Young brands in vogue at New York Fashion Week

• New York Fashion Week began on Friday.
• The program is noticeably devoid of high-profile figures.
• Twenty designers are under the age of thirty.

Several well-known models were missing from the runway as New York Fashion Week got began on Friday, but the event’s signature youthful designers and up-and-coming labels were everywhere on the schedule.

One of the few well-known labels that returned this year, Rodarte launched the Fall/Winter 2023 procession.

The event’s organizer, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), whose new leader is Thom Browne, presents on Tuesday.

Regulars Proenza Schouler, Altuzarra, Coach, Sergio Hudson, Carolina Herrera, Gabriela Hearst, and Michael Kors are among the other prominent names.

But the program, which closes on Wednesday in the chilly month of February in the Big Apple, is once again noticeably devoid of high-profile figures like Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, and former CFDA leader Tom Ford.

Pop icon Rihanna, who has previously displayed her lingerie line in New York, will instead take the stage for the highly anticipated Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday.

According to Jacqueline Quinn of the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), “Very few names are brands that are prominent in the US market,” and her students are instead fixating on Paris and Milan.

Instead, the ready-to-wear designs category offers a heaping serving of fresh designers and brands like Elena Velez.

For her unconventional designs that combine high fashion with the metalsmithing legacy of her native Milwaukee, the 28-year-old was selected “emerging designer of the year” at the 2022 CFDA awards.

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“Era of Renaissance”

Twenty designers are under the age of thirty, among them Nigerian-born Taofeek Abijako of New York City and his brand Head of State, Indian Kanika Goyal of KGL, and Emma Gage of Melke, who creates more ecological clothing with recycled materials.

According to Velez, a “period of renaissance” has been sparked by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I think there’s a renewed lust for life and a reminder of the precariousness of life that inspires young people like myself to embolden ourselves with our passions,” she told AFP.

And Velez is determined to take advantage of it now.

“If we’re being honest, the shelf-life of a startup fashion brand isn’t exactly lengthy,” she added.

Christian Juul Nielsen, a designer from Denmark who serves as the creative director of Herve Leger, has several years of expertise under his belt from his time spent at Dior, Nina Ricci, and Oscar de la Renta.

He started his own company, Aknvas, in 2019. According to the website, the brand’s designs “focus on drape, flattering silhouettes, innovative knits, and an elevated palette.”

“I try to translate the drama I got from John Galliano and the modernity I got from Raf Simmons,” he told AFP.

New York offers a chance for Nielsen and people like him.

“A lot of small brands in Paris, they just don’t get on the calendar. In America, there is this excitement of newness (and) I want to be part of making the New York fashion scene exciting,” Nielsen added.

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