Hopping on the back of a motorcycle with a custom-made bike helmet would have made perfectly clear Kenneth Cole's objective for its fall collection -- rebellion.
But a rainy start to New York spring Monday grounded the adrenaline-boosting ride to the brand's blogger event -- where all guests were scheduled to arrive via motorbike -- forcing it to rely on a viewing of James Dean's "Rebel Without a Cause," screened on oversized slate gray beanbag chairs resembling boulders.
"My mother never allowed me to ride a motorcycle," creative director Ingo Wilts told WWD, explaining that the correlation between the event and the collection related more to the brand's heritage than his own search for danger.
Brand namesake Kenneth Cole, however, said he could relate to the theme. "I used to ride a bike before I was a real city boy," he told WWD. "[But] living and survival is an instinct of man."
Wilts tied in the collection's edginess through what he dubbed the "aviator" look -- double buckles on bags, outerwear pieces and knitwear. Cole said it was also important to balance the "contradiction" of romance and rebellion for the women's pieces, resulting in a rough but refined collection with attention on the waist.
"I think we all have that rebellious side of us," Cole said. "The question is how does it find its way out."
I'm still eagerly awaiting the postponed motorcycle ride, when I can let mine out.
"My mother never allowed me to ride a motorcycle," creative director Ingo Wilts told WWD, explaining that the correlation between the event and the collection related more to the brand's heritage than his own search for danger.
Brand namesake Kenneth Cole, however, said he could relate to the theme. "I used to ride a bike before I was a real city boy," he told WWD. "[But] living and survival is an instinct of man."
Wilts tied in the collection's edginess through what he dubbed the "aviator" look -- double buckles on bags, outerwear pieces and knitwear. Cole said it was also important to balance the "contradiction" of romance and rebellion for the women's pieces, resulting in a rough but refined collection with attention on the waist.
"I think we all have that rebellious side of us," Cole said. "The question is how does it find its way out."
I'm still eagerly awaiting the postponed motorcycle ride, when I can let mine out.
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