Though it was tough to divert your eyes from the naked figures that adorned cocktail dresses in Christopher Kane’s Fall 2015 collection, the second-skin Lurex knits on the runway were no less attention-grabbing—may we refer you to Look 34, in particular. In emerald green with a multicolored buckle belt, the ensemble was the stealth hit of the collection—sparkly, slinky, with an underlying wink of naughtiness. The spellbinding nature of those clothes was not lost on fans of the label: Salma Hayek and Kate Hudson both stepped out in versions of the look.
Now, nearly a year later, Kane has updated the sparkling style with a series of seven exclusive pieces for Bergdorf Goodman. In rich magenta and glittering navy, the long-sleeved knit tops, tanks, dresses, and pleated skirts sit side by side with the rest of Kane’s Spring 2016 collection on Bergdorf’s third floor. “This was one of those pieces we put in the show, which we thought, It’s so great. We didn’t think it was going to be a wow moment, but it’s been a best seller,” says Kane. “The collection is a little bit sparkly, but you can wear it with jeans, little loafers or sneakers, or you can dress it up with tuxedo pants.” Judging by the many shoppers circling the racks, the spangled items are bound to be popular, as will the all-out lace creations he made exclusively for BG.
Launching this special capsule isn’t the only thing on his do-to list while he’s in New York: On Monday evening, he’ll walk the red carpet at the Met Gala, and a selection of his designs will be on view as a part of the Costume Institute’s exhibition “Manus x Machina.” “The last time I had something in the Met was for the punk exhibit [in 2013]. It was a really old dress that was next to a Versace dress. That was such a proud moment,” Kane says. “I’ll be really proud to see my work this year, and might even shed a tear because it’s the Met.”
This year’s theme—the relationship between the man-made and the mechanized—is right up Kane’s alley, too. Since his debut collection in 2006, he’s been pushing the boundaries of what man and machine can do, laser-cutting leather to look like lace and turning 3-D face scans into arresting prints. “I think technology has become such a huge part of our lives, we can’t live without it,” he says. “Even the embroidery we do nowadays is like 3-D printed—I still don’t understand how it works totally! I think it’s science fiction, but it’s reality.” So what’s the latest new technology Kane’s obsessing over? “Can’t really tell you, I’d have to kill you!” he says laughing.
Kane was also mum on which A-lister he’d be bringing to the Gala, though he did hint at what she might wear. “She’s going to be wearing something similar to the recent show, but slightly different. It’s really about her; that’s the whole point. I don’t want to put her in . . . could be a he!” he says laughing, before course correcting. “No, it’s a her. I don’t want to put her, him, or anyone in something that’s going to make them feel ridiculous. The fact is, actresses or pop stars, they’re not props, they’re people, so they need to feel good, sexy, and confident!”
Last year, the Scottish designer faced the flash bulbs with FKA twigs and her fiancé, Robert Pattinson. “She was great,” he says of the musician, who wore one of the aforementioned lace nude looks. Still, when it came time to pose on the carpet, Kane found himself putting on his morale-boosting hat for the press-shy couple. “In the car going there, Robert says, ‘I don’t really like the red carpet.’ I was like, ‘What do you mean? You’re a movie star?’ He’s says, ‘No, I hate it.’ That got her nervous, so I had to put on this false bravery. Meanwhile my leg is kicking with nerves! But before you know it, it’s over in seconds. I was quite happy for them; they looked beautiful.” And if his stellar track record is anything to go by, then Kane’s mystery date this time around won’t have any reason to fret either.
