Photo: Hatnim Lee
With a year and a half of restrictions, the events of 2020 meant that New York Fashion Week had no choice but to take place virtually – with only a limited number of shows taking place in person at the start of 2021. Kicking off on September 8th and winding down on the 12th, NYFW came back with a bang as the catwalks were set for both newcomers and Fashion Week veterans alike. Here is a roundup of some of New Wave’s favourite collections to hit the New York runways this season.
Peter Do
Photos: Vogue
Taking your designs from the drawing board to the runway is an impressive feat in itself – but having your runway debut take place at New York Fashion Week is something that many new designers only dream of. Launched in 2018, Peter Do’s eponymous label has seen several seasons, with the brand’s latest showcase serving as his seventh collection. However, with half of the label’s three-year existence being during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s no surprise that his garments have not seen the runway until late 2021. The Vietnamese-born designer, however, is not a complete newbie to the fashion world – his CV includes training under fashion legend Phoebe Philo at Céline.
Leaving a handwritten note to the show’s guests, Do clarifies that the collection is of sentimental value to him – as he compares the creative process of building the collection to fond memories of cooking pho with his father. The SS22 show, entitled “HOME”, uses Manhattan’s skyline as a backdrop, and features workwear-esque clothing across a mostly neutral colour palette. Despite the minimalist aesthetic, a refreshing twist is added to the attire. From floor-length dress shirts detailed with pleats to asymmetrical silk skirts – Peter Do plays around with the tailoring, fit and layering of the garments to create modern looks that don’t compromise on the sharp, crisp nature of traditional work attire.
Private Policy
Photos: Vogue
New York-based brand Private Policy is known for using the city’s downtown streetwear as their main source of inspiration. Using high-quality textures and fabrics, creative directors Haoran Li and Siying Qu seek to create collections of genderless clothing. As the show unravels, the colour sequence of the collection almost tells a story of its own – it travels from shades of purple skirts, mesh pants and tops to black and more neutral tones; before revealing striking sage green and blue pieces.
However, Private Policy saves the collection’s most eye-catching and daring pieces for the end of the show. In the final three looks, flowers are placed on silver beaded ‘barely there’ silhouettes – which are used as tank tops and dresses.
Eckhaus Latta
