NYFW - Ones to watch

When it comes to New York Fashion Wee we are kind of talking a whole different dimension. Often labeled as 'the least appealing' among the four, NYFW has been divided between emerging brands that lacked of revolutionary range on the one hand, and well-established brands – such as Michael Kors and Tommy Hilfiger – with a strongly traditional imagery getting stale on the other.

Within such an unexciting scenario, not even long-awaited shows like Alexander Wang and Tom Ford could work miracles and so it’s been a while since New York didn’t raise quite the same hype as Milan or Paris, that are showcasing the hottest brands of the moment – think Gucci, Balenciaga and Saint Laurent.

In the process of bringing the media’s focus back on New York a big role was played by Kanye West with Yeezy – his collection in collaboration with adidas started in 2015 – which, even though it's not featured in NYFW official schedule, sort of opens the event and it’s always capable of dividing the opinions and being object of controversies as well as of arousing reactions that range from adoration to mass hysteria.

Anyway, if it’s true that NYFW is facing a real rebirth, it owns it to a new generation of designers who silently proved themselves and ended up outlining a brand new underground tendency that spreads from New York city and that, faithful to the ‘remix’ culture dominating our times, comes as a fresh breeze. Through this piece, we’ll introduce you the upcoming designers making NYFW the paradise of Underground.

#1 ECKHAUS LATTA

Unanimously seen as the real pioneer of the new underground wave shaking NYFW, the designer duo formed by Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta is just pivotal to your contemporary fashion education. In the past few seasons, Eckhaus Latta didn’t just embrace the whole gender-fluid trend, it managed to rise above it and earned itself a brand new qualification: that of post-gender. Plus, what makes the Brooklyn-based brand so thrilling is that it’s literally like nothing else. It’s a tasteful concoction of arty vibes, delicate colors, subversive mood, soft nudity and deconstructed pieces, without necessarily referring to a pre-existent mood, style or subculture, as Zoe Latta once quipped – “Mike and I don't really work with inspiration. We don't believe in trends, either. Don't get me wrong, we 100% want to sell our clothes. But I can't get behind the concept of creating a collection based strictly on marketability, at the expense of creativity.” It’s avant-garde, it’ current and it’s also genuinely beautiful. 

#2 MISBHV

Resulting from the DIY culture, Polish brand Misbhv has a very interesting aesthetics where streetwear and punk-goth collide, which makes it really appealing for our times and totally perfect to be Instagrammed. Exaggerated moto jackets, oversized sweats matching high waisted cropped flares, long patent trenches, leather, chains, neck belts and above all goth lettering: these are clothes for the ‘bad gal’. Not a surprise then that one the brand’s aficionados is Rihanna, who recently wore a Misbhv patent jacket to close her Anti tour – sanctioning the status of the brand as a hot one. “I like Rihanna and I like Comme des Garçons, so we try to find a way to bridge both of those worlds. We might take a streetwear staple like a hoodie or jeans, but we want to elevate those garments using interesting silhouettes and deconstruction” once explained founder Natalia Maczek.

#3 HERON PRESTON FOR DSNY

Okay, this happened yesterday night, but it’s so interesting it you should wait for our full coverage of the presentation by street style photographer Julien Boudet. What we can tell you for now is that this time Heron Preston decided to work on a project involving the New York City Department of Sanitation in order to raise awareness around the 0x30 initiative – New York City’s goal to send zero waste to landfills by 2030. Inspired by the workwear trend, he decided to focus on the uniform. So he collected tees, hoodies, jackets, vests, gloves and pants from sanitation workers and “enhanced the uniforms” through graphics and deconstruction – for example, by turning vintage Levi’s into exaggerated bags. “I got the idea over a year ago. […] I can’t say I’ve always been interested in making fashion more sustainable, but as I started working in the industry, I started asking more questions and challenging my thinking. I’ve always wanted to redesign uniforms, but wasn’t sure how—it was just a desire of mine because I love uniforms” Preston explained. 

#4 MAISON the FAUX

A newcomer to NYFW, as part of Made Fashion Week, MAISON the FAUX will debut Saturday and we sure are curious about the outcome. Riding the wave about 100% fake-real, with a name that literally reads ‘the fictional house’, the Netherland-based brand is “rooted in a great sense of humour and self-mockery, combined with a deep love of fashion.” Since it was founded by Joris Suk, Tessa de Boer & Hans Hutting after graduation in 2013, the brand started to be noticed through a series of guerrilla shows and for every season collaborates with several creatives – called “Residents” – in order to create new opportunities for young designers and bring innovation within the fashion system.

#5 HOOD BY AIR

With the likes of Kanye West, Arca, Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar and A$AP Rocky – who even closed the HBA show last season – among its supporters, the anarchic yet super lux label created by 25-year-old Shayne Oliver has officially entered the mainstream ranks. With that, we don’t mean it has lost its freshness and provocative allure, just that literally no one can’t deny its importance. Tattoos, bondage silhouettes, deconstruction, crystal grills and fake teeth were keywords for the last collection. What can we expect next?