RUNWAY ROUNDUP: NEW YORK FASHION WEEK

PHOTO: HUNTER ABRAMS

As the curtains close on this seasons first fashion week, here’s what you missed from the best of New York’s SS25.

TORY BURCH

Photo: Tory Burch SS25 via ISIDORE VONTAG & ALESSANDRO VIERO / GORUNWAY.COM

The sporty themes were running strong with this NYFW, and Tory Burch was no exception. Burch’s presentation of SS25 transformed The Refinery Skylight into an underwater haven, the floor and walls covered in painted tiles to look like the inside of a pool. For the first time, Burch merged her main line with Sport, showcasing a blur between athletic and every-day wear with sequinned bathing suits, drawstring pants and peep-toe webbed pumps that resembled that of pointe shoes. “It’s kind of one and the same in my mind right now,” she said. “I see young girls wearing a tennis dress on the street, and it’s really interesting to me because I love technical things that you can play in, but I think they’re probably not on the way to the court—they’re fuzzing the line.”

COACH

PHOTO: COACH SS25 ISIDORE VONTAG & ARMANDO GRILLO / GORUNWAY.COM

Youthful and rebellious, Stuart Vevers’ SS25 Coach collection took a Gen Z spin on American classics. “My vision for Spring was to show real clothes in a real, relevant, urban environment,” creative director Stuart Vevers explained. “But we’re redesigning these clothes, keeping in mind the values of a new generation that is discovering these pieces for the first time.” And Vevers definitely proved this, his SS25 was not shy from a casting of fresh faces, an elevated but edged ‘I Heart NY’ tee, dangling animal charms to resin sneaker stickers, and a Gen Z favourite - baggy pants. It felt like a modern nod to Punk Americana and we’re here for it.

ALAIA

PHOTO: VIA ALAIA SS25

Pieter Mulier brought a New Yorkian edge to his SS25 Alaia, a return since its first show in 1982. “I thought it was quite beautiful to bring the essence of American fashion to the collection, which is a sense of ease, which is a different kind of luxury than what we know in Europe,” Mulier said. And the show did not disappoint, no doubt with a star-studded front-row made up of Rihanna, Lewis Hamilton and Anna Wintour. The collection felt feminine and flirty, with Mulier’s iconic pleated mini skirts and hooded swing coats making an unsurprising return. His designs felt like their own sculptures on the body, made for movement whilst reflecting the curves of the Guggenheim Museum.

LUAR

PHOTO: LUAR SS25 VIA DANIELE OBERRAUCH / GORUNWAY.COM

The Queen of Pop, Madonna, seated front-row, and a runway cameo by Offset - Rual Lopez’s SS25 Luar came in as strong as his chuchero speakers did. The clothes were as loud as the baseline, not shy of 53 avant-garde looks, Lopez played with the idea of punk through elements of sexy queerness, spliced tailoring and religious symbolism. “Punk is a feeling, it’s an attitude, it’s how you present yourself out of the norm and stand out and be you,” he said.

COLLINDA STRADA

PHOTO: COLINA STRADA SS25 ISIDORE VONTAG & ALESSANDRO VIERO / GORUNWAY.COM

Collina Strada told everyone to very literally Touch Grass in Hillary Taymour’s presentation of this year’s Spring collection. “I feel like everyone is a bit overwhelmed this season,” she explained. “There’s a lot of chaotic energy with everything that’s happening on the planet and the election, and so I’m just trying to be grateful that I have a small, healthy business; trying to find inner peace, keep a smile on my face, and not get overwhelmed.” The clothes were romantic yet elf-like, with plenty of pastels, ruffles, lace and mesh paired with pixie-cuts and ethereal floor-length wigs - you couldn’t help but feel transported to another realm.

OFF-WHITE

PHOTO: OFF-WHITE SS25 ISIDORE VONTAG & ARMANDO GRILLO / GORUNWAY.COM

Late Virgil’s predecessor Ib Kamara brought the brand to its first ever New York Fashion Week. With another nod to the sporty theme, Kamara took inspiration from Abloh’s roots in Ghana with sportswear embodying the connection between Africa and America. “I just loved it, so I started the collection there (Ghana),” Kamara said, “going to the market, gathering fabrics, working with local artisans, really gathering a lot of feeling from it. And I named the collection Duty Free: you’ve come to New York, you’re young, you’re sexy, and you’re confident because you’re a global traveler.” The thin mesh descending the large studded belted skirts resembled that of traditional cultural wear, which Kamara juxtaposed with the pairing of heavy track jackets or deep V neck plunge tops. There was a seamless infusion of Ghanaian patterns and designs across the clothes, and a prevailing sense of Afro-futurisim in every look that was so effortlessly executed.