New York Fashion Week always brings the most creative and talented designers, but there is something uniquely special about the talented duo of The Blonds. It was a perfect ending of a wonderful season with many of the shows taking place at Spring Studios in TriBeca.
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Spring Studiosβ Mindfulness in Fashion talk, hosted by Alo, featured panelists Bianca QuiΓ±es AKA Quin, Christa Janine, Kirat Randhawa, and Hilary Rhoda discuss mental health in their fields and how it plays into the fashion industry at large. Moderator Chrissy Rutherford asked meaningful questions to discover real experiences, learned habits, and more from each of the panelists. Christa and Kirat shared how growing up in religious homes focused on mental health as something that could be solved by prayer, and how they had to learn that βwhat it means to be well [for them] is different from what [they] were taught it meant to be wellβ (Randhawa). Panelists stressed the abundance mindset over the scarcity mindset, and then went into work life balance. Quin advised to βtell yourself [self-care/mindfulness] is non-negotiable, like brushing your teethβ in order to make it a priority. In order to show up for others and in the workplace, you must first show up for yourself and make sure that youβre able to care for yourself. Mindfulness is a βnecessary means to be of service to the worldβ (Randhawa). Weβve all experienced the culture of busy-ness: those who seem frazzled by all they have going on, are perceived to be working harder – but we need to reframe the narrative to recognize that those who are calm and grounded arenβt necessarily not pushing themselves professionally. Overall, the fashion industry and other professional industries are slowly coming around to honor individualsβ mindfulness journeys, thereβs still a long way to go. People are rapidly transforming their own self-care routines, and employers are going to have to catch up.
The next talk we attended focused on βquality, eco-conscious design that lasts a lifetimeβ from fashion to home design. Presented by LoveSac and moderated by Kerry Pieri, panelists Shawn Nelson, Abrima Erwiah, Olivia Ponton, Laura Hodges discussed The Long-term Luxury of Sustainability. Climate consequences affect everybody, and if they donβt feel real, itβs due to privilege and theyβre guaranteed to catch up fast. LoveSac (who recently debuted a collection with Alice & Olivia) recycled 350 plastic bottles per couch, and is trying to lead the charge to make good design synonymous with sustainability. Currently, a misconception exists within the industry: you have to compromise on quality design to get sustainable products (think: bottlecap wall art, stiff plasticky rug) – but this is false. Additionally, the most sustainable item is the one you already have. Furniture design cycles used to be every 30 years and every 10 for fashion, but social media has been speeding up the process, and companies are racing to produce more output to satisfy this demand. Ultimately, all the panelists agreed that the biggest companies have the biggest input, so they need to get on board to make a significant difference.Β
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The final talk I attended, Ten Years of Costuming the New York City Ballet Fall Fashion Gala, featured panelists Gianna Reisen, Marc Happel, Humberto Leon, Zac Posen talking about their experiences costuming the NYC Ballet. Donya Archer Bommer moderated a conversation designed for dance, in advance of the iconic Fashion Gala. The Balletβs Gala features historic costumes over 50 years old that are still in use, as well as new design collaborations. The Ballet has collaborated with over 30 designers, first starting with Valentino back in 2012, under the direction of Vice Chair Sarah Jessica Parker. This Gala is the only time that costumes come first at the New York City Ballet – usually, designers need to prioritize lightness and movement to complement dancersβ movements. Itβs also an opportunity for designers to try something outside their comfort zones and outside the usual world of fashion. Humberto Leon spoke about his experience bringing social commentary into his designs for the ballet – he looked at the dancersβ social media to learn about each dancersβ individual style, based their costumes off that, and put them in sneakers. This collection for 2016, meant to be a political protest, is still going around the fashion and dance world 6 years later. He also brought the collaboration back into the fashion world by having dancers be models in his fashion shows. They would βfallβ, eliciting horrified gasps from the audience, and rise in a graceful way that showed the entire effect was intentional. In this way, both designers Zac Posen and Humberto Leon illustrated how they needed to reflect the dancerβs essence and the heart of the piece itself in their costumes. The fashion collaborations by the Ballet are a beautiful example of collaboration between two beloved NYC industries.
Recap: Cynthia Rowley, Claudia Lebenthal & Alexandra Stevenson Talk Tennis Fashion at ‘Glam Slam’ Event
IMG and Spring Studios partnered with Chase Sapphire to host a consumer event calledΒ Glam Slam, which combines fashion and tennis.Β
On Friday, September 10th, I attended NYFW’s “The Talks 21stCentury Collectors,” where Jian DeLeon, menβs fashion and editorial director at Nordstrom, moderated panelists Josh Luber, co-founder of StockX and founder and CEO of Stealth Mode Startup; Lynn Yaeger, writer and contributing editor at Vogue; Caitlin Donovan, head of department, handbags, streetwear, and sneakers at Christie’s, and Angelo Baque, founder creative director, Awake NY & Angelo Baque Studios discussed how they became collectors and the culture surrounding collecting within fashion.
NYFW:Rebecca Minkoff Celebrates The Brands 20th Anniversary With an Unveiling of Her First Collection of NFT’s
On Friday, September 10th, Rebecca Minkoff presented her “I Love New York” capsule collection alongside her first-ever collection of NFT’s at Spring Studios.
Luooif Studio dazzled attendees with their newest collection at NYFW: The Shows. Held at Spring Studios in Soho, Luooif Studioβs collection emphasizes the naughty but elegant shadows that run through the soul line of the body.
On Wednesday, streetwear brand Seven Crash presented their “EVOLUTION” Autumn/Winter 2020 collection during NYFW at Spring Studios. Presented by CEO Jason Yao, the New York-based fashion house founded in 2013 is widely known for its experimental designs that fuse together eco-friendly textiles, unconventional patterns and hints of Chinese culture to create one-of-a-kind looks.
This season’s theme, according to Yao, is heavily inspired by technology and the worlds current social and environmental climate. Seven Crash is all for promoting innovation. The fashion house heavily relies on keeping up with the times and the rapid progression of all things relevant in our society today, such as technological advancement and environmental sustainability, and how they will essentially shape our future.
Seven Crash made its NYFW debut in 2019 and it continues to exceed expectations and βCrash The Rulesβ. The Autumn/Winter collection introduces three different series’: Prosperous, Decay and Nirvana. Each series explores elements of technology from a different angle while skillfully channeling futuristic and cutting edge art.
The line features an array of apparel ranging from oversized, thick woven fabrics with a pop of color, to sleek metallic outerwear to rustic, multi-patterned bomber jackets. There’s definitely something for everyone.
Check out some of our favorite looks from the show below:
On Friday, February 7thΒ BLANCORE presented its 2020 Autumn/Winter collection βLost Elfβ at Spring Studios in New York City. This show marks BLANCOREβs second time showcasing at New York Fashion Week, following its debut last season.
The New York-based womenswear label CHOCHENG debuted its Fall-Winter 2020 collection at New York Fashion Week on Friday, February 7that Spring Studios in New York City.
The Fall/Winter ’20 collection by designer Vivienne Hu corralled Spring Studios on Friday with a celebration of classic Americana.Β