Runway 7 NYFW Spring/Summer 2023 Showcase Catch-Up | Saturday Part 1

This September hybrid fashion production house and fashion show producer, Runway 7 gave us a thrilling 3-day event running parallel to New York Fashion Week, filled with top designers both iconic and indie. Viewers were shown a preview into the Spring/Summer looks for 2023, premiered collections and the latest designs from some beautifully creative minds. Here we’ll give you a quick glance in case you missed the festivities.

In case you missed Runway 7’s Friday showcase with Naeem Khan and Jessica Jade you can catch-up here.

With so much for the eyes to devour on Saturday we’ll have to break it up into a day and night review. Without further ado – let’s begin our Satur-DAY. :)

Not going to lie, I was especially excited to see the winners of the SohoMuse designer showcase. Something about the young fiery energy of students battling it out to win the top prize of having their collection become a reality really brought out that part of me that uses Bravo shows to self-soothe at night. These designers did not disappoint, giving the audience something to “Oo” at – each running with their own themes to showcase their heart. This fall we got to view and celebrate the first, second and third place winners of the SohoMuse student designer showcase.

First place winner of the student showcase, Desislava Simeonova had the honor and thrill of starting the spectacular Saturday of the Runway 7 Spring/Summer 2023 showcase. Despite the two hour delay that permeated throughout all shows for the rest of the day ( and into the evening ), the crowd readily accepted with thirsting eyes the asymmetrical lines, geometric shapes and chic cuts and cut-outs that opened for us on Saturday in Simeonova’s collection. The appreciation for negative space and classic touch of gloves was a personal favorite.

Up next, second place winner Francys Lorena Herrera gave us a refreshing men’s collection featuring bold color blocks coupled with hoods, bands and mesh. Here was where minimalism and loud colors choices meet together on a trench coat and shake hands. I could imagine this to be futuristic medic fashion used in a fantastical setting.

Filipino born Jaqueline Mones, creator of Jacque Label, gave us futuristic femme in with her mix of galactic breastplates, killer organic shapes and sheer flowing fabrics. These seemingly opposing materials brought so much fun and interest to the eye, Jacque Label really gave us a show.

Runway 7 sure had an NYC meets Miami moment hurdling in a wave of the most luxurious wowing floral heat in the Isabel Original International collection. Isabel Lopez, designer of Isabel Original focused on vivid bombastic colors in a flurry of floral fashion. Luxury and sun finally meet on the canvas of evening wear in just glistening shades of indoor glory. Here we have non stop back to back declarations of “I am rich and I have a house by the beach”.

Ramped up pop beats and the occasional shoo-ing of viewers from hopping on the runway themselves, a typical pre-pre-show before we were introduced to the delicious collection of Project Runway star, Darren Apolonio. Punk-rock layered with a glistening plaid pattern, shimmering blacks and bounds of tulle decorum echoed much loved glam alternative vibes and perhaps a subtle nod to the visual-kei scene. The spiked ball and chain was a nice touch as well.

Nothing hypes a crowd (or a karaoke room) more than Rammstein’s Du Hast opening for a parade of really good looking people in really good looking outfits. Antlers, blouses, dress pants and plenty of sex appeal with fetish-wear frosting, Wadsworth House was not afraid to seduce the audience with it’s western couture and showed us what it looks like to combine business and pleasure.

This Loulou Damour showcase is for all of us who wished we were that pretty french girl. Chic, effortless, perpetually always on the way to a market with a book in our hands on a spring day. The collection featured lightweight fabrics with a single pattern that flowed around the figure like wind caressing the body and clean, classic looks for the mature working woman. We were even graced with designer Zee Field and her dog at the end of the show.

The Delayne Dixon collection felt like a blown kiss directly for the vamps, the queens and the sexy misfits. Featuring seductive reds, houndstooth patterning and classically vampy leather, Dixon’s collection demands the woman’s form be respected in it’s sexual prowess. And a bonus? All of these items are sustainably handmade by Delayne Dixon herself.

Though it was past noon, the warmest point of the day for Runway 7 was marked with a segment dedicated to swim, resort-wear and athleisure. The heat definitely felt turned up in the room even before the oil-slicked models set fire to the runway. I felt a little bad for anyone in the room wearing suits and turtlenecks.

African beats paired amazingly with an animal-print menagerie – KK Swim gave us the entire savannah with zebra and tiger stripes, shimmering leopard prints, and giraffe body suits. For those who felt their spirit embodies multiple animals, finally we can see one piece merging zebra, tiger, leopard and giraffe patterns all into one.

Want tiny bikinis but have a big personality? Want sheer cover ups that feel sexy but keep you cool in the heat while protecting your skin? Maui X Lolita gave us all that in their latest collection. Resort wear and beachwear – much of the warm weather apparel consisted of animal print and strategically placed straps in harness type fashion and sexy scuba-eque couture.

True Tone Swim

When True Tone Swim emerged I felt like I found what the Matrix movie would look like if it was written by the creators of Baywatch and James Bond. Maybe it was just those really cool sunglasses all the models wore, but True Tone’s designer Isabella Biscarini really knew how to embody “cool”. Monochromatic, sharp, cyber chic display on oil-slicked chiseled bodies – everything felt incredibly haut and compressed into the tiny, intensely powerful form of the bikini.

XCarii Xii

What words can I use to describe XCarii Xii Fashion?  Streetwear and athleisure meet brutalism in a very fun way that doesn’t take itself too seriously but also doesn’t hold back.

The collection utilized camo print, graphics, lots of color blocks dominated by white, black and red and of course the XCarii eye logo on an assortment of apparel. But the collection wasn’t limited to athletic wear. A patent leather bodysuit with thigh-high stilettos also took to the runway with a very XCarii rainbow logo umbrella.