Months of hard labor have led to this seemingly effortless moment, a glint of beauty during New York Fashion Week. The models are herded into rooms full of mirrors, wires, brushes, and powder where hair and makeup artists gather around like a pit crew. Fix the loose strand of hair. Find the missing model. Resize the pair of heels that are too big.

The Creative Director of French Connection US carefully skims through the fabric on the rack like pages of an antique book. Her assistants wait with steamers and irons to smooth out any imperfections—a microcosm of the big picture: individual cogs of a show striving for a fleeting, perfect 10 minutes. When the music drowns out and the lights go down, a collective emotional sigh of relief resounds for it is done.

French Connection           
SS19 SS20 FW20
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