Alexis Bittar’s NYFW Debut: Lucite & Latex
It wouldn’t be New York Fashion Week without a little chaos. I was sitting in an Uber, in dead stop traffic, with only 10 minutes until Alexis Bittar’s first collection presentation. So I did what any main character in a movie would do: I jumped out of the car, hopped on the train, and booked it to the location. I arrived at the Performance Space 7 minutes late, a.k.a. just in time. There I was dressed like a leather-clad dandy in line to get into the presentation, surrounded by socialites pumped with Juvérderm and downtown club kids all wearing Alexis Bittar jewelry and handbags.
Alexis Bittar
Brooklyn-based designer Alexis Bittar has recently blown up online with his hilarious mockumentary-style ad campaigns, which follows an extremely fabulous Upper East Sider, Margeaux and her assistant, Jules. For his fall 2025 presentation, Bittar self-directed a moody and somewhat unsettling performance that was titled “A Portal.” The performance was surreal while still having all the glamour that we have come to expect from his brand.
A woman sat at her mirrorless vanity in her undergarments. Five masked models in full nude colored latex regalia surrounded the woman. The rubber dolls completed stereotypical 50s housewife tasks like vacuuming, talking on the phone, and ironing a scarf on an ironing board. They were all accessorized with Bittar’s lucite and metal jewelry. Malvina Reynolds’ “Little Boxes” played with a distorted effect as the woman at the vanity held lipstick to her face. Bittar was telling a story of a not-so-distant dystopian future, where AI humanoid beings perform your daily routines for you.
The set design by Ruby Elmhirst was phenomenal! It was this beautifully chaotic blend of postmodern meets mid-century furniture on pink carpet, as if Blade Runner and Dynasty collided. The tall lucite lamp and crystal whiskey decanters paired with the lucite jewelry and handbags perfectly. The set as well as the music really pulled me into this retrofuturistic realm that Bittar created.
photo by Chance Goode
Bittar’s collection was cleverly placed in pink carpeted glass cases for his guests to view up close. His iconic scissor clutch was presented in a new blood-red color story. The bag that I think will be all the rage is his new faux-fur clutch with knuckle-shaped lucite handle. The clutch came in two color ways: a powdery pink with clear lucite handle and Bordeaux with black lucite handle. Earrings and bracelets were in molten gold and chrome that looked like liquid frozen in time. My personal favorites were the giant chrome collar and crystallized lace-up cuff, perfect for a futuristic fetish party.
photo by Chance Goode
After seeing this presentation, I have become an even bigger fan of Bittar’s work. I think with this fashion week debut, he proved that he is not only a fantastic designer but also a visionary and storyteller. And if there is one thing I learned from this showing, it is that Alexis Bittar jewelry goes perfect with latex. Pull out your latex now!