Diotima
Since launching her label Diotima in 2021, designer Rachel Scott’s focus on tailoring and craftsmanship, particularly crochet made in her native Jamaica, has been evident. But she didn’t realize it until she had her first show at a gallery in Jamaica. Earlier this month in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood, Fashion Week attendees were able to get an up-close look at the collection’s details: Models walked around the room wearing intricate beaded vests and floor-length gowns made from fine mesh cotton. walk around.Scott, 39, formerly Vice President of Design Rachel Comey is also collaborating with Jamaican visual artist Laura Facey this season, drawing inspiration from Facey’s 2022 solo show at Kingston arts venue Ormsby Hall. “It had a haunting energy that prompted me to reflect once again on the history and legacy of slavery in the Caribbean,” Scott said in a statement. Facey’s chalk drawing Seed (2022) takes the form of a textile print Emerging, the artist created small versions of her heart-shaped wood carvings, which Scott hung like talismans from long rope necklaces and silver hoop earrings.
fefum
New York-based Fforme held its first fashion show last week, establishing itself as a rising star in understated American sportswear. The brand’s creative director Paul Helbers, 54, has worked at Maison Margiela, Louis Vuitton and the Row and helped launch menswear. He laid out his vision for a “uniform of life,” offering loose, elegant pieces designed to pair easily with pieces from the brand’s past three collections (and anything else the wearer might have in their wardrobe) . His signature palette of black, off-white and navy blue is updated with soft earth tones of amber, taupe and shell pink, with silhouettes ranging from coats with sculptural pleated sleeves to floaty ones that zip to transform into shift dresses Tunic. But it was the fabrics that caught the eye: delicate ribbed knits, felted cashmere and shimmering hammered wire that shimmered like water.
Wenjue Road
Slowness is an overarching theme for 25-year-old New York artist and designer Lu Wenjue, who founded her eponymous brand in 2022 with the collection’s co-founder Fang Chufeng, also 25. The two set out to challenge fast pace and waste. A leader in the fashion industry, they released their first collection rooted in traditional craftsmanship; their all-white pieces were embellished with stuffed flowers in a sashiko pattern, a Japanese embroidery similar to hand-quilting method. Last week, the designers showed their second annual collection in a Long Island City warehouse, with models walking around in a trance, seemingly summoned by the squawking sounds of snakes. They wore pleated, scalloped and quilted garments made from natural textiles such as raw linen and muslin, all in white. Pieces like a stuffed bunny crossbody bag and schoolboy shorts show that New York’s edgy fashion scene is vibrant.
Harry
Indian-born London-based designer Harikrishnan Keezhathil Surendran Pillai, 29, made headlines earlier this year when singer Sam Smith attended the Brit Awards wearing a custom piece from his label Harri: a black latex bodysuit with arms and legs expand dramatically. The designer, who grew up in Kerala and assisted New Delhi-based designer Suket Dhir before attending the London College of Fashion, is known for his dramatic explorations of proportion, often in rubber. But if the shapes of his signature inflatable pants were deliberately eccentric, they were often offset by more delicate pieces in cotton and beaded fabrics, showing off Pillai’s knack for mixing textures. The designer received the British Fashion Council’s Newgen grant for the second time this year and showed his third collection last week.
Three cokers
Since launching her eponymous label in 2018, 27-year-old London-based designer Tolu Coker has created a collection in the Democratic Republic of Congo to honor women who have survived violence, as well as T-shirts to benefit humanitarian nonprofit Choose Love. At the heart of her practice is a belief in community, and she often draws inspiration from her Nigerian heritage. She named her spring 2024 collection “Irapada,” which means “redemption” in her parents’ native Yoruba language, and it ranges from flared dresses in upcycled denim and houndstooth jacquard to ’70s-inspired suits , her pieces are a celebration of her ancestry.
summer
Zomer, named after the Dutch word for summer, is a new womenswear brand founded by 30-year-old Russian designer Danial Aitouganov and 32-year-old Dutch Caribbean stylist Imruh Asha. It will launch its first store in Paris later this month. series. After meeting as teenagers in Amsterdam, the friends have each made their mark in the fashion industry: Aitouganov has worked in the design studios of Burberry, Chloé and, most recently, French menswear brand Études; Asha has styled for brands including Dior and Louis Vuitton. She also serves as the fashion director of Dazed magazine. The duo said their first collection, which will be sold at Dover Street Market, will feature floral prints designed by London set designer Ibby Njoya, emphasizing their deep connection with art. Their tongue-in-cheek preview campaign — which features kids dressed up as fashion industry figures like designer Rei Kawakubo and photographer Steven Meisel — hints that it will also tap into their industry backgrounds, at least. winking.
