Mercedez Benz New York Fashion Week: Rebecca Minkoff Spring 2014

Fashionistas gushed not only over the creative casual clothes and the striking patterned gladiator heels, but also the entertainment: live music from singer Janelle Monae. Minkoff, a designer especially popular with younger women, has long used live music at her runway shows. This time, she partnered with American Express as part of their American Express Unstaged program, which pairs artists and makes their collaborations available through digital media. The runway show with Monae was live streamed, as was another mini-concert afterward in a private room nearby in the Lincoln Center tents, where Monae performed songs from her new album, "The Electric Lady," to be released next week.

The heavy latin tones and Janelle Monet playing during Rebecca Minkoff’s Spring 2014 show should have told us right away what kind of show to expect. A fun one, that is. Minkoff’s latest collection paid homage for strong Latin America women like Frida Kahlo and Bianca Jagger, but bring the latin flavour. One of the biggest telltale signs for us was the crown braid on the models walking down the runway.

The collection itself was just as fun as the music playing in the background. The colourful embroidery details, the lace see-through skirt, and the “let’s go to Mexico” shirt created a carefree just effortlessly chic look. Most importantly, it made us want to go on vacation.

Minkoff's collection was considerably more colorful and intricate, with laser-cut leather skirts and jackets in bold yellow or pastel green, shiny floral patterns, embroidered dresses, T-shirts emblazoned with the words, "Let's Go Mexico," and some pretty kinky-looking knee-high gladiator that drew Monáe's attention.

On Friday, designer Rebecca Minkoff teamed with singer Janelle Monáe and American Express to mix live music and fashion into one show. While Minkoff presented her collection, which she billed as a salute to Latin American women from Frida Khalo to Bianca Jagger through the decades, Monáe rocked the tents with several songs from her soon-to-be released album, The Electric Lady in a session called "American Express Unstaged."

Previously, American Express has matched popular musical artists with renowned film directors, but the company billed the Minkoff/Monáe pairing as its first "fashion meets music collaboration."