When Fashion Returned to the Hamptons

By Regina Kravitz–

This past weekend, Hamptons Fashion Week returned to the Hamptons with a multi-venue event packed with fashion pop-ups. There was enough going on to keep attendees plenty engaged. The event was located on Westhampton Beach’s Great Lawn, which provided room for lots of smaller tents and a full-scale runway show.

Early Friday evening there was a food-and-wine event. Stretching the weekend, there was also a Sip-and-Shop party at the Southampton Inn Saturday morning and an invitation to the Bijoux nightclub on Main Street in Southampton Saturday night.

But the main focus was on the awards ceremony and the runway show.

Philip Bloch, Icon Designer of the Year

Icon Designer of the Year went to Philip Bloch, who most recently has been creating one-of-a-kind cashmere sweaters bedecked with gold disks, flowers, patterns and cutouts that range from $500 to $2000. He is best known as a celebrity stylist who has worked with Halle Berry, Lindsay Lohan, Salma Hayek, John Travolta, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lopez, and Melania Trump.

One of Bloch’s beaded cashmere sweaters was part of the runway show (Raul Photography)

The Emerging Designer of the Year went to Snow Xue Gao. In fact, Hamptons Fashion Week might be a little late in recognizing Snow. The Parsons graduate of the master’s program won the LVMH prize in 2018, was voted one of Forbes 30 under 30, won the Swarovski and Vogue New Generation award, and was made a member of the CFDA in 2022. (That’s the Council of Fashion Designers of America; you have to be invited to join.)

Snow Xue Gao, Emerging Designer of the Year

Her refreshing and highly wearable line of dresses, skirts, tops, jackets, and bags is running a 20 percent sale right now on her website. But not on the clever items we saw on the runway, which nonetheless are priced under $400. I’m guessing that’s what “emerging” really means.

A Snow design, available on her website. (Raul Photography)

Now for the third award, for Retailer of the Year.

Is there anything that Michelle Farmer doesn’t sell? Is there any high-net-worth zip code where she doesn’t have a store? I doubt it.

Michelle Farmer

She is a marketing phenom, with spectacular taste. As one shopper said, “The prices are high, but it’s worth it.’ She sells luxury clothing (of course cashmere, needed when the sun sets and you are out to sea, or in the desert), jewelry, handbags, home décor, pet accessories, stationery, bed linens, bar accessories.

A pink felt hat with two feathers is $1,100 (natch at the Palm Beach store).

One item, an off-white, one-piece bathing suit/bodysuit for day-to-night, is $205. One of those things you don’t need until you see it.

Where else is she? 10A Jobs Lane, Southampton, Boca, Mizner Park, and featured at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix. Did we mention Farmer also designs? And sells linens?

Johnny Was bathing suit and cover-up. (Raul Photography)

Onward to the runway show, which included swimwear from Johnny Was (and who doesn’t need a colorful caftan or a beach coverup) and beachwear from Tracy Marcus design. There were also shoes by Modello and handbags by Stella & Luna.

Tracy Marcus Designs (Raul Photography)

What can I say? It was nice to see Hamptons Fashion Weekend come back.

I hope it will thrive and be an annual event.

Regina Kravitz is a designer whose fashion breakthrough came with the jumpsuits she made famous in the 1980s. She is a longtime member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America.