New York Fashion Week Powered by Art Hearts Fashion kicked off on September 11, 2025, at the Angel Orensanz Foundation. Day 1 fused glamour with cultural storytelling and set the tone for the week.
As the doors opened, the atmosphere shifted. Inside the Gothic Revival venue — with glowing stained glass and towering arches — anticipation filled the room. The night promised couture-level craft and fashion presented as both spectacle and statement.
MAYA
The show opened with a video that cast the room into a dystopian hush — an image of survival, ruin, and the possibility of rebuilding. That mood carried into the clothes. Ecuadorian designer María Ángeles Hernández framed sustainability as cultural storytelling, sending out silhouettes that looked more nomadic than urban.
Loose and layered looks dominated the runway — flowy trousers, ponchos, and jackets edged with embroidery and weaving that nodded to her roots. Pleather and recycled textiles added a raw, deconstructed edge. Mesh layering exposed the body beneath, turning imperfection into intent.
Altogether, the collection explored themes of inheritance and survival — fashion built from what came before, yet reaching toward what comes next.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 11: A model walks the runway for Maya during New York Fashion Week Powered By Art Hearts Fashion at The Angel Orensanz Foundation on September 11, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Art Hearts Fashion)
Photo Courtesy: Mark Gunter & Eugene Gologursky (Day 1) © Getty Images + Art Hearts Fashion
Kenneth Barlis
Kenneth Barlis understands spectacle in its purest form. His collection shimmered with jewel-toned gowns — emerald, sapphire, ruby, and fuchsia. Each one demanded the audience’s full attention. Sequins, reflective fabrics, and translucent lace carried the drama. Cutouts, mesh, and daring sheers turned sensuality into architecture.
His menswear walked the same bold line with floral blazers, satin trousers, and embellished jackets. The looks collapsed old notions of masculinity and proved pageantry isn’t limited to women’s wear.
Barlis’s instinct for spectacle comes from home. He hails from the Philippines, a global powerhouse in beauty pageants. That heritage was stitched into every look. The beaded corsets, cascading fringe, and metallics weren’t decorative — they were declarations, garments engineered for spotlight moments and designed to turn the body itself into spectacle.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 11: A model walks the runway for Kenneth Barlis during New York Fashion Week Powered By Art Hearts Fashion at The Angel Orensanz Foundation on September 11, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Art Hearts Fashion)
Photo Courtesy: Mark Gunter & Eugene Gologursky (Day 1) © Getty Images + Art Hearts Fashion
José Zafra
José Zafra brought an unrelenting vision of romance to the runway. His bridal collection was expansive — dozens of gowns, each offering a different vision of the bride. Sheer lace sheaths melted into the body, corseted silhouettes sparkled under embroidery and crystal, and floral appliqués cascaded across skirts like falling petals.
What tied it together was Zafra’s devotion to detail. Every dress demanded a double-take. Bodices were sculpted with couture precision but softened with embroidery and flowing tulle. Beaded strands draped across torsos and arms, moving like jewelry with each step. Lace and mesh collided in daring slits and sheer corsetry, marrying traditional romance with bold, modern sensuality.
Zafra’s work didn’t just present a bride. It proposed many — the classic, the modern, the sensual, and the bold.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 11: A model walks the runway for Jose Zafra during New York Fashion Week Powered By Art Hearts Fashion at The Angel Orensanz Foundation on September 11, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Art Hearts Fashion)
Photo Courtesy: Mark Gunter & Eugene Gologursky (Day 1) © Getty Images + Art Hearts Fashion