Hood by Air Hits All the Red Carpet Trends— Well, Kinda
Designer, Shayne Oliver takes his bow at Hood by Air this afternoon
As fashion week coincides with the 87th annual Academy Awards next weekend, you would think that the trends on the runway would forecast those on the red carpet. So far we’ve seen Oscar-worthy gowns at Jason Wu and Altuzarra, but Shayne Oliver’s underground label Hood by Air may have hit all the trends seen at the Golden Globes to Grammy Awards this year. For his fall/winter 2015 collection, Oliver included draped furs, plunging necklines, low-backs, and very high-slit dresses (think Anja Rubik at Met Gala or Angelina Jolie at the Oscars in 2013). Sounds like Hood by Air will be dressing a lot of actresses on the red carpet, perhaps? Probably not because the 27 year-old designer showed these looks for men, not women.
Hood by Air is NYFW’s favorite gender-bending brand. And along with Oliver’s anything goes aesthetic, the designer always incorporates some outrageous performances on the catwalk; last season, he sent a model on crutches hobbling down the runway (how Derelicte!); before that, men in blonde weaves were sent twerkin’ down the runway for a hip-hop drag extravaganza.
This season Oliver ditched the theatrics, and let these wild clothes speak for themselves. Here are Hood by Air’s stand-out looks.
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High-Slit Dresses: HBA may have given Angelina a run for her money with the high-slit of this dude’s dress. Just to add a masculine touch, Oliver included some short-sleeves and a bold label. The high-slit dress has been reemerging ever since Jolie’s big debut. At the Grammys, Kim Kardashian bared nearly all in a Jean-Paul Gaultier gown that had a never-ending slit up the front.
Plunging Necklines: How low can you go? Im my opinion, HBA definitely out-plunged Kate Hudson’s Golden Globes look from last month. Hudson’s plunge may have highlighted her cleavage, but HBA’s showed off this model’s happy-trail.
Cut-Outs: Oliver showed some cut-out pants (?) under a pleated skirt on the runway, but Miley Cyrus’ cut-out dress at the Grammys served to be a bit more sexy and sensical. We’ve seen plenty of cut-out dresses on the award circuit so I’m pretty certain the cut-out craze will trickle down to trousers like the ones HBA showed.
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Off-the-Shoulder Fur: It’s not easy to wear fur on the red carpet (partly because Los Angeles’ weather just doesn’t permit it), but Charlie XCX incorporated a fur accessory with her Jeremy Scott suit at the Grammy Awards. I have to hand it to Oliver’s take on the look, though. Not only is this fur number off-the-shoulder (supported by halter straps), but it even has a low-back and can double as a winter coat. HBA takes the cake with this statement look.
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