Cynthia Rowley watched Michael Jackson’s epic 1993 Super Bowl halftime show — with the lights, the wind, the smoke — over and over. It led to the inspiration for her first digital fashion show, which she opted for this season in lieu of a traditional runway format. “It gave us the ability to have all these special effects, and to be able to bring forth that rock ’n’ roll entertainment element,” Rowley explained on the set of her video shoot earlier this week.
The clothes — inspired by this atmosphere, and also by the idea of movement — skewed toward nighttime dressing, most of the silhouettes long, languid and a little bit Sixties. “Now that we’ve separated out fitness, a lot of the sportiness has left the collection,” Rowley said. That meant more elevated and dressed-up looks featuring luxe fabrics, from metallic brocades and sheer high-neck blouses to mixed-media lace dresses in rich jewel tones.