Equinox and L'Officiel USA Team Up for the Future of Fashion
New York Fashion Week was full of excitement for many reasons—the shows, the celebrities, the street style—but one night in Hudson Yards, one particular celebration emphasized why the city has gotten a reputation as a hotbed of young creativity. On Tuesday, February 11, L’Officiel USA teamed up with Equinox to celebrate the fitness and lifestyle group's Future of Fashion initiative. Honoring designers Alejandra Alonso Rojas, Chris Leba, and LaQuan Smith, the event consisted of a full evening at the Equinox Hotel's Electric Lemon, starting with an intimate dinner in the restaurant's private dining space before proceeding to the bar for an after-party, where guests danced and sipped craft cocktails while enjoying a picturesque view of Manhattan from 24 stories up. Each of the three designers presented their latest work through runway shows during fashion week, creating all the more reason for celebration as the crowd toasted young talent in one of the city's hottest new destinations.
Undeniably, each celebrated designer embodies the spirit of Equinox’s Future of Fashion initiative. Rojas, who was born and raised in Madrid, has experience both as a hand-knitter and tailor, with designs that tend to include a lot of knits and leathers and ultimately led her to become a finalist for the CFDA Fashion Fund. Leba, who spent over 19 years designing for Ralph Lauren, is the founder and creative director of R13, which is known primarily for its denim and punk vibe and opened its first store last April in New York's SoHo neighborhood. Smith, a born-and-bred New Yorker, has been making waves with his eponymous label since he was just 21 years old. The designer made a name for himself dressing the likes of Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, and Beyoncé, and his unapologetically confident runway shows emanate a contagious energy every season.
The event included a number of notable guests, including Richie Shazam, Precious Lee, Cailin Russo, and Victor Glemaud, to name a few. Equinox Hotels CEO Chris Norton and L'Officiel USA Editor-in-Chief Peter Davis were both in high spirits as they mingled with the intimate crowd in a night that spotlighted three fashion forces who are proving that creativity is alive and well in New York at the turn of a new decade.
