THE ‘TURKISH DESIGNERS’ SHOW NYFW F/W20

Under the simple moniker ‘Turkish Designers’, Asli Filinta, Deniz Berdan, Simay Bulba and Hakan Akkaya, each showed strong visions that truly asserted their rightful place in fashions is on the runways of NYFW at Spring Studios, Gallery II.

The show, held on Tuesday, February 11th @ 7:00 PM, was generously underwritten by the Turkish Government as well as the Turkish Textile Council.

Designer Asli Filinta showed a collection of easy, draped, tunic inspired ensembles that has a decidedly nomadic feel. The fabrications represented a mélange of colors and textures that seemed at times clashing and at other times harmonic, but always inspired.

Deniz Berdan, mother and daughter team, showcase a very sporty collection. Neon was a large component in the color story, whether it was featured in the linings of hoods or parts of the pants and jackets alike. For fun and intrigue, the designing duo created jewelry that mounted on the models’ faces, heads and even in their mouths to lend an other-worldly, almost alien intrigue.

Creative director, Simay Bulbul offered an easy, inventive take on traditional evening wear that was versatile enough to be worn both day and night. Sheer organza and Chantilly lace were the staples of this monochromatic collection that drew cheers from the crowd as it undoubtedly will with the retailers.

Hakan Akkaya, after his solo showing of his Amish Punk inspired collection a few days prior in NYFW, presented his capsule line of leather and furs in bright metallic hues. Each model walked the runway with full confidence and the audience was visibility excited and surprised to see this side of Hakan. Who traditionally shows only collection in black and white. Fun note… Hakan’s right hand Atelier Assistant, Hilal was one of his models, making her runway debut… fun!

Watch the entire Turkish Designers’NYFW runway here.

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SECTEUR 6 F/W20 NYFW

Secteur 6 is the world’s first fully regenerative fashion brand founded by brothers Amit and Puneet Hooda.  The Hoodas have played a pivotal role in establishing the Secteur 6 district of Delhi, India into a regenerative and transformative region that touts state of the art facilities with impeccable design and production.  The Secteur 6 brand specializes in organic and regenerative manufacturing from dying techniques to locally sourced and organically created fabrics and textiles. The Hoodas main mission is to eliminate poverty for the people in the region, employ farmers, regenerate the environment and sell a conscious and chic collection which changes the world one look at a time. 

The Hoodas set their sights on the fashion industry -- currently recognized as the world’s second-largest polluter. They tapped People’s Revolution to oversee the build-out of the Secteur 6 brand. To set the tone and direction, the Hoodas secured designer Rosemary Rodriguez -- the former creative director of Paco Rabanne, Thierry Mugler, Maje and many more.

“There is a serious change afoot and Secteur 6 is committed to changing the direction of where the earth is heading while simultaneously elevating the feminine in all her forms,” says Amit Hooda.

Secteur 6 developed and created game-changing textile innovations using bananas, rose petals, organic cotton, hemp bamboo, and plant-based viscose, all of which are utilized in the collection. This season features classic utilitarian and intentionally relaxed silhouettes, fringe embellishments, paillettes, embroideries, appliques, and more speaking to a new generation of consumers. 

The collection is fun, fresh and definitely needed in the fashion world and beyond. The collection offers both See Now, Buy Now, and Fall deliveries. NYFW

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CAAFD NYFW F/W20

CAAFD Selected Designers Received Rave Reviews During New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2020 Showcase

CAAFD (The Council of Aspiring American Fashion Designers) staged its seasonal approved outstanding designers during New York Fashion Week with a lineup of talented returning designers from past seasons from around the globe. This season, CAAFD selected 3 of their top designers from past seasons to kick-off NYFW. Sania Maskatiya, Yufash and Ruth Zabetta were among the top designers showcased this season. Various other designers unveiled their new collection during a standing room only embraced with raved audience reviews. The CAAFD’s seasonal showcase is part of the official platform with a partnership with IMG and Pier 59 Studios.  

Sania Maskatiya is a Pakistan-based designer belonging to a new generation of fashion talent from the region. Breaking conventions, she has been quick to become Pakistan’s most lauded designer. She was among a few of the top emerging global brands selected.  This season, Sania Maskatiya returned to the NYFW stage for a third season with CAAFD presenting her full collection under her primary brand, SANIA MASKATIYA. Featuring breezy hand-woven fabrics, delicately cut and layered, embroidered with geometric and pastoral motifs, it lends ‘white-on-white’ a freshly fanciful energy. Sania Maskatiya uses only pure, luxe white fabrics that are cut and draped in a range of directional but feminine silhouettes. The brand engages the finest craftsmen across Pakistan, hailing from generations of artisans practicing time-honored craftsmanship and embroideries.

 Kadri Klampe is an Estonian-born,  founder and designer created Yufash as a unique and forward-thinking brand made for the confident and powerful women of the world, with all garments fabricated exclusively in England. Founded in 2015, Klampe and Yufash have since experienced skyrocketing popularity, including having designs featured on the hit television series Scream Queens. Yufash is one of the few designers chosen as part of the CAAFD’s incubate/nurturing program, returning for her third seasonal showcase after her previous career-defining CAAFD showcases. The Evening wear captures the resilience, strength and elegance of this landscape’s inhabitants. This 16-piece collection features layered beading inspired by wild patterns and structures, combined with Yufash’s signature reflective prints. A stark contrast is found in the meeting of organic influences and Yufash’s signature modernity. The combination of long metallic draped gowns with zebra and leopard beaded gloves, captures the very essence of this season’s collection. An organic strong spirit is evident in waist gathered coats with wide collars, emulating the kings and queens who walk this land.

 Ruth Zabetta,  designer Ruth Zabetta was raised in both Spain as well as the Dominican Republic, which imparts a unique cultural influence on her designs. Known for modern lines and cuts which still maintain a feminine presence, Ruth Zabetta  strives to create beautiful silhouettes that are consistent through all the pieces. This season’s collection is inspired by Earth/ Nature. Ruth Zabetta is among the few designers chosen as part of the CAAFD’s incubate/nurturing program, returning for her fourth seasonal showcase.

As in every season, the Council of Aspiring American Fashion Designers (CAAFD) hand-picks some of the finest talents in the global fashion industry. This season, the committee decided to focus on a few of their past designers. CAAFD aims to develop more opportunities to more talents with the passion and the ambition to contribute into the world of the global fashion community. 

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GLOBAL FASHION COLLECTIVE I & II NYFW F/W20

GLOBAL FASHION COLLECTIVE I

Delicate details, sustainability and traditional techniques lead the way for the first show from Global Fashion Collective, NYFW.

“We are bringing in more and more multicultural and inspiring designers each season to emphasize our commitment to diversity and innovative design.” - Jamal Abdourahman, GFC

First to hit the runway was Taiwanese brand WooLeeX who delivered an effortlessly cool collection. Recognized for their beautiful blend of Taiwanese culture with cultures from around the world, this collection is an alluring amalgamation of civilizations. Known for integrating art work into fashion, we were treated to literal pieces of art floating down the runway. Drawing their inspiration from Butchard Garden in Victoria, British Columbia, the collection had a flare of timeless yet modern charm. Floral courageous prints commanded this set delivering stunning statement pieces. A color palette of bold colors and black and white paired beautifully with Taiwanese's traditional cultures like embroidery and dragons, made for a unique and enchanting experience.

Japanese brand LAVEC was up next. Describing the collection in one word as LOVE. Deriving her inspiration from self-love, family, people, plants, food, animals and the earth, she created a collection based on sustainability. With most fabrics being 100% organic cotton and ecological meaning they are made by using reduced material, this collection has brought a new and modern twist to the runway. The color palette was a stunning mix of black, white beige with electric blue pops of color in between.

To close the show, Chinese brand, WMTM by NiuNiu Chou, commanded the runway with its traditional and striking pieces and fierce child models. Describing the collection in one word as heritage, the main inspiration behind the collection was Chinese vintage. The heritage theme ran deep within this collection with fabrics over 70 years old and made from the craftsman with the traditional technique. The colorful palette was the perfect pairing with this historic and timeless collection.

GLOBAL FASHION COLLECTIVE II

Vibrant colors, defined edges and traditional influences lead the way for Global Fashion Collectives second show at New York Fashion Week.

Australian design brand The Arlo Studio were first up. Created by designer duo Charlotte Terry and Julianne Propsting, this brand embraces the philosophy that women have powerful and integral roles to play in society and their clothes should reflect this. This philosophy was deeply embedded in this collection. Most notably through the functionality and the high quality fabric of the clothing, allowing the collection to be both beautiful and long lasting. Each design flowed both softly yet strongly down the runway.Tailored to perfection these pieces were the perfect mix of practicality and femininity.

Next up, a dramatic entrance and dynamic show from GFC’s youngest designer Shun Oyama Tokyo. At only 22 years old, this young Japanese talent is set to take the fashion industry by storm. Using an eclectic mix of brocade and upholstery fabric, each piece was like lighting striking the runway. Drawing from an array of earth tones and silhouettes, each piece spoke volumes with its own unique personality, yet it was united by the common theme of fabric. Inspired by classic Japanese and European fashion mixed into a modern perspective, dramatic shoulder pads and defined edges made for an emotional and powerful collection.

Gigi Wang took us on a passage through time from traditional China to contemporary times. The inspiration for this collection comes from Chinese tradition. Parent-child costumes are used to express the passing on and inheritance of Chinese folk culture to the next generation.This united relationship of old and new is seen through the combination of traditional Chinese fabrics and new modern environmentally-friendly fabrics. Vibrant colors like bright orange and green.and traditional embroidery breathed life into this beautiful collection.

Closing the show, Chicago based designer, Alicia Perillo drew inspiration from a William Gibson novel ‘Idoru’. Written in 1995, he predicted that the avatar will take over the world. Perillo described her collection in one word as ‘inclusive futurism’.

A beautiful mix of silks, brocade and orange cottons made for a stunning show.

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NAMILIA x Pornhub HEROTICA NYFW F/W20

Photos by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP

Berlin-based and internationally celebrated design duo NAMILIA partnered with Pornhub, the premier online destination for adult entertainment, for their NYFW Fall/Winter 2020 runway collection entitled “HEROTICA.”

HEROTICA represents a powerful, unprecedented commentary on a male-dominated world where sexual fantasies have objectified and fetishized women, creating alluring stereotypes – the submissive exotic Asian, the accessorized eye candy and the “dirty” porn star. Throughout the collection, the designers reclaim the female perspective and flip around the idea of white supremacy to express a new reality – one with fierce women at the helm.

The runway show will feature an all-Asian cast consisting of runway models and Pornhub models Marica Hase, Jade Kush, and New York-native megastar Asa Akira, Pornhub’s Brand Ambassador.

“The cosmos of sexual pleasure has been restricted to a few boring and chauvinistic narratives for the pleasure of the male gaze, up until rather recently. Porn isn’t something existentially male, most women just have been previously excluded from determining the narrative.” said Nan Li of NAMILIA.

“We are excited to support boundary-breaking creators and help to penetrate New York Fashion Week with a must-see runway show. The NAMILIA collection challenges long-held stereotypes that today’s consumers no longer stand for, which we’ve seen echoed on Pornhub through a push for even more diverse perspectives within the past few years,” said Corey Price, VP, Pornhub. “This partnership reaffirms Pornhub’s commitment to supporting the arts, especially that which celebrates human sexuality and follows our recent commissioning of The Pleasure Principle, a pan-generational, sexually-charged exhibition of female artists at the Maccarone Gallery in Los Angeles. We hope our fans will stay tuned for more as we prepare to launch our upcoming limited fashion collaboration with NAMILIA.”

Pornhub has a history of collaborating with well-known clothing brands. The company marked its foray into the fashion industry in 2016 when it was the presenting sponsor of Hood by Air’s runway show, followed by an apparel collaboration with popular streetwear brand Richardson. 

In late spring, the brands will roll out a core collaboration collection of select pieces, to be made available online through NAMILIA and Pornhub.

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HAKAN AKKAYA: “JUSTICE” COLLECTION NYFW FALL 2020

Photographer credits: Elvia Gobbo

Hakan Akkaya makes a strong statement of feminine strength and cultural melding for Fall/Winter 2020-2021.

 As the crowd looked on in amused awe, forty-five models made their way around the lengthy U-shaped runway at Pier 59, Stage C. It was, in a phrase, “a provocative feast for the fashionable-eyed observer.” The Istanbul based designer, now a fixture on the runways of NYFW, filled the cavernous, raw, black space to the brim with an audience dressed to impress, perfectly complementing the show-stopping looks that walked ON the runway.

 Akkaya stated his inspiration as “Amish Meets Punk”. The inspiration was clear throughout the collection from the first look to the last. Akkaya created a collection that reinterprets the iconic clothing of the Amish sect who, to this day, turn their backs to the Modern Age, while merging it with the attitude and detailing of the Punk Subculture. The cameras & phones went a-flutter when the key looks appeared (48 in total!). In his words, Hakan Akkaya says, “this season, my collection attracts all of the attention of femicide, justice, revolt and equality. Women who rock the runway – Women who rock the world!”

 The collection also strongly embraced the most note-worthy trend of recent fashion weeks –  androgyny. Many of Akkaya’s men wore dresses, skirts and tunic blouses while many of his women donned suiting and collared shirts, each referencing the garb traditionally found in the opposite genders’ closets, yet there was something different about the trend in the hands of a designer of Hakan Akkaya’s level of talent… the looks actually seemed like they have a chance of being worn as designed, unlike many others creating in this vein.

 Hardware also played a major role in defining the collection with garments pierced in a wide variety of places like caps of shoulder, up and down the legs and princess seams of jackets and dresses, as well as through the fingertips of the black latex gloves that completed nearly every look. The hardware was not strictly ornamental, but rather crossed the line to integrally function as part of the garment itself.

 As the finale walk-around commenced, the entire audience shrieked their approval, only to ramp it up even more when designer himself, Hakan Akkaya, appeared, nearly floating with pride as he blew kisses to his legions of fans, new & old alike, all the while wearing a black lace mask, which he tied onto his face during a stop on the runway. The crowd approved and Akkaya soaked up every single crack of applause and adoring shriek in a manner that is becoming his trademark.

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SON JUNG WAN COLLECTION NYFW FALL 2020

Photos: Rodin

It was modern with a touch of classic or was it classic with a touch of modern?

I guess that’s really up to you and to interpretation. The designer called it “Vintage.” I called it gorgeous.

For NYFW Fall/Winter 2020 the Korean designer, Son Jung Wan showed a collection inspired by the 1950’s.  SJW worked with bold colors and constructed silhouettes to showcase a collection featuring artful plays with volume, texture and seductive color.

SJW didn’t forget about the men and delivered obsession-worthy menswear looks that embraced the collection’s vintage DNA with a strong sense of modernity. With a strong emphasis on coats, SJW proved that she can cohesively and successfully create for stylish men and women.

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