Celebrity designer is Victor dE Souza is opening New York Fashion Week with a political statement.
Couture-clad models will ride through Central Park in horse-drawn carriages, an industry mayor Bill de Blasio has vowed to ban.
“The horse-drawn carriage is the epitome of style,“ says dE Souza. ”There is no better canvas for a runway show than a carriage ride through majestic Central Park.
New York-based designer dE Souza has worked for celebrities including Rihanna, Madonna, and Lady Gaga.
DE Souza had chosen horse-drawn carriages for a “epically grand, gallant, and mobile” visual effect for his Spring 2015 show.
Protest
NYCLASS, a political advocacy group, is protesting across from Central Park. The group says the horse-drawn carriage industry is outdated an inhumane, and says the use of the carriages in this fashion show is still dangerous.
Despite support from real estate and and several other industries, as recently as Tuesday de Blasio re-affirmed his stance that the industry is inhumane and will be banned.
