LaQuan Smith’s A/W show channelled Hollywood glamour à la James Bond

Looking down on the New York Fashion Week crowd, Norwegian model Frida Aasen dramatically flung her LaQuan Smith shearling coat from the balcony of the ritzy Rockefeller Center Rainbow Room and emerged down the cascading staircase following the infamous words of Dynasty actress Joan Collins: “I now own this house.”

While the display was intended to evoke the 80s Hollywood glamour inspiration behind Smith’s February 13 night show, it was also a subtle reminder to his attendees that this was a house that Smith has built from the ground up into a global luxury brand launching with Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus.

As Aasen descended with a briefcase, fashion week attendees got a close-up look at the artful tailoring of the neckline of her little black mini dress. Smith told the Associated Press that his collection was inspired by the nostalgia of the Dynasty television series and James Bond films.

“I wanted to create a collection that really focused on tailoring menswear suits, sharp clean lines that still create a sense of edge, sophistication and sex appeal,” the 34-year-old said after the show. One by one, models descended the staircase in his beautifully impressive designs – from the black sheer dress with a plunging neckline and black satin bottom that rose at the hips and dipped below the belly button to the dazzling dress draped with black fringe.