LaQuan Smith’s classy new power woman storms Wall Street

LaQuan Smith loves a classic New York icon to stage his fashion shows, the Empire State Building, and the Rainbow Room, synonymous with glamorous parties, was a mainstay for several seasons. For Fall/Winter 2024, the designer chose another iconic Manhattan landmark, the Great Hall, aka Cipriani Broadway, an Italian neo-renaissance building by Benjamin Wistar Morris completed in 1921. A fitting location just steps away from Wall Street, America’s financial power epicenter and exactly where Smith feels his woman should be.

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“I am designing for a woman who has things to do and places to go inspired by the idea of sartorial western American dressing of the late 80 and 90s,” LaQuan told FashionNetwork.com post-show, adding, “I was thinking of my women as these Wall Street vixens and sirens and tapping into the exploration of day wear.”
 
Indeed, the first look out was a caramel, high sheen pony skin thigh-high split trouser-style pencil skirt worn with a matching shirt styled after the classic men’s button shirt. The model sauntered to the O’Jay’s ‘For the Love of Money’ the first of many on a great soundtrack by Matthew Mazur and Tama Gucci that also included ‘Hey Big Spender, ‘Pusherman’ and ‘She’s a Lady’ that drove home Smith’s power woman. (‘The Men All Pause’ and ‘Independent Woman’ were not in the lineup but also summed up the message of the clothes.) Speaking of music, the designer tapped singer Babyface to serenade the room, playing live on a baby grand piano while rapper Busta Rhymes took in the show with his daughter.
 
What was immediately evident was the clothes, while still possessing Smith’s surgically precise tailoring and fits, covered up more than previous highly sexy and revealing clothes. By sculpting the body and including the designer’s authoritative lines and seaming, the collection exuded sex appeal in a much more sophisticated offering.
 
Part of that was the day-clothes directive that Smith gleaned from feedback from customers who loved his clothes but “couldn’t wear any of them before 9p.m.”
 
“I love being known for bringing sexy back and for creating unapologetically sexy clothes, so this daywear is still very LaQuan Smith,” he continued.

Think navy pinstripe suiting as a fitted suit with a mini skirt or a longer side slit version or a charming, fitted pinafore based on a menswear vest.

“The pinstripe in navy was because the color represents financial stability for me. I wanted to reinforce a level of direct and straightforward traditional menswear concepts and make them super provocative,” he explained.
 
One of the tricks to achieve the dichotomy was a liquid latex four-way stretch in a waxed finish that lived up to its description, creating the sleekest sheen seen on the runways.

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But it was also the way Smith took a stretch fabric to create tailored looks; standout in the material was a black bodycon style dress with a poplin dickie and cuff, which could be viewed as a business in the front but revealed an open back. A similar mood on a caramel body suit that was ruched and fitted like a second skin and a grey suede suit jacket and mini skirt with a fitted shirt were perfect examples that caused a few guests—like Giuseppe Zanotti, who collaborated on shoes for the—designer to remark Smith channeled a modern Gianfranco Ferré vibe. Smith professes to design for the woman who loves dressing up, is in tune with her body and loves being the center of attention.
 
The elevated mood was also thanks to silk charmeuse, gabardine wools, rich suedes, furs, and gold sparkle material that appears almost like individual tiles on a few evening looks because, after all, a LaQuan Smith lady still needs a gala frock.
 
Smith was beaming as he described his process. “Tailoring and construction of the female form; that is my canvas. I create around the body, referencing the 80s’ and 90s’ broad shoulders, and figure out how to bring it back to the focal point: a snatched waist, which every woman needs. There are a lot of dramatic silhouettes that feel timeless and still look good in ten years,” he offered.  With collections like this, its certain Smith will still be delivering his sassy and chic clothes a decade from now or more.