New York Fashion Week: The Good, the Promising and the Utterly Depressing
Gauging the mood at the fall/winter 2025 shows
Quick PSA: I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Jonathan Michael Square as the second speaker of my upcoming conversation, Lost Histories: Black Fashion Designers’ Legacy. You might have encountered his work on Instagram through his brilliant media platform @fashioningtheself. He is also the co-curator of "Revolusyon Toupatou", a multi-media exhibition that explores the enduring legacy of the Haitian Revolution, which I had the chance to check out on its last day (yesterday). You can read more about him and RSVP for the event (note the location change) here.
“I’m inspired by the way clothing can shift a person’s energy,” fashion designer Charles Harbison (one of the most exciting new voices in New York) told Bergdorf Goodman in a recent email.
Considering this dystopian moment in time, I was looking for this energy shift during New York Fashion Week. Something to counter the prevailing feeling of warfare and cultural blandness we’ve been experiencing, but save for a few designers, the majority merely reflected the present instead of imagining a different future. If there was an energy shift, it was almost too diffuse to be perceptible, likely stifled by the hostile leather armor at Khaite or shrouded in the layers of quiet luxury at Michael Kors.
Instead of promoting vulnerability and togetherness, the majority of designers embraced individual modes of survival—strong-shoulder blazers (seen at Fforme); insulating two-in-one sweaters (seen at Tibi, Tory Burch and Jonathan Simkhai); cocooning coats (seen at Brandon Maxwell and Calvin Klein)—resorting to the usual female power tropes and depressing color palettes that only heightened my sense of despair. Other designers retreated into their own worlds, rehashing uninspired streamlined silhouettes (Theory) or flamboyant red carpet ensembles designed to live in the digital realm (Christian Siriano). Some of the looks were good (flawless even) but they conveyed a sort of neutrality that turns a blind eye to the world around us. You’d think the most moneyed brands would have the courage to say “Enough!” but instead, business carried on as usual.
Contrast this with the post-pandemic collections, which were all about glamour and fantasy, and helped us envision the way forward. Joyful color palettes and festive details adorned everything—not in an oblivious way but in a willful assertion of optimism. Where was this optimism?
For a good four years, it’s been the emerging voices carrying the energy of New York Fashion Week forward. And this season once again, these designers offered hope. Among my favorites, Christopher John Rogers’ unwavering commitment to color, which shows in the disciplined evolution of his collections, was a joy to see. I feel the same about Zankov’s vibrant knits and plush textures. Meanwhile, my queen Rachel Scott at Diotima gave voice to the women whose substance is rarely captured in their clothes. Contrary to the cliché female archetypes we saw, Diotima’s women are complex, soft, hard to decipher yet they want to be part of the world around them.
What these three designers have in common is nuance and imagination, which in turns inspires their audience to dream. They also anchor their practice in their communal identities, which makes for not only interesting designs but creates an inclusive fashion world I want to live in.
If New York leans into these original voices (and there are many more), it might be okay after all.
Other honorable NYFW mentions:
Eckhaus Latta: Smart clothes with plenty of down-to-earth appeal.
Christian Cowan: I’m always tickled by his provocative designs.
Sandy Liang: I can’t articulate why but Sandy Liang’s collections always make me smile.
Ashlyn: A masterclass in nuanced minimalism. I loved her sensual shapes and the styling was delicious!
Altuzarra: Sharp and playful. This white stud-covered dress is just fabulous!
Kim Shui: Her brand of unrestrained sexiness has remained consistent.
Last but not least, I would love to pick Marc Jacobs’ brain one day. His distorted heels were so FUN (I need).
What were your favorite New York Fashion Week moments?
Until next time,
Shelcy