Michael Kors sure did have a busy day at New York Fashion Week. In the morning, he showcased his beachy Michael Kors Collection on a wooden boardwalk with a live performance by powerhouse singer Sara Bareilles, who opened with the Otis Redding classic, "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," and an A-list front row that included Nicole Kidman, Naomi Watts, and Catherine Zeta-Jones, with her stunning teenage daughter.
That night he threw a big party to celebrate the launch of two new Michael Kors Access smartwatches, where he was surrounded by models, including Ashley Graham and Kate Upton (who had closed the Kors show that morning in her first-ever New York Fashion Week runway walk), amid a crowd that was considerably more dressed up.
For spring/summer 2018, Kors is in a super-casual mood, with slip dresses, sarongs and two-piece bathing suits in palm tree patterns and tie-dye pastels, accessorized with woven clutches, raffia shoulder totes, and in a couple of cases, threaded leis. While the look is relaxed, fabrics are ultra-luxe, with cashmere sweatshirts in a tie-dye carnation pattern and a poet's blouse of silk chiffon. A few styles are paired with oversized navy or white blazers that can be worn in the office for those days when a trip to the beach isn't a possibility.
Even the glamorous evening gowns and cocktail dresses in black sequins or embroidered black-and-white palm prints are worn with flip-flops, although they are made of crocodile, not plastic.
It's the most casual Kors collection I've seen in more than decade of covering these shows. But, with the way people are dressing down nowadays, particularly during the daytime, the designer is on to something and probably a little ahead of the fashion pack on the trend.
Kors also showed his smart and trendy side at the party to celebrate the launch of two new Michael Kors Access smartwatches, in a partnership with Google. The Veuve Cliquot was flowing at the event as spinning watch hands towered from the ceiling and DJ Alexandra Richards spun tunes.
Kors' second smartwatch collection includes the Sofie, a daintier version with seven interchangeable strap options for women, and the Grayson, a larger and sporty option with four strap options aimed at men. Both run on Google’s latest Android Wear 2.0 and work with iOS and Android. Prices start at $350.
Kate Upton and Michael Kors posed for photos at the Michael Kors Access smartwatch party.
