FADER NYFW, Spring 2014
With a schedule of shows that spans seven days, New York Fashion Week, officially launching tomorrow but already underway, can be a doozy to navigate, with many emerging designers getting drowned out by high-fashion heavyweights. To spread the love around, we've pulled together a shortlist of seven designers to watch through the NYFW melee, from a cool Korean take on Tommy Hilfiger to gaudy, gilded NYC jewelry. Check back all Fashion Week long for more FADER NYFW coverage, including backstage photos journals, FADER TV interviews and exclusive designer playlists.
Harbison Collection
A recent interview in the bible-sized September issue of Vogue might mean that former Billy Reid womenswear designer Charles Harbison has technically graduated from a “designers to watch” designation. Indeed, his namesake collection of minimalist dresses, jackets and trousers is remarkably fully formed after only one season in production. But even when you start this strong, there’s a million beautiful places you can go, especially when your perfect plaids and color combinations are shaping up to be something like New York’s version of Celine. So we're super excited to see what his sophomore look will be like this week.
Adam Selman
As her official costume designer, Adam Selman has made Rihanna the best and most excitingly dressed celebrity on planet earth. Now it’s his turn to show off. This week, he’ll debut a full ready to wear line as part of the official NYFW schedule. We’re eager to see what he comes up with sans RiRi, but we’re also not-so-secretly hoping that she turns up for the event.
Julian Zigerli
Julian Zigerli is a Swiss-born, Berlin-based designer who made his NYFW debut last season and only promises to add more love, color, humor and positivity to the runways for his second season. Showcasing his line with a short film by Michael Patrick Perez and some dance choreography by Lee Franklin, Zigerli was add a little artfulness to the menswear schedule this season.
Azede Jean-Pierre
For a young, relatively unknown designer with just one season under her belt, Azede Jean-Pierre received the Red Carpet cosign coveted by industry veterans when Solange Knowles strolled out in one of her stark white boldly-cut creations. Jean-Pierre, a native of Haiti, is building her name in fashion with intricately tailored womenswear that flaunts an other-worldly appeal. After studying at the Savannah College of Art and Design, Jean-Pierre trained in the ateliers of Ralph Rucci and Ohne Titel and now is ready to present her collection for the first time at NYFW.
Beyond Closet
We first wrote about Korea’s Beyond Closet a couple of years ago when they released a limited run in America of some delightful sweaters festooned with doggies on the front, but now they've branched out of the Concept Korea group showcase and are making their solo NYFW debut. Their signature little-kid take on everything from mac jackets to motos, like a Tommy Hilfiger with a distinctly Korean sensibility, is bound to make their show one of the most colorful of the season.
Third NYC
With a collection titled "Oceans Deep," designers Cedric Haughton and Anthony Hendrickson of Third Floor NYC are relaunching on the menswear scene with the simplified name Third NYC, and showing a distinctively luxe take on city beach gear—think gauzy crewnecks, super soft sweatpants and structured denim t-shirts. As two city boys-about-town, Haughton and Hendrickson know the importance of transitional pieces that carry you from day to night, and though summer is officially over, we're hoping that Third NYC's new season of menswear basics will keep us happy from the Rockaways to an all-night rager. This NYFW is about to get wavy.
Mordekai
Inspired by over-the-top performers like Cher, Leigh Bowery and Madonna, stylist Ken Borchov decided to create his very own crown jewels for the downtown set. Operating under the label Mordekai, Borochov's ornate chains, multi-ring fingers and punk crowns look like Versace Medusa heads come to life, and the cool factor was upped even more when Borochov tapped Starred frontwoman and muse to Hedi Slimane Liza Thorn to roll around photographer Sandy Kim's apartment decked out in his gilded creations for a lookbook. We're stoked to see what new jewels Borchov has got up his sleeve.