Style & Fashion

We have seen the future of boots, and they are nearly knee-high, part-Wellington boot, part-cowboy boot, and part-stiletto. These boots may come encrusted with baubles. Because what is a boot if it cannot be pimped to the hilt.

The originator of this utterly joyful footwear is the designer Jeremy Scott (in collaboration with plastic shoe brand Melissa Shoes), who showed an impressive autumn/winter collection high on color and mischief.

Scott, whose last collection here was just as colorful and trippy, not only revels in the frivolity and fun of fashion but also shares the impeccable taste of the author of this article in being a fan of CBS’s magisterial daytime soap opera, The Young and The Restless.

Scott has even appeared on it, the lucky chap—as himself in Genoa City itself, selling his fashions to Lauren Fenmore and her eponymous boutique.

Lauren spends only sporadic patches of time at Fenmore’s department store—she is more memorable for her titanic enmity with the evil Sheila Carter, and has even been persecuted by an exact double who imprisoned her for months.

That ended with a shootout in a fairground hall of mirrors.

Sorry, you don’t want to hear about our shared soapy passion—although, lovely as Blondie’s “Hanging on the Telephone” was to begin and end Scott’s rock-and-roll show, perhaps “Nadia’s Theme” should feature the next time.

The socialite Nicky Hilton was there, as was model Coco Rocha, and gossip-monger turned reality TV star Perez Hilton in a shaggy white coat that twinkled with colored lights, his very own illuminated snowman.

As the music pumped, Scott sent out riotous pop-cultural mash-ups rendered in body-hugging dresses, sweaters and T-shirts. We saw Ren & Stimpy, cartoons, bright, clashing colors, and Pop Art-esque faces.

There were tiny, cropped-to-the-ribcage jackets in denim and leather, pink and black cow prints on coats, a figure-hugging dress with the design of a guitar emblazoned on it.

It was kitschy, for sure, but the deftness of the execution undercut the camp jokes. While there were cowboy-styled short dresses and bib skirts and fishnets—a show that comically broached the meeting point of hipster and down-home—there was also one stunning purple wool winter coat that was beautifully tailored and played not for laughs.

Mind you, a few seconds later, out came a more neon-purple, tinselly-looking jacket that shuffled and slinked so outrageously you heard sleigh bells ringing as it passed by.

Indeed, Scott must love Christmas, because other sweaters and shorts came with actual baubles placed all over them, like the Wellington boots—although a colleague noted that on his womenswear, the baubles were placed strategically over the nipples, which might make everyday wear a little too Christmassy.

Plain shirts came scored with colorful slashes, like mod zebras. Color zapped eyeballs loudly and unapologetically: There were pink and yellow satin shirts, pink bustiers, and pink leather trousers. A tight aqua-colored top came with a black leather skirt. If a model came out in anything like a neutral color, Scott gave her neon boots to finish the look.

The odd, chiseled male model wore corresponding designs in sweaters and T-shirts, even down to heavily beaded denim jacket and jeans.
Both men and women can enjoy Scott’s liking for such bead-encrusted garb, as well as metallics (in gold and silver) in trousers and short skirts. Should they be fans of space, they can invest in a mohair jumper or short mohair dress, both with colorful planetary design.

The supermodel Karlie Kloss opened and closed Scott’s show, smiling—a rare and welcome contravention of the typical model’s sullen runway mask.

Hers was the perfect expression for Scott’s brilliant parade. His clothes, after all, are meant to make you smile—and perfect for his restless fans, both young and old.