Milk Studios

With fans like Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry, Hayley Elsaesser is making Fanta and cherry cola waves at New York Fashion Week. 

Immediately as you enter designer Hayley Elsaesser’s presentation, you are greeted with a shock of pink and music that dips and curves as the people do. The stage has been set and the vibe established: Elsaesser wants to be seen and heard. Bedazzled unicorns, rainbows on clouds and retro prints of space create a pattern of guiltless youth on vibrant, juicy colors.The prints borrow from the disco era’s electrifying palette but Elsaesser’s take on it is refreshing. Pink, orange and purple devour the scene.

Each look comes with its distinct make up, hair and nails, reinforcing the fact that uniformity and the invisible model do not belong here. Here, the model makes a statement as much as the clothes do. Elsaesser embraces differences, loudness and individuality and proves it by pairing a pink unicorn dotted shirt with black dungarees spotted with pink moons and suns. The jarring effect paradoxically brightens the room, making us question why we concern ourselves so gravely with making sure our clothes always match. Elsaesser’s choice of color and print rediscover what it means to be hedonistic and fun when life takes itself too seriously. The unrivalled joy in which Hayley Elsaesser makes her stance on identity is absolutely mouthwatering.