What do you wear to work NYFW?
As well as a few thoughts on the week so far.
During Fashion Week, it’s common to admire and obsess over what attendees are wearing to shows and events. But I thought—wouldn’t it be fun to document what the people behind the scenes, the ones making these shows and events possible, are wearing to work?
and have beautifully captured a similar essence in their street reports highlighting a certain beauty in dressing that feels more deeply rooted in practicality. They document what people wear to the farmers’ market, on a stroll, in Paris, or during a lunch break—clothes meant for living. The same can be said for the photographers, publicists, designer, and server I managed to capture while they were in the midst of their work.PHOTOGRAPHERS
WHO: TOMMY TON
WHERE: MARIA MCMANUS PRESENTATION
WHO: TYLER JOE
WHERE: MARIA MCMANUS PRESENTATION
WHO: PHIL OH
WHERE: FFORME SHOW
WHO: SELEEN SALEH
WHERE: L’ENCHANTEUR PRESENTATION
PR
WHO: GABY KATZ, ACCENT PR
WHERE: ALIGNE DINNER (WELL TECHNICALLY THIS WAS TAKEN IN HER OFFICE, BUT THIS IS WHAT SHE WORE TO SAID DINNER)
WHO: SANDRINE CHARLES,
WHERE: SLOAN PRESENTATION
WHO: GREGORY MITOLA, ETAGERE PR
WHERE: COLLEEN ALLEN FW25 APPT
WHO: RACHEL IWANIEC, RIC NYC
WHERE: COLLEEN ALLEN APPT.
WHO: GREGORY WERBOWSKY
WHERE: CAMPILLIO FW25 SHOW
DESIGNER
WHO : JAC CAMERON
WHERE: RUADH SHOWROOM
Honorable mention to Brett Heyman of Edie Parker—I didn’t get a photo, but she was in vintage Chanel for her fabulous cabaret night at Brass & Tusk, which was transformed into the Green Room for one night only, featuring none other than the Countess LuAnn.
SERVER
WHERE: PRADA SS25 CAMPAIGN COCKTAIL
One of the most highly anticipated debuts in New York was Veronica Leoni for Calvin Klein—a brand I had mostly forgotten about until, well that steamy Jeremy Allen White campaign. I don’t even wear their underwear (though, to be fair, I did buy a few pairs a couple of weeks ago since they’re one of the few brands that make a decent sport brief for men—but that’s neither here nor there).
The last time Calvin Klein was really on my mind was during Raf Simons’ tenure. He wasn’t so much referencing the brand’s past as he was dissecting America’s—viewing it through the lens of an outsider, steeped in Andy Warhol imagery and pop culture nostalgia, and film.
Raf’s Calvin wasn’t designed to please the masses, and when it did try, those attempts often felt half-hearted—no doubt part of the reason for his departure. His work struggled to translate into the kind of commercial success the brand was after, much like how, as
noted about John Galliano’s Dior,Yet Galliano’s Dior is now seen as era-defining, and I suspect Raf’s Calvin Klein will eventually be viewed the same way (Or perhaps it already is—I know it is to me—and maybe it won’t be.). The same, however, can’t necessarily be said for everything we’ve seen this week or will see this month.
Leoni’s debut was nice, but in a world oversaturated with nice clothes at every price point, she didn’t quite convince me that hers were necessary. What was missing, at least for me, were clothes imbued with a certain desirability—a red-hot sexuality that made the brand irresistible when Calvin helmed it himself. Take, for example, that Helmut Newton editorial for Vogue, The Story of Ohh, styled by the late Polly Mellen. Yes, the image is as much about the shirtless man and the suggestive pose as it is about that dress—which, of course, was Calvin.
Let’s see what Leoni does for spring. I wish her the best.
But that’s not to say everything I’ve seen so far has been lackluster. Ouer’s recent outing was particularly interesting—sportier than usual. They played off their signature double collar, this time offering it in windbreakers and a double-breasted jacket. They also have a great sense of color, something that’s becoming harder to find. There were fantastic updates to Ruadh, which is now exploring new fabrications and styles that complement her denim beautifully. (And while I know I’ve been sounding the death knell for the barn jacket, she created one so good it made me reconsider my stance.)
It was such a pleasure to see Maria McManus' collection—clothes that looked and felt like one big, comforting hug. Standouts included the oversized knit vest paired with low-slung wide-leg trousers, the enormous scarves that wrapped around a few models, and a slightly louche twin set styled with a lace trim slip and more tapered trousers—a look I found particularly sexy. She partnered with Ashley Moubayed of Don’t Let Disco to accessorize the looks with her candy-like confections- quite divine.
Sloan, designed by Julia Sloan, made its New York debut with a collection of effortless pieces that align with the look of the moment ( The Row, Toteme, Phoebe Philo’s Céline, etc.). But what stood out most to me were the easy dresses at fantastic price points. (On her site, dresses range from $325 to $575; however, I personally prefer the pieces she showed for fall over the ones currently available.) They had a distinct Halston-esque quality in look, and the jewelry shown alongside them carried that same energy.
Frances Howie’s debut as the new designer for Fforme also delivered a slew of standout dresses—a welcome sight, considering I was beginning to feel like we were in the midst of a good dress shortage in the market. There were Fortuny-esque gowns in bubblegum pink and black, trimmed with fringe (also available as tops), and drop-waist gowns. And Fforme wasn’t the only place where the drop waist made an appearance—after much hemming and hawing, have the Roaring ’20s finally arrived?!?
Ashlyn has significantly expanded her color palette, adding poppy orange, khaki, and camel to her usual blacks, whites, and pops of red. She sent out a lineup of elevated essentials—peplum tops offered in short-sleeved leather shirts and merino wool blouses, and there was a delicious double-faced cashmere bar-style coat with what Laird Borrelli-Persson aptly called “melon-shaped sleeves’ in her Vogue Runway review.The collection emphasized the waist, cinching the wearer in. Yet, similar to Colleen Allen’s approach, the idea of cinched silhouettes doesn’t feel restrictive- if anything, they feel liberating (keep in mind Ashlyn, who is a star patternmaker, cut her teeth at Yohji Yamamoto).
Altuzarra, who has been delivering ace collections over the past few seasons, presented a lineup that was rich and sophisticated—an answer, in my opinion, to the question: What would Capote’s Swans wear today? Wispy printed chiffon, snug belted fur coats, sharp skirt suits, and, of course, hats. (Really good hats.)
Another collection with a fabulous hat—though perhaps not one a Swan would wear to La Côte Basque (but maybe they’d wear the boots?)—was Campillo, showing in New York for the second time. (I mentioned the brand back in September as well.) Reinventing menswear without veering into gimmickry is no easy feat, but Patricio Campillo has managed to inject real character and dimension into his work, much like Glenn Martens did for Y/Project and Diesel. As we were leaving, a former colleague remarked that Campillo would have been a great successor to Martens—alas, c’est la vie. His collection featured warped scarves that appeared caught in the wind, nipped-in coats trimmed with shearling, crinkled grey pinstripe suiting, and a final look that paired a feathered blazer with distressed, baggy denim. He’s a real talent, and New York is lucky to have him showing here.
After leaving the Campillo show, I dashed over to the WSA building for the Absolutely Fabrics pop-up, hoping they were still open. (On my way up, I spotted Carson Kressley—I was told there was something related to Miss Universe happening in the building. Has anyone else heard about this?)
Thankfully, they were, and I made a beeline for Colleen Allen’s famous polar fleece jacket. I originally had my heart set on the red, but I ended up choosing the orange instead.
What really spurred this purchase was twofold:
a) I’d been wanting a piece from her since her debut, and
b) I was struck by something I overheard her say to Jose Criales-Unzueta about how clothes affect—and perhaps even change—the body. And when I look at her clothes—and try them on—you do feel different. You carry yourself differently, you walk differently, you are different.
In that moment, I was able to name the fatigue I’ve been feeling with so many collections over the past few seasons more clearly—these clothes aren’t challenging us; they’re merely meeting us where we are. And while American fashion has mostly been rooted more in pragmatism than pure fantasy (unlike the French), that doesn’t mean designers of the past—Bill Blass, Geoffrey Beene, Adolfo, Galanos, Norman Norell, Pauline Trigere, Claire McCardell, Elizabeth Hawes, Donna Karan, Isaac Mizrahi, Halston, Willie Smith, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Stephen Burrows, and others—left wonder and aspiration off the table. Yes, they answered the question “What does she wear to [fill in the blank]?” but they did so with sophistication and imagination.
Colleen’s clothes are full of imagination. I mean—polar fleece evening jackets (?!?). But this time, she also presented rather sexy slips with subtle ruffles tracing deep backs, Madame X-style velvet column dresses, and cheeky shirts and ruffled panties that, when layered under something, would create a subtle bustle—altering both the garment’s shape and the way the wearer sits.
Christopher John Rogers is no stranger to imagination either. In fact, he opened his show with Gene Wilder’s Pure Imagination from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), marking his return to the calendar after showing off-schedule for the past five years. The collection, titled “Exhale,” was a celebration of the brand’s roots—“playful occasionwear imbricated with declarative workwear and daywear, and a continued effort to provide a space for [their] fantasies to flourish.” As always, his use of color was masterful—this time, his signature punchy, saturated tones were more muted (dare I say a bit dirty?) yet still impactful. There were drop-waist dresses with skirts inspired by upside-down umbrellas, and suiting in a rich chocolate brown and a hypnotic floral that would be perfect for someone who wants interesting clothes to wear to the office, as well as some updates to past styles such as the trench.
Christopher’s clothes aren’t for everyone, nor are Colleen’s, nor are Marc Jacobs’—who, for his part, showed a collection of inflated, cartoonish pieces that quite literally altered the body. And that’s okay. Because in their work, you see something rare: they are designing, first and foremost, for themselves and the communities they’ve cultivated. That’s also why I’ve fallen for Alessandro’s Valentino—regardless of how you feel about his work, you can’t deny it’s entirely his language, his vision. The opening lines of Pure Imagination—the ones that always make me well up—go: "Hold your breath / Make a wish / Count to three." In a world where reality seems to grow bleaker by the day, do we really need clothes so steeped in reality? Aren’t we allowed to dream?
I’d love to hear what you all are loving and thinking about this week so far.
XX
JJ
Excited to see your orange jacket, Jalil! I enjoyed seeing people dressed for the shows (that server!), and I love reading about impressions of shows. I'm grateful to have a pair of Calvin Raf-era trousers - I love them...and I wore them to a Pop Art exhibition.
This is a good one, J! I remember standing by you when talking to Sandrine, and thinking, he’s cooking up something good. Love to see it my friend 🖤