Translated by
Clementine Martin
Published on
Feb 17 2021
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The designers showcased on the second day of New York Fashion Week spared no effort. Nearly 30 collections were unveiled Monday through creative videos with precise ideas that testify to the hard work carried out by talented artists during this endless pandemic.
The day could be summed up in an ode to New York. In turn, the designers told of their pride in living in the city that never sleeps or evoked the dreams that attract so many ambitious young talents. But this second day was also an ode to fashion itself, with an explosion of volumes and a total ban on fitted cuts. Not skinny jeans on the horizon.
A. Potts
And if we are talking about volumes, it is difficult to ignore A. Potts. Aaron Potts, a child from Detroit from a working-class family in the South, embodies a sort of American dream. This Parsons graduate has worked with Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan, Emmanuel Ungaro and Victoria’s Secret (excuse a little).
But the eclecticism of his CV is not reflected in his collection. On the contrary: his video mini-parade shows flawless consistency, through a troupe of elegant dancers proudly sharing their emotions in a loft on 14th Street. Among the pieces to remember were majestic priest’s cloaks, giant stained checked mohair coats, huge canvas pants and oversized judo jackets. Among the colors, we can mention a bitter yellow, a muted orange and an anthracite tending to brown.
In a way, the designer manages to convey exactly what fashion is supposed to do: give meaning to a striking collective event through clothing with exaggerated shapes.
Chelsea Grays
Chelsea Grays’ Homage 2020 remains the most notable collection of the day. This American designer living in Paris imagines masculine pieces. Presented by a mind-boggling hipster gang sweeping the city, the clothing mixes abstract expressionism-style splashed shirts and tops, graphic kilts, asymmetrical men’s skorts, torn tweed jackets, vagabond dresses. in patchwork or tightly patterned saddlebags. It takes a certain amount of courage and charisma to wear these clothes, but both of these qualities are common among New Yorkers.
Chocheng
If there’s one brand that seems to know what they’re doing, it’s Chocheng. With Cho Cho Cheng at its head, the label signs a video showing credible, refined and rather chic sets, in well-chosen colors and materials.
The coats dare to have flared lapels, the blouses are topped with ruffles and accordion pleats are applied to calico blouses or dresses. As for well-cut blazers, they seem quite suitable for a professional environment. But the basis of the collection are impeccably cut formal pieces, highlighting how Cho Cho Cheng soaked up her apprenticeship in Savile Row after graduating from Parsons School of Design.
Chinese hats and upturned lampshades that double as headgear draw heavily on red, and thankfully evoke a sultry Valentino collection rather than the Chinese New Year.
Among models wearing buns and red makeup on the cheeks, Asian origins dominate. As for the fabulous scene, it would not be out of place in a Gene Kelly musical. Nothing terribly revolutionary, but a collection nonetheless very well composed and coherent.
Victor Li
If there is only one thing to take away from this collection, it is its superb materials. Wonderful composite prints show heroes of the West, US dollars come in an oversized version, and postcard images appear on chic blazers. The jeans are acid washed, and the blazers are adorned with graphic photo montages.
Even the fuzzy checks used on boyfriend coats are excellent. The entire collection is shown in just two minutes, and serves as a show of bravery on the part of another Parsons School graduate. Maximumist materials highlighted by a resolutely minimalist video.
Private Policy
Here is an obtuse way of sending a message. The collection itself from Private Policy consists of many oversized formal pieces and sportswear, reminiscent of the forms dear to Balenciaga without possessing either the power or the panache.
This presentation is meant to tell the “little-known story” of 19th-century Chinese transcontinental railway workers and shed light on the xenophobia of the time.
In fact, the collection is called “We Remember You, Tales of Ghost Mountain” (‘We Remember You, Tales from Ghost Mountain’). But it is very difficult to find this idea in the video, mainly composed of dizzy models pirouetting in lofts and streets of New York.
Snow Xue Gao
Dark empty studios with bird’s-eye views of old office buildings are the bizarre theater chosen for this rather watered-down selection. The strangely complicated formal pieces, on the other hand, are reminiscent of a graduation work.
To it
Adeam and her Japanese designer Hanako Maeda offer a purist vision of romantic fashion. You can admire the courtesans’ dresses with mutton sleeves and carefully openwork shirts made from traditionally masculine materials. This collection is inspired by an exhibition by six contemporary Japanese artists at the Mori Art Muséum in Tokyo.
Presented in an airy space with an excellent background soundtrack, this collection carelessly uses volumes and primary colors. In addition, it is presented by models who seem to love clothes, particularly flattering. Remember the name Hanako Maeda: here is a new star to add to the firmament of Japanese modernist fashion.
Carter Young
Through a collection of subtle dress pieces, designer Carter Altman recounts his memories of family trips to go to Zabars to taste bagels in his childhood, to the nostalgic sound of Paul Banks from Interpol. Among the most notable looks are a macro-ribbed velor micro-jacket and a piped hunting jacket. Simple but effective, like his touching black and white video, reciting a poem to dreams that draw young people to New York and to fashion itself.
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