New York Fashion Week, one of the most popular fashion weeks alongside Paris, Milan, and London, came to an end a couple of weeks ago. NYFW is eagerly awaited by fashion fans and industry professionals alike since it is each designer's opportunity to showcase their ideas. And, while fashion is always changing and growing, it is also cyclical; you never know what will be popular and what will fade.
Shall we take a look at the significant developments and highlights from New York Fashion Week while our eyes are on the happenings at Milan Fashion Week?
Rimowa’s 125th Anniversary
Rimowa, the German luggage brand owned by LVMH, has evolved into a sought-after fashion accessory name owing to its solid, lightweight bag designs. With its simple styling and signature grooved exteriors, it has grown from a traditional luggage manufacturer into an LVMH success story.
During New York Fashion Week, Rimowa debuted 'Seit 1898,' a traveling exhibition commemorating the company's 125th anniversary. This exhibition, which begins in Tokyo on June 8th, highlights Rimowa's enduring heritage since its establishment in Cologne, Germany, in 1898. It includes archive cases, donations from brand friends, and artworks, all arranged in compelling dioramas that convey the tale of Rimowa's identity, featuring rare archival items and customized cases.
Anna Delvey Hosting a Runway Show
Delvey has been under house arrest for over a year as she opposes deportation to Germany after serving two years in jail for grand larceny, among other financial offenses, and another 18 months in immigration detention for overstaying her visa.
Delvey's participation at New York Fashion Week, or any event that required her to walk outside, may have been limited due to her court-ordered ankle monitor. But, as it turned out, fashion week came to her thanks to Kelly Cutrone, the head of the public relations firm People's Revolution. Though Delvey's taste in expensive clothing is widely known, with her meticulously picked courtroom outfits frequently going viral throughout her 2019 trial, her participation in a runway walk has naturally prompted criticism.
Ralph Lauren’s Return
New York Fashion Week was buzzing with expectation and excitement as Ralph Lauren, one of fashion's most legendary brands, made a triumphant return to the runway. The event was not just a presentation of Ralph Lauren's latest innovations, but also a celebration of the brand's long heritage. The presence of A-list celebrities that graced the event made this comeback even more spectacular, turning it into a star-studded extravaganza that was the talk of the town.
Ralph Lauren's ageless and elegant design approach was on display in the collection. The items, with a reference to classic American design, emanated the grace and refinement that has been synonymous with the Ralph Lauren brand. The collection, which included beautiful evening dresses, fitted tailoring, and casual yet sophisticated ensembles, demonstrated the brand's diversity and ability to transcend fashion trends.
90’s Icons Making a Comeback
Naomi Campbell, the iconic supermodel recognized for her imposing presence, chose to change the script and branch out into fashion design. She debuted the Naomi Campbell x PrettyLittleThing collection alongside Victor Anate and Edwin Thompson. This was Naomi's first collaboration, and fans and fashion aficionados were excited to see how her distinct aesthetic preferences would transfer into a collection. Her entrance into design not only demonstrates her professional impact but also her status as a trailblazer.
Another notable occurrence this fashion season was the return of Christy Turlington to the runway. She stunned the crowd in a breathtaking one-shoulder gold costume during Ralph Lauren's show.
Sami Miro’s NYFW Debut
The self-taught fashion designer stayed true to her roots, which began with her childhood in San Francisco, where she transformed thrift old clothes. This early experience inspired her to launch her own fashion brand under her own name. Her distinct DIY design approach, which entails bending and reworking traditional clothing designs, has found traction with celebrities such as Kylie Jenner and Rosalia.
Sami Miro's creative methodology was heavily highlighted in the current fashion season. Denim and leather clothes with elaborate cuts and adjustments produced by Miro herself were on full show on the runway, oozing a unique aesthetic.
The highlight was Miro herself emerging from backstage with scissors in hand, giving the audience an insight into her creative process. On a model positioned on a box in the center of the catwalk, she easily changed a pair of slacks into a flowing gown. This presentation demonstrated Miro's dedication to eco-friendly and sustainable design principles, demonstrating her preparedness to take her brand to new heights as a CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund designer.
PH5’s Presentation
PH5 honored garment workers by paying homage to factory floors for its New York Fashion Week debut. Founder Wei Lin and designer Zoe Champion completed their creamsicle-colored exhibition of wacky knitwear with two models wearing piles of their outfits, with sustainability at its foundation. The visual experience emphasized the industry's excessive overproduction and overconsumption, as well as the frequently back-breaking labor garment workers suffer.
Collina Strada and AI Collaboration
Collina Strada's presentations are typically full of humor and theatrics, but the brand changed things up a bit this season. For starters, models were beaming from ear to ear on the catwalk, breaking away from the usual smoldering glances and injecting some much-needed levity. More significantly, Strada cast a varied ensemble, including mid and plus-sized models as well as trans luminaries Tommy Dorfman, Aaron Rose Philip, and Hari Nef. The firm also casts models beyond the age of 40, which is almost unheard of in the fashion industry.
Peter Do for Helmut Lang
Do's collection was also a tribute to New York City - the "fast. energetic, chaotic way that people live" throughout the five boroughs. Models entered the room in a gridlike arrangement, dressed in the colors of yellow taxis and loose patterns of newspaper, but for the show's climax, they fell into the cadence of pedestrians on the street, their lives intersecting for a short instant. The familiar tones of the MTA's "Stand Clear of the Closing Doors" echoed in among the sorrowful piano notes and audio of Vuong's introductory letter.
On the day of the show, Peter Do debuted his Helmut Lang SS24 collection, which had a New York theme. Silk-screened patterns inspired by iconic yellow cabs were featured in the collection, with a mix of all-black and colorful ensembles, including jackets with taxi-themed straps and high-tech cashmere sweaters. Suiting and denim with taxi iconography, as well as backward-worn shirts with lyrical poetry about being queer and Asian in America, were also part of the collection. The designer intended to market appeal by offering several ways to wear the clothes.
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