Within hours of the closing of Fashion Week in New York City, Philadelphia launched its own for 2016. Starting on Wednesday, the event featured four nights of streetwear, menswear and womenswear from up-and-coming designers. While the shows did not feel like the grand affair in NYC, the smaller venue and urban, hip-hop style motifs stayed true to Philadelphia’s personality. Here is a glimpse of some of the designs that came down the runway on Feb. 19.
Ke’ Collection
The local designer expressed an affinity for classic silhouettes such as peplum, capes and long hemlines. Coming in rich textures and a black and white palette, the designs looked both gothic and innocent. Touches of floral, in the hair and in prints, added a Spanish, resort-like vibe.
Dleak leather Bow-ties
Specializing in custom leather bow-ties, the New York brand showcased the collection in its natural habitat: button-downs, tuxedos and suits. Bunny masks, surprising at first, became fitting once one realized the allusion to the Playboy Bunny logo. It was interesting to see the symbol classy, mysterious and applied to the other gender though little attention was left for the bow-ties themselves.
Mah-Jing Wong
Pastel mini-dresses broke up the dark shades and serious silhouettes in the rest of the show. Tie-able halters may have seemed simplistic and childlike but other details like exposed zippers and clever slits indicated mature intentions. These weren’t playsuits of your youth.
Fairezt of Them All
It takes as much art to know what to erase as to know what to draw. Fairezt of Them All mastered ripping and shredding fabric to elevate casual pieces like robes, sweatshirts and shirt dresses. In doing so, the clothes became an accessory to black undergarments and the models’ natural beauty. Recognizing underexposure can be equally provocative as overexposure, the designer nudged contemporary issues by ending with male models in ski masks.
Todd Anthony
While designer Jacqueline Myles started creating clothing out of chains, the spectrum of her materials certainly has widened based on the variety used. Baroque, fur, lace and leather brought conservative shapes, like midi-skirts, cropped jackets and tie-front blouses, into glamour. Nothing modest here.
—Emily Cieslak
Photos taken by Emily Cieslak.