Good Sports

Approximately eight months ago, Alexander Wang lured fashion editors to the Brooklyn Navy Yard for his fall 2014 show, uncharted territory for most. For the blowout celebration of his Alexander Wang x H&M collaboration, the designer again chose the path less traveled, bringing guests up to Washington Heights (that would be the upper Upper West Side for those not familiar with things above midtown). More specifically, he took over the Armory on the Hudson, an indoor track arena.

“Well, at least it didn’t require a water taxi,” quipped one scribe.

Complaining was at a minimum during cocktails for the show, which took place on the third floor, and was decked with sparkling silvery carpeting and faux white track lines. Strapping servers handed out glasses of champagne, striped boxes of popcorn and foam boxing glove hands—which editors quickly nodded no thanks to as if they were high calorie hors d’oeuvres.

But people quickly got into the spirit when the show began with a sportive video on a jumbotron featuring models doing super hero things like breaking concrete walls and snowboarding. Then a team of acrobats did flips and handstands on a wooden obstacle course-style centerpiece. Out stormed the models in a kind of we-survived-the-apocalypse-welcome-to-Dystopia armor, albeit stamped with Wang’s signature cool imprint. Confetti showered from the ceiling, which front row celebs like Dakota Fanning and Eddie Redmayne gamely shook from their glossy locks, before rushing backstage, along with mobs of showgoers, eager to get their hands on the gear at a temporary pop-up store (the full line goes on sale on November 6th).

The catwalk became a party space, with a bar magically appearing where the acrobats had just minutes earlier been leaping. And later, the stage lit up for a rousing performance by Missy Elliott including “Work It.” Oh trust us, they will.