NYFW Thoughts + Prayers

6 days that could have been two!

I am fresh off 6 days (4 too many, IMO) in New York for Fashion Week and gearing up for Paris again in March. We are in a weird market crunch that is only truly this bad once a year, but it’s a lot to navigate mentally and physically and suitcase-ily.

I packed my toiletries into Cadence bags which are cute and useful. Originally I avoided the capsules, because they were too small to hold much, but they now have extenders so I’m all in. I can’t get my head around packing cubes but this parcel system holds all my makeup, toiletries, hair tools, contacts and general bullshit that would otherwise just get tossed into a bag and I’ve enjoyed feeling less like a wild animal going on a trip when I pack.

Here is what I saw in New York and how I felt about it:

Proenza Schouler //

I have heard mixed reviews. A lot of people loved it, some found it lackluster. I loved it, but I am also biased. I think Rachel Scott is one of the loveliest, hardest working, talented women in fashion and the world at large. So I was pre-disposed to like it. The suiting was a skinny departure from all of the oversized, menswear influenced suiting of seasons past (and present). There was nothing louche here. The olive stretch wool suit was fitted to perfection. Rachel Tashjian Wise (@theprophetpizza) declared “The Barney’s bitch is back” and I think we need her.

As an aside, I wore my Proenza Salome pants 3 times over the course of my trip and I would have worn them more but the slush and salt stained the hem.

Mel Usine //

A medieval romance fever dream. I saw Stephen Biga’s collection for the first time this season and there are some incredibly special pieces here, including but not limited to the assless-chaps adjacent skirt seen below. Yes, we’re buying one for the store.

Ossou //

This is well-made, beautiful, commercial clothing. It’s not reinventing the wheel, but the quality is top tier, the fabrics are elevated and the silhouttes are easy.

Aisling Camps //

Her first showing for NYFW. On the one hand, I like that it exists outside of trends and feels wholy singular, with a sense of craft and heritage that really makes it special. On the other, I can’t really figure out how it would exist in my wardrobe. It almost needs to be a complete entity on it’s own. Still, it’s undeniably special.

Zankov //

Kooky as hell! I am a big fan of all things Zankov. The way I wear it and the way it comes down the runway couldn’t be further apart, but the spirit is the unifying thread. I think the eveningwear is especially strong this season, but he always shines in the simple, slinky striped rugbys and turtlenecks paired under fuzzier layers. I can’t wait to wear them with a bright silver earring for a lift.

Ashlyn //

Ashlyn was more structured and architectural this season - I imagine there will be a lot of her signature jersey on offer when we visit the showroom but it wasn’t factored heavily on the runway, which felt like a big step forward. The jersey is easy to wear, beautiful, and it sells - but this runway felt very special. The brand has had an amazing year - CFDA/CVFF winner and countless press and celeb placements. She deserves the acclaim.

Colleen Allen //

Colleen Allen is going to do very well in the wake of Margot Robbie’s press tour for Wuthering Heights. It’s intellectual and not as overt in it’s sexuality, but it’s still exceedingly sexy and Victorian-leaning. Don’t call it a trend, she’s been about that life from the beginning. She’s just getting better at making you see the vision IRL.

Fforme //

Fforme is officially a NYFW heavy-hitter. Frances Howie is so good at dressing women in real, exceptionally well-made clothes. This is how I want to dress when I grow up. I was less excited about the statement pieces with elaborate metalwork as I was about the core of the brand’s identity (tailoring seperates, beautiful outerwear), but I still loved watching them walk on the runway.

Eckhaus Latta //

Ok. I saw the collection in the Paris showroom in January and I liked it a lot, but I need to see it again before we commit to buying it. That said, I LOVED the show. It made the clothes so much more understandable to me which is weird, because usually it’s the other way around. The runway is what it is, and the showroom is the real clincher. On top of that, New York loves Eckhaus and it’s so heartwarming. The crowd went wild. The casting was perfect. People cheered and smiled at their friends on the runway. It was truly lovely. Fara Homidi did the makeup and used the new eye compacts which I’ve already purchased because I LOVE Fara Homidi makeup so anything additional excites me. Try it, trust me.

Khaite //

It was my first time seeing Khaite, and it was a spectacle from start to finish. The crowd was a sea of glossy black leather and very celeb-heavy. The setting was starkly beautiful. It felt like a lot of themes to contend with, but Khaite is another brand that shines in close contact for me. The leather really is unmatched, and the fabrications are getting better and more elevated each season.

Don’t Let Disco //

I went to the new DLD studio in BK to see the new fine jewelry and I learned a lot about how jewerly is made and also about how terrifyingly easily I can find ways to rationalize gifting myself something sparkly. The antique beads are strung together after sterling silver or gold is essentially banded around each bead. Nothing gets drilled or compromised, just encased. Ashley described it as a technique called Poles of Light and I geek out so hard when I learn things like that. It’s hard to find someone who has the skill and the patience to make something in this way and that’s why we need to care about who makes our stuff and why! These are lost arts, and we need to lift up the people who care to preserve them.

Diotima //

Unsurprisingly another one of my favourites. I had seen some of the collection in January in Paris, so I already knew a bit of what we were in for. Scott partnered with the estate of artist Wifredo Lam, and the resulting prints and colour explorations were gorgeous. This collection was earthy, textural, wearable and a bit challenging. Which is a nice spot to land in this climate.

What I Wore //

I never know what to pack for NYFW because I’ll just come out and say it, I’m not an influencer. If a tree falls in the woods etc. etc. But sometimes someone will take a picture of me on my way into a show AND my job is in fashion so I do have to try a little bit. This is in no particular order.

I have never met an oversized leather bomber that I can say no to. I bought these loewe pants about 8 years ago and I wear them ALL the time still. These are a good sub, and these are a less drop-crotchy option - they work because of the crepey, drapey fabric. This sweater is from a brand I discovered through Bonnie at HURS - Townwear. I am in love with everything. These boots are on my feet everyday. These aren’t the earrings I’m wearing but they work well.

I’m wearing the Proenza Salome pants, the same boots I wore most days, and a trench because it’s an all-season coat and I’ll die on that hill. Here is a good trench alt, and a bag alt - cute and a good colour without the Bottega price tag.

Did a little shopping at Outline BK - Phenomenal store. I ended up getting this jacket - the colour is unmatched and it’s very hard to find so here is the only one I could fnd online. The brand sizing is 0 - 3 and I bought a 1, so the 0 shoud fit a small/medium easily.

I wore these earrings in the morning but took them off because I felt like the fringe was wearing me. I think I’ll cut an inch off and see if that feels better. The sweater is Studio Nicholson from Absolutely Fabrics. I’m holding the shearling tote from Proenza that we’ll be getting in store in the fall.

You’ve heard me wax poetic about Meryll Rogge if you’ve been here before, and I’d love to do it again. This shirt is SO easy and so cool. It works in any situation you’d find yourself. We sold out of this shirt but here is other Meryll worth perusing, including this belt. These are the jeans - slouchy without being sloppy, soft but structured.

More Meryll! Here and here. Also, I did overdo it on the eyeshadow but this is all I use - i dab it on and then blend it with a brush.

I threw a fleece on top. Any fleece will do. Try this one or this one. Another Khaite boot because they are a perfectly comfortable, chic option for a working + walking gal.

The last thing I want to talk about if you’re still here is Elena Velez. We used to carry her at AF, and I think she’s talented. That said, I’m sick of the corny runway antics. Sending a walking trash can like Clavicular down the runway and then going out of her way to explain why she’s not explaining it (if you don’t get it you don’t get it type of verbiage) is dumb. Don’t claim intellectual superiority as a way to not have to admit that you do it for clicks and eyeballs. It’s giving House Inhabit. It’s giving divisive for fun. It’s cheesy as hell. That’s all!

x

Kael