For Spring/Summer 2020, Alexander Wang served a three-tiered slice of Americana that paid tribute to Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and Donna Karan — the holy trinity of American fashion in the late 20th century — for the first-ever fashion show held at the Rockefeller Centre in New York City. This collection picked up where Wang’s previous shows had left off, extending his examination of American culture with a love letter to “the pioneers who paved the way for me,” he said. “American fashion and being born in America has influenced me so much. Not just the brands, but what they stood for: strong, unapologetic women.”

The first act was dedicated to Donna Karan, opening with a series of structural outerwear defined by bold shoulders, nipped-in waists, and a quintessentially New York colour palette of black and neutrals. Karan influenced American fashion in the ‘80s by simplifying women’s wardrobes into core pieces as suited to the office as to a night out in the city — an approach strongly echoed in both Wang’s core collection and his T by Alexander Wang brand. Here, Wang’s homage to Karan ran the gamut of glossy black coats, cotton hoodies, and jersey jumpsuits, all the way to a dry cleaner’s bag made from premium leather.

The emphasis on city basics transitioned smoothly to act two: Calvin Klein, whose ’90s minimalism and sex-sells attitude flourished on Wang’s runway in scores of light-wash denim and “AW” tees riffing on the CK original. In this section, Saturday Night Live’s Pete Davidson made a surprise runway appearance amidst the slinky lingerie pieces and asymmetric skirts.

The third section, dedicated to Ralph Lauren, was perhaps the most striking for its stylistic dissonance from Wang’s own aesthetic. Signatures of Collegiate Prep — corduroy blazers, American Flag sweaters, dark-wash denim, and button-down shirts with sleeves tied across the shoulders — appeared one after another against a soundtrack of “lo-head” hip hop. Western shirts and suede fringes evolved into an all-black series, which set the stage for an impactful finale featuring supermodels Liu Wen, Kendall Jenner, Binx Walton and Kaia Gerber.

The closing act mixed design codes of Karan, Klein and Lauren, as well as signature pieces from Wang’s own label into a bright, all-white lineup that united the diversity of the show. Wang called the finale a tribute to the suffragettes, who often wore white, but also set the stage for an open-ended discussion on the future of American fashion and, by extension, what it means to be an American.