Tori girl, but Tori and the bubble skirts. She kicked it off. Sorry.

[Luke Mar]

Honestly, she did. I live for the Tori. Claire McCart, like, Tori literally said, you know what? I don't know how much you know about Claire McCardell, but iconic designer from the 40s, 50s, American Torey, I think, went to her gravesite, dug her up, pulled her out of the casket and said, get back in the studio. You need to get in there.

[Liv Perez]

I couldn't tell if you were being literal for a second.

[Luke Mar]

I mean, I would pay money to watch Tori dig up grave. But I really have enjoyed this sort of idea of, like, embracing American designers that are not necessarily seen as, like, iconic in the same way that we talk about, like, I don't know, a Fortuny or a, you know, Worth or a Poiret or a Chanel. It's like, yeah, there are a lot of amazing, like, Bonnie Cashin and Coach. Like, that's an iconic sort of, you know, play by play that it feels like Stuart Vevers has really honored Bonnie Cashin's ideas, distilled them now in the runways. And it feels nice to see that Tori is also, like, been playing a lot to Claire McCardell in that regard as well. But then also still spinning a lot of her own sort of, I want to say, like, waspy Connecticut girl ness with, like, an artsy sort of fun.

[Liv Perez]

Like, it's the WASPy Connecticut girl turned cool.

[Luke Mar]

Yeah, it's really, like. It's been a really nice and fun. I saw her at the cfda. They had, like, a cocktail. Beautiful maroon. I think it was like, a pinstripe.

[Liv Perez]

Suit that was from the last collection. And then the purple pants I.

[Luke Mar]

That, like, she looked amazing. And so it's like, also, I also love seeing, like, a woman designer, because when they're wearing their own shit, you're, like, so great. I, like, I'm influenced.

[Liv Perez]

This makes sense.

[Luke Mar]

You're the influencer. You know what I mean?

[Liv Perez]

Anything else coming up for you that you're excited about?

[Luke Mar]

Yeah, I. Jonathan Cohen. I'm going to see that after this. He's a real. He's such a sweetheart, too. So I'm, like, very excited. And this is my first Jonathan Cohen.

[Liv Perez]

Okay.

[Luke Mar]

So I'm. I've been doing a lot of, like, designers I've never seen before, which I.

[Liv Perez]

Think you have to, at a certain point to just keep it fresh.

[Luke Mar]

Yeah, it's true. So, yeah, I'm. I'm excited. I think it's gonna be a fun rest of the week.

[Liv Perez]

Well, I hope you have a really great rest of the week.

[Luke Mar]

Thank you.

[Liv Perez]

This was so fun, and I feel like I just went to fashion therapy.

[Luke Mar]

Oh, love. No, I'm happy.

[Liv Perez]

I'm feeling great.

[Luke Mar]

This is important to me.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah.

[Luke Mar]

Thank you for having me.