Designer Michael Kors at NYFW: 'I'm like fashion Xanax'

During Michael Kors’s Spring 2019 show on Wednesday, the designer said, “I’m like fashion Xanax.” The statement was made in relation to his newly unveiled Spring 2019 collection.

The collection is chock-full of tropical printed minidresses, fringe skirts, boots, bucket hats, and sea shell embellishments and jewelry. It possesses a sandy beach, surfer style vibe that creates a sense of ease and relaxation, as though on vacation. Top models Bella Hadid, Gigi Hadid, and Ashley Graham all walked the show as Catherine Zeta-Jones, Nicole Kidman, Hailee Steinfeld, and Tiffany Haddish sat front row.

Unfortunately, Kors’s “Xanax” comment isn’t sitting well with some viewers. After the show, Julie Zerbo, the founder and editor-in-chief of The Fashion Law wrote on Twitter, “it’s about time we choose our words wisely in speaking about drugs, no?” Zerbo does note that she believes Kors meant the comment as a “joke,” adding, “but it’s not funny.” She cites the nation’s current opioid crisis as a prime example of why not to make light of addictive drugs.

According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, more than 115 people in the U.S. die from opioids each day. Addiction, whether it is tied to opioids, tobacco, or other drug substances, contributes to 632,000 deaths in the country annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as reported by the New York Times. Furthermore, there has been a dangerous uptick in Xanax use among teens.

Xanax is a benzodiazepine medication and is considered one of the most addictive drugs of its kind on the market, according to the American Addiction Centers. Korn’s lead singer, Jonathan Davis, has publicly discussed his experience with benzodiazepines, like Xanax, describing “Benzos” as the “devil” in an interview with Forbes. He says, “They’re horrible drugs. They feel good at the moment and are a quick fix to get you out of a panic attack, but they’re not designed to be taken long-term — especially Xanax. I started taking it for anxiety. I’d take a piece in the morning and a piece at night, then go to bed. You start to build up a resistance.”

Yes — Michael Kors’s collection does feel very light, airy, and relaxing — possibly euphoric like Xanax? You can decide. However, his comparison to the drug is one that the designer probably should’ve thought twice about before speaking.

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