New Yorker and musical theater lover Michael Kors chose Broadway as the runway to celebrate his fashion house’s 40th anniversary. Earlier in the month, as reported in our W42ST Daily Newsletter, the fashion brand closed off W45th Street for the evening to parade his fall/winter collection with many of the world’s top models.
This week, Kors took to YouTube to broadcast the show that celebrated New York, Broadway and his MK brand, featuring cameo roles for Times Square and Sardi’s along with the Shubert and Booth Theatres. The cast of the world’s leading models included Bella Hadid, Irina Shayk, Shalom Harlow, Helena Christensen, Liya Kebede, Karen Elson, Paloma Elsesser, Precious Lee, Alek Wek and Naomi Campbell. Not to be upstaged, Broadway was represented by stars like Billy Porter, Bette Midler, Cynthia Nixon, Chita Rivera, Alan Cumming, Mj Rodriguez and Sara Bareilles.
“My favorite art form aside from fashion design, of course, is theater. I’ve lost count a while back, but I’m pretty sure I’ve seen thousands of Broadway shows. There’s no greater experience in the world than taking in a Broadway show. It’s pure magic, and it’s not just the show itself,” Kors enthused in the introduction to the show. “There’s the anticipation of meeting friends for dinner at Sardi’s surrounded by the iconic portraits of Broadway’s most famous faces. Then it’s off to the theater, finding your seat, the lights going down. Honestly, even just talking about it makes me feel joy.”
The event also served as a fundraiser for The Actor’s Fund, with both Kors and his company making donations. “So many of the incredible artists who make up Broadway have been devastated by the shutdown that pandemic has caused,” he said.
The show started with a wall of Broadway talent reminiscing about their MK experiences. “I remember my first Michael Kors. I looked fierce,” said Mj Rodriguez. “Mine was a red patent leather coat,” shared Marisa Tomei, with Ashley Park enthusing: “Mine was one of his totes that said MK on it a bunch of times.”
Rufus Wainwright performed a New York medley that featured “New York State of Mind” and “There’s No Business like Show Business.”
Vogue praised how Kors mixed ’90s-era supermodels and new stars in the show: “They all wore shimmering, body-skimming dresses in black, silver, and gold. It was refreshing to see women in their 40s and 50s walking the runway. And now, when much of the shows are being seen through screens and not in person, a supermodel reunion may just be the moment that we all need for a bit of excitement.”
The Michael Kors Collection 40th Anniversary show can be seen on YouTube.
