“I always try to remember that the LaQuan Smith woman is on her way to something fabulous,” said LaQuan Smith himself at a preview. That she is—ask Vice President Kamala Harris, who recently wore a shimmering gold sequin button-down by the designer to attend Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour date in Washington, D.C., or just ask Beyoncé, who performed in custom LaQuan Smith in Amsterdam this past summer.
Tonight’s show was a glossy affair. But that’s business as usual chez Smith, who has become a New York Fashion Week fixture by way of his celebrity-packed front rows—Saweetie, Laverne Cox, Quinta Brunson, and Offset attended this show—and sleek, high-octane runways. As for the clothes, Smith said he was after a mood that was “sexy and refined.” He described his lineup as a collection of “bold proportions and structured pieces,” which was best illustrated by his angular leather tailoring, draped micro dresses, and power mesh fabrications. This is a designer who knows his way around the body, a skill he put to use time and time again this season.
“Like Michelle Pfeiffer in Scarface,” said Smith as a model walked through his studio in a white croc-embossed pencil skirt and cropped jacket suit cut as sharp as a freshly whetted blade. Smith carved his leather separates as he’d do any of his sinuous tailoring: close to the body and molded to fit and enhance curves (“she doesn’t need to be wearing a box just because it’s leather.”) This is the power dressing that his base is after, one that evokes a brand of effervescent sexiness that can’t help but rise to the surface. Smith’s customer is certainly the woman who would utter Elvira Hancock’s famous line: “Don’t call me ‘baby,’ I’m not your ‘baby.’”
When it came to materials, it was all about “intergalactic glamour“ (including some fantastic custom jewelry by designer Austin James Smith). Metallic leathers in vibrant colors were cut into tiny skorts, shorts, and panties, and draped into surprisingly fluid dresses; crinkly and shiny fabrics became sporty separates and extra-wide cargos; endless amounts of beads were strung together to create two striking tops and a half-skirt. The leather styles were unexpectedly light, which explains why Smith decided to design a spring collection around the material. He was right to compliment this story with denim separates, “they feel like true American sportswear,” he said.
The menswear has potential but could have used a little finesse, the best look here was a pair of wide, creased jeans styled with a navy blazer and a crisp white button down. Smith can cut a good jacket, so this is a space he should continue to expand on should he start formally offering the category.
“I’m working hard and I really hope that people can receive it and understand what’s in my head,” Smith said. “But either way, it’s not for everyone.” It’s not, and that should be the point. Smith is, unlike some of his contemporaries, acutely aware of who he’s making clothes for. “I just hope she falls in love with this and wants to be part of this fantasy,” he said. She probably will—Mary J. Blige sat front row and took a video of practically every look.
