Perhaps the biggest model story of NYFW was the return of Carolyn Murphy to the runways. The nineties-era golden girl opened the Jason Wu show, channeling Helmut Newton in painted cherry red lips and a slicked-back undo, and also walked Marchesa later in the week. Liberty Ross’ exclusive appearance at Alexander Wang also caused quite a stir. In the face of swirling rumors about her director husband, Rupert Sanders, the 33-year-old English actress proved that looking good is the best revenge. Still, a handful of fresh faces tackling their first show season also managed to make an impact. The week kicked off with Marine Deleeuw, who opened BCBG Max Azria on Thursday and Rag & Bone on Friday, then went on to walk shows including 3.1 Phillip Lim and Narciso Rodriguez. She ended things on a high note at Calvin Klein, which is arguably the most coveted show to score. Asia Piwka and Kayley Chabot, two other rookies on the rise, also netted Calvin yesterday. Earlier in the week, Piwka debuted at Alexander Wang (she was the mystery girl in Christopher Kane’s Resort lookbook) and turned up at Marc Jacobs, Rodarte, and Michael Kors. Chabot’s girl-next-door appeal brought about coveted spots at Altuzarra and Proenza Schouler.
It’s safe to say that many catwalking careers have been launched at Alexander Wang, and this season was no different. Striking redhead Irina Kravchenko (pictured, bottom right) was the first girl out there, which paved the way for turns at Marc Jacobs, Thakoon, and Narciso Rodriguez. Juliana Schurig (pictured, bottom left) and Marikka Juhler (pictured, top right) also started with Wang before going on to do other top shows; bleach-blonde Schurig landed at Derek Lam and Theyskens’ Theory, among others, while Juhler, who is serving a serious, old-school glamazon vibe, had everyone asking, “Who’s that girl?” at Tommy Hilfiger, Oscar de la Renta, and Proenza Schouler. Speaking of Proenza, baby-faced Wylie Hays opened the show after walking Alexander Wang and Theyskens’ Theory earlier in the week. Personally, we’ve got a crush on Athena Wilson’s (pictured, top left) ragged pageboy bowl cut. Wilson premiered at Creatures of the Wind and also worked her tomboyish charm at Altuzarra and Narciso Rodriguez. It’s worth mentioning that coincidentally, nearly all the notable newbies (aside from Piwka and Hays) are with Ford Models, so Paul Rowland and company must be doing something right. Nevertheless, there are still three cities left, which means plenty of opportunities (read: major league exclusives) for other newcomers to step up.
