fashion review by Chance Goode
above image courtesy of People’s Revolution, photographed by Randy Brooke
New York Fashion Week SS26: The Cult of Celebrity
New York Fashion Week is often criticized for being a “who’s who” competition, and this season it felt even more exclusionary. There is a hunger to feel like “you’re in” that doesn’t feel as prevalent at other fashion weeks as it does here in New York City. Could this be why so many American designers are leaving their home turf to present their collections in Paris? A lot of the New York designers who are still showing here are not shying away from being commercial, leaving much to be desired. Luckily, I was able to attend some fashion shows where the designers still celebrate creativity over celebrity.
The first day of NYFW left me wanting more, so I put on my white jeans and Tom Ford aviators and hit the afterparties. And because the best accessory to wear to a fashion week party isn’t designer sunglasses but a cute guy on the arm, I dragged this Evan Peters-type that I have had a crush on with me. There was a line for what seemed like eternity outside of Le Bain, with none other than fashion model extraordinaire Connie Girl Flemming guarding the door. The spirit of feeling “in” must have taken over me because I grabbed my boy toy and walked to the front of the line, because when you’re fabulous, you assume that you’re on the list — and sometimes you are! Under the hazy glow of strobe lights and smoke, we danced to disco and house music with Sophia Lamar, talked about upcoming fashion shows, and clanked our glasses of pineapple vodkas.
images courtesy of AKNVAS
AKNVAS
When I arrived at the AKNVAS show the next morning, I was hungover from the glamorous night before, powered only by Red Bull and nicotine. Attendees who looked wide-eyed and awake varied between New York creatives in their coveted vintage finds from Vestiare and famous TV personalities and models like Ciara Miller and Coco Rocha, who were floating around in frilly shorts, tops with lacerated cut-outs, and faux fur coats designed and dressed by AKNVAS founder Christian Juul Nielsen. The Danish designer has been making waves recently with his designs being worn by the likes of Kylie Minogue and Dove Cameron.
A model wearing a mini-trench coat with a matching hoop skirt and thigh-high waders turned the corner, her faux fur stole elegantly dragging on the floor. Pinstripe pussy bow blouses with trompe l’oeil boxer waistlines gave off a preppy Gossip Girl aesthetic. Preppy ensembles were followed by vegan leather ruffled micro shorts and lace-up tops, which gave the collection a necessary edge. Nielsen’s craftsmanship stood out in the ruffled dresses that closed the collection. I became entranced watching the ruffles bounce with every step the models took down the runway.
images courtesy of Cicaedia, photographed by Jhan Herdez
CICAEDIA
The following day, I traveled to the Lower East Side to attend the Cicaedia show. I was unfamiliar with the brand until I saw that model and casting director Fish Fiorruci was casting the show, which piqued my interest. Anything that Fish touches is bound for success. As I waited for the show to begin, I indulged in the classic fashion week talk with a young model sitting next to me, but couldn’t keep up because she was speaking at warp speed about makeup and styling. I tried to be polite, but my face must have betrayed me because she apologized and said her Adderall makes her gabby.
The first half of the show was menswear. Male models in half-worn hoodies, mesh tops, and underwear strutted to the 1997 hit song, “Sorry About Your Penis” by Smash Mouth. The collection then took a glitzier, sleazier turn with bulge-baring sarongs and nipple-exposing sequined tank tops. The womenswear that followed consisted of Halston-style halter dresses and glamorous corseted gowns, where nothing was left to the imagination from behind. Cicaedia’s designer Yitzhak Aaron Rosenberg is in touch with what the hard-partying, fashion-obsessed youth want to wear. I appreciate his instinct to inject sex and mystique into his designs. This is something I have been craving from designers this season.
images courtesy of People’s Revolution, photographed by Randy Brooke
CHRISHABANA
The CHRISHABANA x Pornhub show closed out New York Fashion Week, and it was the place to be. This would be Chris Habana’s New York Fashion Week debut, and everyone was dying to witness it. The line to get into the show was even longer than the one outside of Le Bain, but skipping the line at a fashion show is a major faux pas, so I patiently waited with everyone else. Habana has cultivated a cult following with his custom looks worn by Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and Madonna. Before the show started, Diney and the girls from Stripper News stomped around in their Pleasers interviewing celebrities. Fashion references sex work constantly, so I loved seeing it show up in the front row.
Wet-molded leather and silicone designs in candy colored hues set the show off with a bang! Futuristic body suits with alien-like gimp masks were adorned with Habana’s signature chrome jewelry. Writer and ultimate hunk, Ryan Petersen, was in a pair of Pornhub-labeled briefs that were encased in lucite blocks. It was like a high fashion chastity belt. Connie Girl had left her throne at Le Bain to return to the runway. Her look was something between a bikini and a torture device. When I saw rapper and superstar JT make her runway debut, I lost my mind. I feel bad for Justin Moran, who was sitting in earshot of me when I yelled JT’s name. Couture techniques were evident in the chainmail gown seen on model and activist Vivian Wilson. The dress made her look like a fetishistic warrior ready for battle, and considering the state of the country, we might need it.
Afterwards, Chris Habana and Kelly Cutrone stayed after and greeted many of their guests. It was refreshing to see a designer show love to the creatives who genuinely care about the art of fashion instead of only pandering to celebrities. Saluting the independent designers who are supporting themselves and their community is crucial in keeping NYFW alive.