Fashion week highlights: Models with disabilities, Scott sends message to Kavanaugh

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Highlights from the first few days of New York Fashion Week, a including political message from designer Jeremy Scott, models with disabilities wearing adaptive clothing designs, and a show that looked back at Tom Ford's career.

Designer Jeremy Scott has a message for Brett Kavanaugh

NY Fashion Week Jeremy Scott — Fashion designer Jeremy Scott appears at the finale of the presentation of his spring 2019 collection during Fashion Week in New York, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Kevin Hagen)
Kevin Hagen

NEW YORK (AP) — Designer Jeremy Scott was a man with a message on Thursday night at his star-studded runway show, and that message was directed at Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Scott made his traditional post-show lap of the runway wearing a handmade shirt that said: "Tell Your Senator No on Kavanaugh," along with a Washington phone number to call and express displeasure with President Donald Trump's high court nominee.

Backstage, the designer explained that he was trying to stand up for "women's rights, reproductive rights, LGBT rights, affirmative action — you know, it's all at stake with this one man."

As for the actual clothes on Scott's runway, there was no political message there. His new collection, Scott said, came about when he started looking at old photos of himself from the '90s, when he was experimenting with ideas of gender fluidity.

"It was inspired by my old Polaroids," Scott, 43, said in a backstage interview, "all the different elements where I'm experimenting with looks on myself, things that we were doing in 1996, a time before gender fluidity was a term."

"A lot of things we were doing were really forward," Scott said.

Scott's models were, as always, dressed up in brilliant neon colors, especially orange and green, with shoes and boots that went up to the knees, or — in some cases — reached up the body and over the shoulders.

There were big sweaters emblazoned with big words, like "sex" and "riot" and "revolt" and "shock" and "peace" and of course "Jeremy" and "Scott."

And probably the most striking addition to the runway was the overalls, with those built-in shoulder-high boots. There were long zippers at both front and back, unzipped, for a revealing effect.

"It wasn't so much any particular thing from the past, just a mood," Scott said. "Things I really love like recontextualizing ideas of army surplus, and sequins and camouflage."

And yes, he had a muse this season: Himself.

"Often we have muses for our fashion. I decided I was my own muse this season," he said. "Sort of a meta-muse."

Celebrities tend to flock to Scott's fashion shows, and this time was no exception: Guests included rappers Cardi B and Offset (the latter walked on the runway); Tiffany Haddish, Paris Jackson and Caitlyn Jenner.

APTOPIX NY Fashion Week Jeremy Scott — Jeremy Scott's spring 2019 collection is modeled during Fashion Week in New York, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Kevin Hagen)
Kevin Hagen

— By JOCELYN NOVECK, AP National Writer

Clothes for people with disabilities highlighted on catwalk

Fashion Runway of Dreams — Models gather backstage for the Runway of Dreams runway show, Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018, during Fashion Week in New York. The runway show featured models with disabilities wearing adaptive clothing for children and adults.(AP Photo/Kevin Hagen).
Kevin Hagen

NEW YORK (AP) — New York Fashion Week has opened its glamorous tent wider to feature models with disabilities wearing adaptive clothing designs by Tommy Hilfiger, Nike and Target.

Organized by the Runway of Dreams Foundation, the show on Wednesday included a catwalk welcoming to wheelchairs, crutches, walking canes and more. Actor and model RJ Mitte of "Breaking Bad" was host.

Mitte said he understood the importance of inclusion on a personal level, having been diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age 3. "I'm really excited to see all this inclusivity and all of these strides to be diverse," he said.

The founder of Runway of Dreams, Mindy Scheier, was inspired to start her foundation when her son, Oliver, who has muscular dystrophy, told her he wanted to wear clothes like everyone else. His request was for blue jeans_a clothing item that would prove difficult to pull on and off with his condition unless the pants were modified. She decided to make him an adaptive pair on her own and realized the need for more adaptive clothing lines for individuals with disabilities.

"Fashion is a direct correlation to how we feel about ourselves, our confidence, our self-esteem," said Scheier. "And if you don't have that, if you don't have options, it can really affect how you feel about yourself. So truly, clothing is a basic need. So, shouldn't we all feel really good and have options like everybody else?"

Model Mama Cax, recently featured on the cover of Teen Vogue's September issue for "The New Faces of Fashion," lost her leg during a battle with cancer. She is now an advocate for inclusion in the fashion industry and walked the runway Wednesday.

She said she wanted to see people with disabilities cast in movies and TV in lead roles or as love interests but without any "inspiration piece attached to it," adding: "We want to see them in a normal role, average role, like we do in our everyday lives."

Jason Redman never expected to find himself at a fashion show. Redman was a U.S. Navy SEAL who suffered injury to his face and body when he was struck by machine gun fire during a special operative mission in Iraq. He received the Inspirational Achievement Award for the clothing company he founded, Wounded Wear.

"People underestimate the power of clothing, the power of wanting to feel good and look like everybody else around us. And that's what this organization does. So to be here, to be an awardee, to be a part of it, it's pretty awesome."

Photos: New York Fashion Week's Runway of Dreams

Fashion Runway of Dreams

— By RAGAN CLARK, Associated Press

Tom Ford looks back on his career with leather and lace

NY Fashion Week TOM FORD — Fashion designer Tom Ford salutes during his show at the Fashion Week in New York, Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
Andres Kudacki

NEW YORK (AP) — Gigi Hadid took a dramatic twirl on the runway and Cardi B took a seat on Tom Ford's front row as he kicked off New York Fashion Week with a ready-to-wear collection that was both romantic and hard-edged.

The spring-summer looks for all genders had the designer looking back on his long career to the simplest reason he got into the business in the first place: "I wanted to make men and women feel more beautiful and to empower them with a feeling of confidence," he said in show notes.

"I feel that fashion has somehow lost its way a bit," Ford explained. "I did not want to make clothes that were ironic or clever, but simply clothes that were beautiful."

Ford made use of flesh tones, warm whites, powder blue, blush pink and the palest lilac with touches of lace and chiffon to achieve the soft and sensuous part of Wednesday night's equation. He offered the structure of hard leather and the sheen of fake crocodile for toughness.

There was an abundance of black, including a dreamy caped dress worn by his closer, Hadid. Kaia Gerber wore a head scarf of soft taupe, while other models swished in silk fringe paired with printed crocodile bodices, tailored animal print corsets and halters with matching biker jackets.

For the men, tuxedo jackets came in metallics, a Ford signature. For the women, skirts hovered just below the knee, some in an asymmetrical design. A few loose dresses included leather corset detailing. And their shoes? Beautiful with the edge he was going for in metal caps at the toes and heels.

Henry Golding, who plays hunky Nick in the summer smash "Crazy Rich Asians," wore a white tuxedo jacket. He and Tom Hanks flanked Vogue's Anna Wintour, with Cardi nearby, her hair down but swept back, statement earrings in place as she showed off a form-fitting black gown to the ground after giving birth to Kulture Kiari in July. Paris Jackson, Hailee Steinfeld and Hanks' wife, Rita Wilson, also attended.

Golding was celebrating the success of his rom-com: "It's three weeks at the top. It's pretty amazing so we're blessed," he told The Associated Press.

Cardi was happy to be out, but missing her Kulture.

"It feels good and it feels like, oh I want to go to my baby now. ... I wish I could take her everywhere," she told the AP.

She said "little by little" she's getting back into the swing of music, fashion and life in general, but it's been tough.

"I'm struggling with it," she said of the postpartum blues she's been experiencing. "I miss her even when I'm, like, in another room away from her."

Of her own fashion line, soon to be launched by Fashion Nova, she said look out.

"It's gonna be amazing," Cardi promised.

Photos: Highlights from Tom Ford's show at New York Fashion Week

NY Fashion Week TOM FORD

APTOPIX NY Fashion Week TOM FORD

NY Fashion Week TOM FORD

NYFW Spring/Summer 2019-Tom Ford SS19 Show

NY Fashion Week TOM FORD

— By LEANNE ITALIE, Associated Press

Associated Press writer Alicia Rancilio in New York contributed to this report.

LeBron James says in Kaepernick reference: I stand with Nike

NEW YORK (AP) — Clutching his young daughter in his arms, LeBron James said he stands with Nike, a clear reference to the company's Colin Kaepernick ad campaign.

The basketball superstar — and new Los Angeles Laker — made the remarks as he received an award Tuesday for both his style and his philanthropy from Harlem's Fashion Row. The fashion collective partnered with Nike for the New York event, both a fashion show and an awards ceremony that focused on diversity in the fashion world. The evening culminated in the reveal of the latest LeBron James Nike basketball shoe: a women's sneaker designed by three female African-American designers and inspired by strong African-American women.

In emotional remarks, James paid tribute to the three women in his life — his mother, wife and 3-year-old daughter, Zhuri.

He noted how his mother had raised him alone, and given him "a sense of pride, a sense of strength, a sense of no worry."

"Because of you, Gloria James, I'm able to be in a position today where I can give back and showcase why I believe African-American women are the most powerful women in the world."

The NBA star, who was wearing one of his favored shrunken-fit shorts suits by designer Thom Browne, called his daughter "my rock."

"People always told me if you ever have a girl, she'll change you," said James, who also has two sons. "I was like, nobody's changing me, I'm a man." But she did, he said.

"Not only did she change me, she's made me a better person," James said. "A more dedicated person, a stronger person, I guess a more sensitive person."

Closing his remarks, he said he stood "for anybody who believes in change." He added: "I stand with Nike, all day, every day."

Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, unveiled his first ad of the new campaign Monday. "Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything," it said.

The new endorsement deal has sparked vigorous debate, with some fans expressing displeasure over the apparel giant's support of a player known for starting a wave of protests among NFL players against police brutality, racial inequality and other social issues.

Some angry fans were even burning and cutting out the signature swoosh logos on their gear — and posting the results on social media.

But Kaepernick and his Nike campaign, which marks the 30th anniversary of Nike's "Just Do It," received plenty of support from the fashion world in attendance Tuesday.

Bethann Hardison, an activist for diversity in fashion and a former supermodel who was also honored by Harlem's Row, said she was happy with Nike's move. "It's such a divided situation in our world right now," she said of the negative reaction by some fans. "But I'm such a huge, huge, wholehearted supporter of Colin that I'm very proud that someone understands what he's done and (is giving) him some kudos."

Prominent African-American designer Tracy Reese said she loved the new Nike campaign.

"It was tastefully done," she said. "And really, this is the time to stand up for what you believe in. Colin Kaepernick has done that and I think that we need to follow his example and really go where the heart leads, instead of where everybody expects you to go."

Also honored at the ceremony were Harlem streetwear designer Dapper Dan and stylist Jason Rembert. A fashion show highlighted the work of designers Kimberly Goldson, Undra Duncan and Fe Noel, who together helped create the new shoe.