A.Potts' 'Neo Rascalism' (Photo by Ned & Aya)
Everything we saw from Brooklyn designers this New York Fashion Week
10 Brooklyn-based and Brooklyn-born designers who showed us why Kings County rules fashion
New York Fashion Week wrapped on Wednesday night and once again Kings County designers reigned. Not only did these Brooklyn style mavens show off their newest collections for this upcoming fall season, but each brand told a unique, personal story with every garment.
Here, then, are 10 of Brooklyn’s hottest and upcoming designers — and their show-stopping looks during New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2023. Don’t blame us if you find yourself shopping these looks online by the time you get to the end of this round-up.
Luar
Collection: ‘Calle Pero Elegante’
Luar founder Raul Lopez concluded his runway show (NYFW’s last) to the sounds of “B.K. Anthem” by Foxy Brown … need we say more? Lopez held “Calle Pero Elegante” at Faurschou Gallery in Greenpoint. As one of the only designers who actually presented in Brooklyn this season, he honored the borough by capturing the city’s timeless style through furs, leathers, and even more of his iconic bags.
“Calle Pero Elegante,” which translates to “street, but elegant,” gave us exactly that, filtering his love for the city through his Dominican heritage. He intertwined his signature bags with looks that boasted dramatic shoulder pads on blazers and jackets, a truly unique feather tophat, balloon blouses, and elegant dresses and gowns.
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House of Aama
Collection: ‘Prelude: Aama Tales’
Based in both Los Angeles and Brooklyn, mother and daughter duo Rebecca Henry and Akua Shabaka paid homage to their Jamaican roots with their fall 2023 collection “Prelude: Aama Tales.” In the Georgia Room at Manhattan’s Freehand Hotel, House of Aama put on their show in front of an altar of framed photos of ancestors surrounded by candles, fruits, and flowers at the end of the runway.
Each piece told a different story of Jamaica. From the vibrant colors of the traditional clothing to embracing the Rastafarian culture, “Prelude: Aama Tales” took the audience on a trip to the world where Henry and Shabaka grew up. Subtle hints of the island imbued each piece. A knitted hat in the collection represents “the spider who weaves and protects the family stories.” By incorporating embroidered words like “A likkle story” and “Maroons,” the designers also highlight the contrasts of American and Jamaican cultures. The runway show also launched “Parable,” part of the collection in collaboration with visual artist Gianni Lee and luxury retailer Moda Operandi.
Wiederhoeft
Collection: ‘Eurydice’
If you were looking for a performance, Wiederhoeft delivered. The brand transformed a SoHo youth center gym into a dream-like space where “Eurydice” combined ancient Greek and Catholic mythologies and leaned into Virgil’s epic “Aeneid.” Founder Jackson Wiederhoeft called “Eurydice” “a venn diagram of fanaticism, fate, and fear.”
Which are not necessarily the words that spring to mind on the topic of corsets, wedding wear, elegant gowns, satin and sequined dresses, and crystal embroidery. And yet, it worked. The whole show had fun playing with the idea of dualities, such as friend versus foe, fate versus free will, and prey versus predator. Spotted in the crowd, actress and model Julia Fox appeared transfixed by the Bay Ridge-based designer’s knack for turning garments into art.
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Who Decides War
Collection: ‘Politics As Usual’
Power couple Ev Bravado and Tela D’Amore of Who Decides War have mastered the art of combining streetwear with avant garde. At their celebrity-filled show at the Angel Orensanz Foundation, the audience included familiar faces such as Jim Hones, Brooklyn rapper Joey Bada$$, and Detroit rapper Babyface Ray.
D’Amore and Bravado, also known as Murder Bravado, are based in Brooklyn, where they create pieces that can be dressed up or dressed down. “Politics As Usual,” added a lot of outerwear and puffer coats to their roster — with stained glass-shaped puffy pockets. They also went big with their stained glass motif by featuring a multi-dimensional window dress that looked like something straight out of a vampire film.
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A.Potts
Collection: ‘Neo Rascalism’
Last year, designer Aaron Potts’ SS23 collection featured earthbound angels manifested through nature and the elements. This season, he’s back with a more ragged theme. “Neo Rascalism” imagines the cast of the Little Rascals in New York City in the ‘90s.
Filled with loose-fitted, layered pieces, “Neo Rascalism” reimagines the little tramps as art students at Parsons. While they’re still rebellious and playful, Potts gives these rascals a pop of chic modernism.
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Melke
Collection: ‘Peaches and Pests’
In her debut runway show, Emma Gage put her own twist on Tim Burton’s 1996 film “James and the Giant Peach.” With “Peaches and Pests,” the Brooklyn-based designer’s collection featured handcrafted peaches made in Brooklyn, embroidered bugs from a Ukrainian artisan, and environmentally friendly Italian wool.
The fruitful collection emphasizes collaborating with global vendors to maintain sustainability — one of Melke’s guiding ideas. You can find repurposed knitwear, sheer tops, and outlandish patterns in these ready-to-wear looks that call out her Minnesotan roots.
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Zimo
Collection: ‘Hoarderism’
Zimo Yan, the mastermind behind Zimo, has covered a topic never before broached during fashion week (we think): hoarding culture in the ‘90s. Known for celebrating his Asian heritage through documentary-style visuals, Yan told the story of a hoarder through a collection made with deadstock fabrics. While not technically a runway show, the two-hour presentation consisted of the models adding layers to their clothes, representing hoarders accumulating more things.
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Head of State
Collection: ‘Memories of Home’
If anyone can tell a story on the runway, it’s Head of State’s Taofeek Abijako, who took his audience on a journey to his native Nigeria to retrace his father’s story — and his own cultural assimilation. After making the long journey from Lagos to Spain, to Libya, and back to Lagos again, Abjiako’s dad won the American visa lottery. Abjiako himself was born in Lagos and later moved to Albany with his family.
“Memories of Home” incorporated subtle, yet moving hints of Nigerian architecture, traditional Yoruba wear, and explored the idea of adapting to moving from one home to another. Makeup resembling tears dotted the cheeks of each model as they slowly walked the runway in garments that evoked Lagos’ architecture and environment, the blue ocean his family crossed, and different sands they’ve walked on.
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Agbobly
Collection: ‘Togo Vivi Na’
Formerly known as Black Boy Knits, Agbobly presented this 16-piece collection under their own name to take viewers on another journey home, this time to a childhood in Togo, West Africa. “Togo Vivi Na” pulled in intricate cultural markers including beads, bold patterns, and vibrant colors with their niche for knitwear.
“The key themes to my brand and collection all stem from the notion of family, lineage, and
home for a native West African,” Agbobly says. “With my upbringing, it is important to me to frame my work around the idea of building a universe around intimate spaces from home that feel safe and honor this heritage and the women who have shaped who I am.”
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Helena Eisenhart
Collection: ‘Fall/Winter ‘23’
Brooklyn-based designer Helena Eisenhart went for an all-black collection for Fall/Winter 2023. Presented in a caged-in fence, some models walked around the fence while other models sat in what looked like entrapment. Details such as black apples, old telephones, and other objects were scattered around the room.
Culottes, balloon blouses, and carefully-stitched dresses were given hints of silver details in bags and stiletto boots. Another motif: bows and knots. The audience responded exuberantly to a skirt and top set tied with bows in the front, culottes held together by bow knots, and subtly in a blazer and vest. Although Eisenhart is early in their career, they have recently reached new visibility. Not only was this one of their best presentations, but popular rapper Rico Nasty was seen wearing one of their custom outfits last year.
