Christopher John Rogers' NYFW Runway Debut Got a Standing Ovation

Christopher John Rogers’ Spring Summer 2020 runway show was a historical fashion moment that I, along with the rest of the industry will probably never forget. After two prior presentations that mostly focused on evening wear, and being selected as a CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist, today marked the Baton Rouge-born, Brooklyn-based creative’s first runway show and let me tell you, it did not disappoint.

With 35 jaw-dropping good looks, I found myself so full of glee I almost started crying tears of joy. Everything was that good. First off, the colors were bold and vibrant, with shades of green, yellow, pink, blue, orange, and red that were visually arresting. The patterns were bright and playful with exploded plaids, colored zebra prints, 80s style florals, and black and white checkered prints. And the silhouettes were incredibly diverse. There were satin suits, oversized shirts and trousers, ruffled dresses of all sorts of varieties, and big voluminous pieces that had the crowd "ooh-ing" and "aww-ing" (me included). Other details were considered, too. Think: sparkly metallics, waist bows that cascaded to the ground, Swarovski rhinestones, splashes of colorful makeup on some of the models faces, and conceptual jewelry pieces.

While the designer stayed true to his earlier, evening wear beginnings with pieces that would look divine on the pages of glossy magazines and on stars walking the red carpet, he also added elements of functionality; for example, a pair of red cargo pants that were cropped at the ankle was paired with a feather tube top, showing a newfound versatility to his pieces. The look appeared to say: you can do drama and still appear democratic, an idea I can definitely get behind.

Drawing on everything from pierrot clowns to the paintings of Paul Gauguin, Rogers’ references were as distinct as each piece in the collection. Though each piece was so different, the collection remained wonderfully cohesive. It was all so very Christopher John Rogers. Plus, the models wore the clothes confidently, striking poses, having fun, and just generally being themselves, something that is unlike most runway shows in which models tend to walk like army people with stoic faces.

Not only was it refreshing to see this, but the element increasingly made sense since according to Vogue, Rogers designs for a customer who is “self-assured enough to understand that you can be multiple things at once,” an idea that hits home for today’s younger generations who are throwing out the rule book and forging completely new life paths, and closets.

Backstage at the show, Rogers told Vogue, “After hearing the news [about the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund] I wanted to create the biggest splash that I could while addressing concerns about the clothes not being commercial enough or only being evening.” And Rogers’ splash was massive; with this collection, he took risks while staying true to himself (something that is no easy feat), proving his worthiness as a designer who has the power to take the New York fashion industry to the next level. After the show, he received a standing ovation from a crowd of happy and excited fashion people ready to embrace his designs, and a time for change.