EMPIRE STATE OF MIND

A new launch from Michael Kors celebrates the beauty and grit of New York City.

- Adrienne Gaffney

Michael Kors can’t shake the memory of a 1986 AIDS fundraiser fashion show held at the original Barneys New York location on 17th Street. Andy Warhol was there, and Madonna and Iman were among the models who descended the store’s grand staircase. “The staircase definitely was a turn-on,” the designer says. “New Yorkers love to make an entrance. Even if they’re making their entrance in their gym clothes, they still want to look cool.”