As the brisk air leaves New York City slowly and the fresh spring air hits the streets, so do the latest fashion trends of the spring and summer. With designers we know and love, possibly new names and faces, and possible controversies, all are welcome. Every February and September Fashion centric lovers gather in our city to see fashion history being made. With brands making an anticipated return to the mainstage, then sharing the spotlight with fresh faces. Here are the highlights of New York Fashion Week SS24.
Credit: Hype Beast
Starting on the first day of NYFW, a beautiful show curated by Helmut Lang most certainly turned heads and helped the brand make a return to the fashion scene. Helmut Lang and creative director Peter Do curated 47 different outfits displayed, managing to capture the essence of the brand’s timeless black and white simplistic looks. Yet, with a new and fresh twist, utilizing warm colors to represent the upcoming warm seasons. While portraying seasons through colors, many outfits within the collection are very versatile. Versatile for all seasons and purposes, creating a collection that is versatile and gender-fluid. All looks from the collection carry a certain theme of unisex tailoring, expressing freedom and breaking implanted stereotypes and “rules” set in place for fashion. With each collection, Helmut Lang and his team produce, a minimalist and deconstructivist mindset comes with it. Each piece from this collection captures movement, through eccentric colors and materials. Such as using the duality of a woven seat belt attached to a blazer, “It’s New York minimalism with a global mindset”. Along with a Helmut Lang show, New York Men’s Day occurred allowing many artists an opportunity to display their pieces. The most eye-opening designers were; Clara Son, Terry Singh, Kent Anthony, Aaron Potts, SEBASTIEN AMI, and Tarpley. All collections were truly nothing short of perfection, and are sure to be headliners for main events in the future.
Credit: Raydar Magazine
Eckhaus Latta was another highlight of the season, by using “transparent” as a lifestyle then expressed through clothing. Eckhaus Latta used not only transparent/ and or sheer outfits for the runway but also silhouette and body framing pieces. Throughout the entire presentation, many different “categories” of looks were shown. Such as daywear, eveningwear, and looks for casual appearances. Yet this collection is not afraid of modesty nor its standards, with almost every look still using “translucent textiles” or body framing pieces. All looks still had the versatility of being for different points of the day, yet taking back “sheer” and “transparent” and making it high class and elegant.
Credit: Vogue
On February 11th the ready-to-wear collection by Altuzarra was not only chic and elegant but managed to stand out while only using muted tones. The French-American designer creates Feminine tailored clothing, exuding and embracing a seductive yet softly feminine feel. Altuzarra was very inspired by the 1968 horror film Rosemary’s Baby by Roman Polanski for this specific collection. Using only muted colors, but still making a bold look is very impressive. Especially when keeping versatility in mind, while creating an empowering yet soft feminine look. The tones of colors presented were thought-provoking for many, mainly because Altuzarra has leaned more toward bold looks in comparison to his most recent collection. This collection pushes the refined line between everyday casual styles vs. a sophisticated yet just as equally empowering style for every day. Showing the duality between embracing a level of elegance through everyday wear and nightwear.
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The last highlight of this article will be the presentation of the Diotima collection titled “Nine Night”. Creative visionary and founder Rachel Scott is a Jamaican, Brooklyn-based, fashion designer who incorporates her heritage into her artwork. The collection has such heavy ties to Afro-Caribbean art and culture, that it simply flows and is very apparent in each collection and piece she has curated. Jamaican Contemporary artist Laura Facey also helped curate the message behind “Diotima”. Channeling their Afro-Caribbean roots, along with trying to spread awareness about slavery and mistreatment in the Caribbean, all while still managing to be an example of sustainability. Scott uses Diotima as her message or ode to the world, only curating two “responsibly produced” collections in a year. This brand contains many consistent factors that help contribute to its image. Such as its dancehall-inspired roots, crochet patterns, crystal mesh, beadwork, and more. The collection’s pieces can all be traced back to certain traditions as well. Such as even the name of the collection, the name takes after a “funerary tradition” in Caribbean countries. This means certain pieces with darker colors serve a more emotional purpose than meets the eye. Yet this also means the opposite for pieces with lighter colors incorporated. Showing how every piece has an intense purpose and is so carefully curated with purpose. This collection is empowering and is as beautiful on the outside as it is on the inside, creating new standards for the fashion world.
The collections from this season were so carefully crafted and the amount of work that went behind every piece is truly amazing. This season also had many politically involved approaches to fashion, which is very important for the future of New York Fashion Week. To see fashion evolve and create memorable moments in history, in this city but connected to all over the world is very astonishing. As the warm air passes and the brisk air hits New York, so will a new wave of fashion-centric artists.