Fashion

Clear-Eyed, Full Heart, Can’t Lose Fashion at New York Fashion Week

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3 months ago

September 12, 2024

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Clear-Eyed, Full Heart, Can’t Lose Fashion at New York Fashion Week

There’s a common misconception about fashion–that to appreciate it and “get it” you have to have years of experience in the industry, a deep knowledge of materials and fabrication, and highly refined taste. That’s part of what makes fashion feel intimidating and inaccessible. When I started writing about fashion I was so worried that I didn’t understand what made a collection good. A decade and a half later, I know that yes, seeing a lot of it and having context for what makes an idea feel new or if something fits well helps, but the guttural reaction counts for a lot. When you see it, does it make you smile? Do you want to wear it?

A crop of new-ish New York designers have all hit on that feeling. They are making clothes that are eminently wearable while also possessing a distinctive, fresh, and clear-eyed perspective.

A standout of the entire week, Rachel Scott’s spring/summer 2025 collection for Diotima had a room full of editors mentally placing pre-orders. Though her line has only been around for a few years, she has racked up accolades (last year she received CFDA Award for emerging designer and was an LVMH prize finalist) for her thoughtful and personal designs which reference her Jamaican culture, particularly her crocheted pieces which are made in Jamaica. There is no clearer sign of her influence than the fact that you can see knockoffs of her crocheted knit dresses and skirts at every fast fashion retailer.

Deirdre Lewis

For her spring/summer 2025 collection, Scott said her references were blurred–a “Caribbean dream”–with nods to everything from Sunday church services and revivalist rituals to dancehall parties to the Caribbean sea. This resulted in a full wardrobe for the woman she is dressing: crisp shirting and tailoring like vests and Bermuda shorts with floral embroidery cutouts; her now-trademark sexy crocheted tops and knits; high-slit skirts and dresses trimmed with shimmering paillettes meant to mimic the iridescence of oyster shells; and some fantastic draped stretch tulle dresses with shaggy fringe. Scott is effectively creating a world that a lot of women want to be a part of.

So is Colleen Allen. The Row-alum, who dazzled everyone with her debut collection last season of witchy Victorian-inspired underpinnings rendered in unexpected technical fabrics like fleece, builds on the buzz with a swoony spring/summer collection. The references, again, draw from Victorian lingerie. That stellar fleece corset-inspired jacket is back, designed to be bustled or flipped inside out, and lined with silk that intentionally peeks out of the sleeves. There’s also a lighter cotton poplin version that was shown with a narrow maxi skirt. Allen spoke of an evolution, like “baby chicks molting,” which manifested in shirred tulle ruffles and rosettes on sheer tulle tops and dresses. Another dress would have looked too literally like an antique high-necked Victorian cotton underpinning, but Allen intentionally crushes and twisted the pleats to add “immediate character.”

LAUNCHMETRICS SPOTLIGHT

Allen also showed the best take on capris, a trend that’s going nowhere, with subtle lingerie details at the hem like a small slit and undone drawstring. The obvious hit item from this collection were the sheer bloomers with the precious rosette detail at the waist; it’s a piece that will appeal to the “girlhood” bow-heads as well as those exhibitionist New Yorkers who are completely unafraid to be a little naked while pounding the sidewalks.

Closing out the week, Daniella Kallmeyer showed her spring/summer 2025 collection in a salon-style room that looked like the red velvet insides of a jewelry box. Kallmeyer has a solid cool kid following by this point, and Jenna Lyons, Cass Bird, and SNL’s Chloe Fineman were all gathered in the front row. Known for tailoring that somehow manages to look both polished and relaxed, Kallmeyer took a lighter approach to this collection, pairing blazers with diaphanous skirts, and leaning into denim. There were several draped jersey dresses with nipped elastic bodice waists that looked comfortable and easy to wear. There was also a nice riff on the plaid flannel, which showed up on a drape-necked top with a low open back, and a leather jacket that elicited wistful stares.

LAUNCHMETRICS SPOTLIGHT

Appearing to take her finale bow, Kallmeyer teared up in appreciation, putting her hand up to her face as she was overcome with emotion. It’s a good reminder that a whole lot of blood, sweat, tears, and most of all heart goes into these collections, especially the ones muscled into existence by independent founders.