This past Sunday, February 12th 2023, Global Fashion Collective put out an impressive showcase debuting Fall/Winter 2023 collections at City Point located in downtown Brooklyn. Their diverse lineup of designers included countries Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Mozambique and Mexico.
Since 2017, Global Fashion Collective was made as an extension from sister organization Vancouver Fashion Week. They aim to produce shows connecting emerging designers with the public, helping them expand their presence across the world with the utilization of media influence.
This winter, the line consisted of designers Nolo, HeeyongheE, User-defined x Maldito, Ambergleam, Jasive, Maison de Hoe, Lisa Ju, Victorian Maiden, Taússy Daniel and Hengki Kawilarang.
NOLO
NYC-inspired streetwear brand, NOLO was first up in the Global Fashion Collective’s Sunday showcase. Manolo, whose real name is Luis Corrales, is the designer of the Mexican based brand NOLO Mx. His latest collection featured oversized jackets, hoodies, and matching tops and bottoms with a playful take on textures and patterning.
From bright saturated pastels to sharply lined suits, the collection portrayed a uniquely fun take on classically recognized street-wear apparel such as puffer jackets and cargo pants. Models ranging from children to adults walked to digital alternative music that I thoroughly enjoyed in this modern nod to rugged New York City street-wear.
As at its core, street-wear started as a subculture to mainstream fashion, having the performance with the display of varied prints, textures, and patterns alongside the avant-garde selection of music felt entertaining and appropriate.
HEEYONGHeE
The second showcase of the day was Korean brand HeeyongheE, created by fashion designer Hee-yong Shin. Their collection centered on the placement of pleats, mesh bodysuits, and the exploration of color and texture on outerwear.
Hee-yong’s work caught Global Fashion Collective’s attention with her master’s work as a student of Hongik University Fashion Design. Her style is sleek with all lines carefully accounted for.
This latest collection clearly displays this with a series of coats with varying applications of rivets, pleats, textures and materials. What starts as simple commentary on asymmetrical lapel alignment quickly transforms into darkly futuristic black fabrics and rivets that line down the edges of open space.
User-defined x Maldito
In the spirit of futuristic fashion, the collaboration of User-Defined and Maldito is right at home. Maldito is the umbrella that shelters a multimedia exploration of expressing the self in the forms of fashion, manga, illustration, and glassblowing. Maldito also connects with NFTs via User-Defined, a label that connects artists with collectors.
The fashion collection was in digital form with 3D figures modeling bodysuits sporting flame imagery, padded knee-highs, and forms melded with motorcycles.
The collection, like the brand, is queer, campy, and cute. It also brings about questions on the future of fashion and how fashion showcases will look like moving forward.
Jasive
Fashion brand Jasive opened the late afternoon set for Global Fashion Collective. Designed by Jasive Fernandez, who also acts as the International Director of the brand Niza, the collection reflects her passion for timeless pieces that are both sustainability conscious and accessible as ready to wear items.
This Fall/Winter collection took a color palette of black, white and emerald and paired it with romantic feminine attire. The selection featured dresses layered with ribbon-eqsue ruffles, emerald shirts with jabot and high ruffled collars, and crisply pleated open collars and short sleeves. Several of the models walked with delicate headdresses of feathers and gold accessories.
Jasive’s essence is of a dark, romantic lover whose elegance and poise confirms their feminine power.
Ambergleam
Unisex brand Ambergleam delighted the floor at Global Fashion Collective’s showcasing during the late afternoon set.
Husband and wife team Yuki and Lione Nagayama handle the designs for the brand. Together they created a collection that reflects their desires for an apparel company that offers “clothing you want to share”.
The showcase featured earth toned cold-weather favorites. Large sweaters with tapered sleeves, houndstooth coats, gingham checkered dresses and printed tops graced the runway to dreamy mellow beats. The usage of monochromatic prints created an overall feeling of nostalgia and warmth as if under the spell of white noise in a pleasant memory.
Ambergleam is also an eco-conscious brand by working with the UPCYCLE Project. Their Loop! Program focuses on fabric re-usage to help close the loop on waste in the textile industry.
Maison De Hoe
Fashion brand Maison De Hoe ended the set of late afternoon showcases for Global Fashion Collective. Designed by Hanwei Su, a graduate of Parsons, the collection debuted this year for New York Fashion Week. Su’s background growing up in traditional Chinese culture mixed with the adolescent and adult years of being in New York, combine in her designs in a subtle yet bombastic clash.
The showcase featured floral printed jackets, bright teals, and patterns peeking from under solid sets. Thick fabrics were shaped into flattering vests and flowing pants. Dresses with a pattern akin to watercolor brushstrokes were paired with leather cinchers and hoods pulled taut. Blazers were layered on top of multi-paneled blouses. On the backs of several pieces were window panes seeing through the cloth and into the model. Many of the models carried a hoe in hand, obviously a nod towards the brand’s name.
The collection was intriguing, playful and unafraid. The mismatched discordance was intentional and consistent, echoing the fissure between traditional eastern and modern western culture and coming to terms with being the child of both.
Hanwei Su is a humanitarian at the core of her brand. She focuses on practical solutions in sustainability and has been awarded the Tischman Fund for Excellence in Climate, Environmental Justice, and Sustainability as well as reached the finals of the IYDC Sustainable Fashion Competition.
Lisa Ju
The evening set of showcases from Global Fashion Collective began with an intently buzzing crowd, packed tightly around the runway waiting to see the dazzling pieces for the night. Lisa Ju, a fashion designer from Bandung, Indonesia, started the evening with her 12 piece couture collection titled Renceum Réjouissances, a combination of the Sudanese “renceum” meaning sparkling and the French word “réjouissances” meaning festivities.
The collection consisted of glistening metallic evening wear. Gowns were adorned with meticulous beading and crystal detailing that showcased Ju’s Indonesian heritage through techniques that reflect the tradition of Batik patterning.
Each dress felt like precious metals were lovingly shaped and applied by hand to the human form and then coated in a layer of stardust. It was a delight to receive such a visual display of elegance and delicate femininity.
Victorian Maiden
Victorian Maiden also took to the floor for the evening set, giving viewers a delightful revisit, or introduction, to Lolita subculture fashion from Japan. The brand started in 1999 and was greatly respected for its elegant vision of Victorian Era inspired designs and had a consistent spotlight in the ever-loved Gothic Lolita Bible.
Their Fall/Winter collection featured demure browns, warm deep reds, and floral patterned dresses. Full petticoats, ribbon ties and wide brimmed hats – the assortment of apparel maintained its romantic flair of classically inspired attire.
As a fan of Lolita fashion during the early 2000s, it was wonderful to see Victorian Maiden shine on the runway during NYFW. They are celebrating their 25th anniversary this year and will be bringing their fashion to the world.
Taússy Daniel
Taússy Daniel, a fashion designer from Maputo, Moçambique, revealed a gorgeous selection of haute couture evening wear during the last set of Global Fashion Collective’s showcases. Daniel’s Fall/Winter 2023 collection focused on powerful silhouettes with bold feminine energy, turning dresses into wearable sculptures.
The collection reflected the beauty of natural formations showing a color palette of gold, brass, seaglass, agate and onyx. Aspects of the evening wear would have them curled spectacularly from the hips of the gown, shoulder pads strut out like the edge of cliffs, and chiffon encased the human form like a powerful aura no one could penetrate. It truly was jaw-dropping to see such artwork walk the floor.
Hengki Kawilarang
The final designer for the night was Hengki Kawilarang, an established designer from Jakarta, Indonesia. He started his career in 2001 and has a focus on glamorous elegant designs making any woman feel like a “diva”.
Kawilarang’s designs this Fall/Winter season featured those glamorous details in the form of shimmering fabrics, metallic accents, feathers, ruffles and golden headdresses. All designs emitted a sense of royalty accessorized with quick witted flair.
The glam was indeed delivered on the runway and each piece felt powerful, eccentric and was a wonderful way to end the evening showcases for Global Fashion Collective.
Global Fashion Collective did an outstanding job bridging the fashion industry across the world. All the designers were phenomenal, and provided a unique expression into wearable art. We look forward to all shows they will produce in shaping the future of fashion and New York Fashion Week.
All crispy clear photos are courtesy of BPM-PR.
All of the models’ gorgeous makeup was done by Claudio Trejo with the New York Makeup Academy and Latina Glam with Bully Blocker.
All of the models’ perfect hair was done by stylist Odete DaSilva using Goldwell and Varis.
