By Riley Clark
If you’re on the internet (literally ever), you likely notice outlandish fashion twice yearly: every September and February. The bi-annual New York Fashion Week gives leading fashion designers a platform to display their newest collections. Occurring this past week from the 9th through the 14th, the collection of events allowed viewers a taste of the upcoming fashion season. From lavish leathers to celebrity appearances and cheeky costumes, this was one for the books. Allow me to show and tell some stand-out happenings of this NYFW.
Via flaunt.com @womens_history_museum on Instagram
As an ode to New York City, the Women’s History Museum titled their collection Enfer, meaning hell in French. The collection held such an array of art that the audience could not help but cheer in excitement about what the next look could possibly be. There was athleisure, screen-prints, porcupine quills, and even butt flaps. The juxtaposition of looks was a commentary on the noise of the city. Co-designer of the brand, Mattie Barringer, said within this love letter to NYC that there “were themes of resilience and triumph over the harshness of the environment.”
The Blonds electrifying looks at FW24 featuring metallics and a very fire-nationesque look
via theblondsny.com
via wmagazine.com
Having a history of decadent venues for his shows, designer Willy Chavarria was ready to pull the focus toward his statement clothing. Guests arrived at an empty warehouse, which only contained a long table engulfed in candles. In light of world events, Chavarria dubbed his collection “Safe From Harm.” Models walked in warm, familiar patterns like tweed and plaid in an effort to make viewers feel secure. In contrast, there were harsh leathers throughout, all while Chavarria’s model casting was one of fashion week’s most diverse.
Kim Shui embodied the dragon in her designs dedicated to the Lunar New Year.
via flaunt.com
via @juliafox on Instagram
Italian American actress and model Julia Fox attended many fashion week events. She was seen sporting a ballet-core pairing from a new luxury brand called Eunoiaa, crediting them for their sustainability as well as being women-run. Many other celebrities made appearances throughout the week wearing numerous big and small brand names alike.
via marcjacobs.com
An honorable mention is Marc Jacobs Spring 2024 Ready-to-Wear collection. Although it occurred pre-NYFW, it served as a celebratory launch into fashion week as well as Jacobs’ self-titled label’s 40th anniversary. The event welcomed scores of well-known people. Anna Sui, Dakota Fanning, Sophia Coppola, and Chloë Sevigny sat in the front row as models walked under an oversized table accompanied by its folding chairs. Skewing perception, models bore stiffly fitting, foam-like garments that could easily remind someone of Polly pocket dolls. The models wore wigs teased to great heights, and Twiggy-inspired makeup to emphasize the paper doll intention. And, of course, model Ms. Alex Consani handled a rendering of Jacobs Venetia bag, which was made popular from its cameo in The Devil Wears Prada.
Christian Cowan pays homage to the ‘Mob Wife’ aesthetic during FW24
via wwd.com
Another notable collection came out of Berlin’s fashion week. Led by Shayne Oliver, the brand Anonymous Club hosted a show that transcended fashion into a fantasy realm. The set was doused in green lighting, seemingly taking place in some kind of liminal space. Several minutes of techno music played before models began sauntering the runway dressed in workwear, waistlines up to their shoulders, and abstractly fuzzy headpieces. With the rebranding of his original line, Hood By Air, Shayne Oliver champions emerging talents in hopes of reforging pop culture.
via voguehk.com
Many have taken to the Internet saying they are loving this transition they have seen from runways lately. The resurrection of models who are unafraid to have personality in their walks is something that has been talked about a lot this fashion week. This phenomenon is often referenced back to the Spring 1995 Todd Oldham’s runway, where Shalom Harlow is seen overtaking Amber Valletta in an act that seems catty. Yet, at the end of the show, the two come out holding hands and dancing to the music. It is acts like this, performative set designs, and outside-the-box fashion that make NYFW 2024 feel so alive.
Critiques of the high-fashion world may diss an event like NYFW, saying it is an excessive boast of opulence. Yet, a main point of haute couture, for the average person, is to receive art. Clothing is art, and art is consumable -- it is to be appreciated by all, even if not affordable. Although it may have been hard to stun after Pat McGrath’s glass skin makeup that shook the internet late this January, NYFW 2024 managed to take fashion to new heights.