Bold designs on the runway
Toreros react to trends from NYFW 2022
SPENCER BISPHAM / ASST. OPINION EDITOR / THE USD VISTA
Here in San Diego, New York Fashion Week (NYFW) came and went without much commotion. However, the fashion world was buzzing with excitement for many upcoming collections. This year, many of the biggest brands presented their Spring/Summer wardrobes prior to the actual NYFW event, which lasted from Sept. 9-14.
Houses like Balenciaga and Louis Vuitton had already moved on to producing their future collections, while more independent designers stole the show.
While this may have been a disappointment for some, it allowed smaller brands to occupy center stage. Designers new and old lit up the runway with unique takes on current trends in over 100 shows in six days.
A standout among these shows came from Who Decides War: a Black-owned brand known for their streetwear roots and military-garment-style cuts. Their Spring 2023 ready-to-wear collection was marked by flagrant, loud color palettes in an attempt to bring the spirit of the Caribbean to the runway.
In an interview with Hypebeast magazine, Tela D’Amore, one of the brand’s co-directors, explained their goal was to create a different vibe from past collections.
“We wanted to create something that was lighter this time around,” said D’Amore. “Also to create something that was colorful and fun, and people can feel a bit of nostalgia, while also seeing something new.”
In addition to color, Who Decides War embraced gender-fluid style on the runway. The majority of their other collections present a more masculine image, but the gratuitous use of makeup, bags and other accessories popular in womenswear gave their most recent show an air of androgyny. This style of dress has become especially trendy on the streetwear side of fashion, where the frequency of mixing aesthetics and items is on the rise.
Here on campus, some students are looking toward a future with less emphasis on conforming to a certain gender.
USD sophomore Katie Tuguin was already on board with gender-neutral fashion before the show took place.
“I’m all for the androgynous ‘thing’ going on,” Tuguin said. “Like Harry Styles, I feel like he was a platform for that and kind of normalized it. [He] kind of made people feel more comfortable doing it, if they want to do it, they should just do it.”
Another brand that highlighted the popular contemporary movement in fashion and sustainability is womenswear line Collina Strada. For them, being eco-friendly isn’t so much a trend as it is an identity. Their Spring 2023 show was marked by shapeless silhouettes, color and the crowd favorite: sustainably-produced footwear.
The show’s loafers and boots were part of a collaboration between Collina Strada and vegan footwear company Virón; the sandals, made from recycled materials, were produced and designed with the brand Melissa. Each model donned a different pair of these shoes while walking a “runway” through a park in South Williamsburg, NYC.
Creative director of the brand, Hillary Taymour, told Vogue that Collina Strada is trying to establish themselves as a more permanent fixture in the fashion industry.
“I just feel like now that we’re a ‘trend,’ I really wanted to push it and be like, ‘We’re not just [sportswear],’” said Taymour. “I can make these dresses for you and elevate it.”
The brand’s transition from sportswear to high-fashion parallels the rise in demand for sustainability in fashion. Buying second hand, re-using certain garments, and upcycling have become popular ways of reducing negative impacts that fashion has on the environment. Even here at USD, some students are intent on creating long-lasting changes with these methods.
USD sophomore Julia Schnieder is among these Toreros leading the charge. She is the Vice President of the newly-formed Fashion Forward student organization, whose goal is to “give underprivileged youth in San Diego the resources and opportunities they need to express themselves through fashion, design and other creative outlets.”
Schneider was adamant about the relevance of sustainable fashion both in the industry and her personal wardrobe.
“Sustainable fashion is the apple of everybody’s eye right now,” Schneider said. “Lots of companies are taking those steps to not only be sustainable but to showcase that they’re being sustainable […] I’ve always been drawn to secondhand, special stuff because everything is unique and beautiful.”
Lastly, it’s impossible to talk about this year’s NYFW without mentioning The Black Tape Project. In the brand’s Instagram bio, creator Joel Alvarez claims that he’s been “empowering women since 2008” by covering them in designs made of skin-safe body tape by hand.
His show, titled “SEX TAPE 2022,” was arguably one of the most avant-garde of the week. 27 female models walked the runway covered in body tape, creating unique, textile-like designs.
Pictures from the show can be viewed on the Black Tape Project’s website.
Models wore crisscrossed pieces of black and white body tape adorned with studded-spikes across their chest and stomach areas.
One model even suffered a wardrobe malfunction when her high heel detached from her foot. The model, however, remained unphased by the incident as the audience continued to cheer while she finished her catwalk.
In the caption of a video of this same incident, Alvarez wrote about his ethos for the show on Instagram.
“Probably our most provocative show ever,” Alvarez said. “This show was an act of rebellion during NYFW. I’m no designer. I’m an artist. I’m here to make you feel some type of way.”
In another post, he addressed those who might not agree with his take on fashion.
“Everyone was amazing, the energy was perfect and I was rebellious by only doing minimal at the more conservative shows of fashion week,” Alvarez wrote. “I did this on purpose to start some [expletive]. Mission accomplished.”
Reactions to the show ranged from outrage to bewilderment.
USD sophomore Anastasia Lomtadze was extremely confused after seeing a video of the show on TikTok.
“I saw this girl wrapped in duct tape or something like that,” she said. “It was black, literally just duct tape. It was interesting, because they made it look like accessories and it was really just tape.”
Innovative fashion is all about pushing boundaries: a concept embraced at this fall’s New York Fashion Week.
From near-full nudity to flamboyant colors, designers from all over will make the upcoming seasons a time to remember.