Photos by Matthew Passiglia

Attending the Tommy Hilfiger A/W15 runway show was nothing short of magical. Held at the Park Avenue Armory, a sprawling 4-acre gothic revival building opened in 1880, the collection was an American love story inspired by Ali MacGraw. Using silhouettes from the late 60’s and early 70’s, the looks featured American sportswear infused with a vibrant game day spirit.

There are moments in my life where I am hyper aware that what I’m witnessing is true brilliance. I am 100% engrossed in the moment, thoroughly captivated, hanging on every movement, every sound. I don’t dare look away for even a second, for fear of breaking the magic hold that has come over me, invigorating me with life, fervor and reverence.

Only the most gifted artists invoke this feeling, and I experienced it during Parkchoonmoo A/W15.

Demi Park was inspired by the impermanence of life and objects while creating this collection. She took us on a journey of dissolution to renewal, using a variance of fabrics like foil-printed wool, alpaca fur, mohair and felt that were constantly interchanged to give way to new patterns and lines. Her pieces are shape-shifters; as the wearer moves the silhouette transforms and becomes undefined taking on a life of its own.

Park is a designer that operates in a monochromatic spectrum. Both her S/S15 and A/W15 collections barely deviated from two tones – black and white – the only “pop” being beige or camel. I find this especially impressive because she is able to create so much out of seemingly so little. A master of mixing textures and creating multiple layers, it’s the small details that I relish. The way a sleeve starts as a chunky wool blend and then continues as silk chiffon in the last few inches. The peekaboo draping of her cowl necklines and the pairing of culottes with over-the-knee knit boots. The styling options are limitless and evoke a sense of freedom in the wearer. It’s completely appropriate that the A/W15 collection is named “un-bound”.

Now that the runway show is over, I’m left with just the film we captured. While editing, I just wanted to sit with each image. The unbound feeling of the collection is still very much alive.

Photos by Matthew Passiglia

Photos by Matthew Passiglia

New York Fashion Week was very busy for Leanne Marshall. The winner of Project Runway Season 5 showed not once, but twice – at Lincoln Center and as part of Fashion Gallery New York Fashion Week. I had the pleasure of catching her ready-to-wear presentation at the latter, which featured pops of orange and lavender amid a sea of elegantly draped black gowns.

Known for her bridal line, Marshall utilizes an ethereal approach to design, which often translates into diaphanous garments with beautiful fluidity – she is an expert at creating clothing that knows how to move. I found myself picturing her models walking down the runway in slow motion. From capes to high waisted trousers, her pieces celebrate femininity and I love that she chose to use bold colors and plaid in this special presentation. It was a wonderful compliment to her A/W15 collection at Lincoln Center, inspired by the film L’histoire d’Adèle H. To view her Mercedes Benz Fashion Week presentation, click here.

Photos by Matthew Passiglia

Every now and then you come across a designer that is doing something so incredibly different you can’t help but to stare, swooning in wonder and amazement. Laurel DeWitt is one such designer. A master manipulator of metal, she hand crocheted 17 looks for her A/W15 runway show. Each piece was just as stunning as the next, from the golden flowers made of layered metal leaflets cascading down a jacket, to the chain linked fringe that glimmered on dresses, skirts, tops and shorts, to a slinky 70’s hood dress and floor length coat. This is a designer that understands drama.

Every aspect of the production exemplified her talent not only as a designer, but as an artist, sculptor and appreciator of intricately constructed apparel. Her models walked so slowly, the crowd held their collective breath between each step. The gold and silver makeup elevated mere mortals into Greek muses and Roman Gods. Amber Rose made an appearance. Even the venue, Church of the Holy Apostles, solidified the collection’s essence as otherworldly.

At the end of every runway show, I pause to reflect on what I’m feeling mentally and emotionally. What I took away from Laurel DeWitt’s collection was a righteous elegance beholden to an ancient demagogue. Like being shrouded in metal, I felt empowered and protected, ready to face the icy New York City climate that was ready to confront me the moment I stepped outside the door.

Showing at New York Fashion Week is no small feat. Besides the endless hours of brainstorming and then actually creating a collection, the production itself is an entirely different component. While no one really knows exactly how much it costs to show at NYFW, the short answer is… a lot. Somewhere to the tune of $200,000. For an emerging designer, this is virtually impossible and so emerges the chicken or the egg question. How do designers attract buyers and gain a following if they can’t show?

Thankfully there are events like Nolcha Fashion Week and Fashion Gallery Fashion Week specifically created for independent designers to showcase their collections. A platform of discovery for new talent, I had the pleasure of attending both, and will be sharing two of my favorites on the blog. First up…

Auma
Inspired by urban atmospheres, designer Gloria Auma hails from Norway. A relaxed yet contemporary line, I felt a nod to Alexander Wang in some of her pieces. Her creations use immaculate, clean lines and I believe she’s establishing herself as the go-to designer for not-so-basic, basics.

Auma designs for both men and women. There’s a subtle androgyny to their looks that made me fall in love with the menswear just as much as the womenswear – I believe you could absolutely interchange them and wear both. Also of note is her precision to mirroring that aesthetic on both sexes. Many of the other lines we saw were disjointed and deviated from their original purpose, but Auma keeps a tight grasp on what she set out to do. Keep your eye on Auma. I definitely think we’ll be seeing a lot more from this fantastic line in the future.

Photos by Matthew Passiglia