New York Fashion Week Highlights Fall 2017

1 Designers Made Political Statements on the Runway

Prabal Gurung sent out a finale of tees with phrases like "My Girlfriend Is a Feminist," "Love Is Love," and "I Am an Immigrant." Models walked to the songs "Respect" and "You Don't Own Me." Sitting in the front row to take in the unexpected action was uplifting, to say the least.

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Image Source: Getty / Neilson Barnard

Candice Huffine led the pack on Prabal's runway.

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Image Source: Getty / Brian Ach

Jonathan Simkhai distributed "Feminist AF" tees at his runway show. They'll be available for purchase on his website, and he donated $5 per show seat to Planned Parenthood, backing the CFDA's initiative.

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Image Source: Getty / Ilya S. Savenok

The CFDA distributed pink pins that are also spotted all over Fashion Week, on models and showgoers alike.

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Image Source: Getty / Slaven Vlasic

Christian Siriano's collection was, as always, filled with fancy red carpet gowns, but the crowd cheered the moment they saw this simple tee.

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Image Source: Getty / Randy Brooke

Public School Creative Directors Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne poked fun at Donald Trump's campaign with hats and tees that read "Make America New York" and "We Need Leaders." Models walked down the runway to the song "This Land Is Your Land."

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Image Source: Getty / Theo Wargo

Mara Hoffman began her performance presentation — which involved a runway show and interpretative dance — with a reading by the Women’s March co-chairs including Bob Bland, Tamika D. Mallory, Carmen Perez, and Linda Sarsour. The message was to come together despite our backgrounds and fight for the rights we deserve, but also to celebrate beauty all over the world. Bob, Tamika, Carmen, and Linda infused their own notes with powerful quotes by Angela Davis, Audre Lorde, and Maya Angelou, finishing each speech with the phrase "hear our voice."

Mara Hoffman commented that her show was "not only an opportunity to feature the Mara Hoffman Fall ’17 collection, but also an opportunity to amplify a greater message of unity, inclusion, diversity, and feminism in a fashion space. This is the chance to show that there can be a cross section of fashion, politics, and activism in the name of social justice and women’s empowerment. These are necessary things for all people."

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Image Source: Getty / Neilson Barnard

Right before his finale, Naeem Khan sent this gilded gold gown (complete with a matching headpiece) down the runway. A heartwarming recording about diversity played, ending with the phrase, "We are more alike than unalike."

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Image Source: Getty / ANGELA WEISS

Indonesian designer Anniesa Hasibuan, who first showed her collection at Fashion Week last season, was back for Fall 2017. This time, all of her models in hijabs were either immigrants, green card holders, or first/second generation Americans, making a statement about inclusivity on the runway.

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2 Everyone Wore White Bandanas

Image Source: Getty / Marc Piasecki

Business of Fashion launched an initiative right before Fashion Month, asking showgoers and designers like Tommy Hilfiger and Prabal Gurung to style their looks with white bandanas. They're meant to show unity, equality, and an appreciation for all humankind. People all around the shows picked up on the trend with good reason.

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New York Fashion Week Highlights Fall 2017

Image Source: Getty / Georgie Hunter

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Image Source: Getty / ANGELA WEISS

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3 Raf Simons's Calvin Klein Debut Was the Most Anticipated Show

Image Source: Getty / Pietro D'aprano

Critics and showgoers applauded Raf Simons, who offered his take on Americana, transforming Calvin Klein classics into modern statement pieces and setting his show in the middle of an art installation by Ruby Sterling.

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Image Source: Getty / Dimitrios Kambouris

Raf had a wonderful front-row turnout including Sarah Jessica Parker, Anna Wintour, Millie Bobby Brown, A$AP Rocky, Julianne Moore, Naomie Harris, and Gwyneth Paltrow.

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Image Source: Getty / Melodie Jeng

Kate Bosworth even created her own t-shirt, affixed with the new Calvin Klein logo.

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4 The Casting Was Diverse

Image Source: Getty / John Lamparski

Starting last season, J.Crew tapped everyday men and women to dress up in the new collection. Fall 2017 was no different, as editors and friends of the brand showed how to style the looks at the presentation.

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Image Source: Getty / Slaven Vlasic

Just like last season, Christian Siriano vowed to keep his runway diverse. Models of all shapes, sizes, and color led the runway, including Alek Wek, who led the finale.

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Image Source: Getty / Neilson Barnard

Plus-size model Candice Huffine walked Prabal Gurung's runway. The designer also paid careful attention to diversity when casting, choosing women with different body types and a variety of different ethnic backgrounds.

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