30. Less of a Fashion Week and More of a Fashion Weekend
What I wore, what I loved, and why I went to less.
This season, my New York Fashion Week has been an abridged one. I was on holiday in Japan for two weeks and missed the first couple of days. Though I had tinges of fomo catching up via Instagram stories, I have to admit that over the last few seasons stepping away from fashion week has been a boon for my mental health.
As someone whose fatal flaw is caring a little too much about external validation, fashion week is an emotional rollercoaster and physical test all in one. It’s silly to be earnest about stuff that really doesn’t matter, like getting a seat at a fashion show. But I know I’m not alone in sometimes being disappointed by the way things shake out. Look, I’m working on it!
A few years ago, The Cut’s EIC Lindsay Peoples texted me a Toni Morrison quote that I’ve held onto since then, coming back to it on days when I’m feeling particularly self doubting or critical. It’s helped to shake the imposter syndrome I get sometimes, even in relation to this newsletter.
I once had a therapist tell me I “should” myself a lot. I talk about the things I should aspire to, or boxes I should be checking off in my career or personal life, instead of focusing on what I actually want on the inside. Bad! It’s a habit I’m trying to break. During fashion week this season, my goal was no shoulds at all! I went to what I went to, and there was no intrinsic value besides how I felt about the clothes I saw, or the friends I got to catch up with.
This long winded introduction is all to say that I’m sharing an abridged report of what I wore and what I saw, simply because I was only around for a few days. This season overall seemed to be a bit sleepy, and that’s not just my jet lag talking. Everyone from editors to photographers told me upon my arrival on Sunday that I hadn’t missed much at all.
Sunday
After buying a flowy Chloé top from WSJ’s Lane Florsheim at a closet sale a few months back, I’ve had my eye out for more early aughts pieces from the brand. I picked up this dress a month ago from The Real Real and I love the feeling of swinging around the cascading bell sleeves as I scroll, sip my coffee or do other such mundane tasks.
Chloé is a brand back on the fashion world’s radar thanks to the new creative director Chemena Kamali, but the secondhand prices haven’t quite taken off to match the current hype just yet, so you can still find a good deal.
There’s an art to dressing for fashion week, at least as a freelancer — as my main mode of transport is the subway, shoes must be comfortable enough to walk in for what’s often miles. These heeled loafers handled the 10,000+ step day surprisingly well.
My day started slow, with the always soothing Ulla Johnson. I was welcomed with a welcome shot of raspberry ginger juice and found my seat by walking through a lush garden devised by one of my favorite floral design studios Fox Fodder Farm. Ulla’s got an eye for bold colors, and this season the palette was inspired by the work of artist Lee Krasner. I preferred the monochromatic pieces, like a shocking pink slip dress, to her more bohemian painterly prints. As for styling, I could imagine taking a page out of designer Marina Moscone’s book, layering an entirely sheer sheath over the slip dress. Sheer still seems to be in the midst of its moment.
After the show, I hopped back on the subway to fashion’s new favorite stomping ground, WSA — the coolest office building in Fidi, designed by the geniuses behind the Cayman Islands hotel Palm Heights. I took the elevator up to Simon Miller where funky prints and textured knits were nestled among mid-century sculptures and towers of jello. Founder Chelsea Hansford walked me through everything dressed in a stylishly oversized painterly suit.
From Simon Miller’s preview I could see straight across the river to my next destination, Off White. It was a beautiful venue, right on the East River, with the city as the backdrop. Next to us, the popping sounds of pickleball added to the chaos of the soundscape.
Always a celebrity favorite, the show was peak people watching. I sat across from Flavor Flav, a bearded Zayn Malik, and was just down the row from fresh-out-of-the-US-open Francis Tiafoe, who was giggling with Anna Wintour. My favorite detail from the show was the sculptural airplane earrings, though I can only imagine would immediately get tangled in my hair if I ever tried to wear them out.
Post-show, myself and Marie Claire’s EIC Nikki Ogunnaike decamped to chaotic Dumbo for bagels and coffee. How cute are Nikki’s Nike Cortez accessorized with beads from Don’t Let Disco (and posted online for my benefit by Nike’s own Lynn Bredfeldt Haider)? Bits and bobs are trending! I spotted lots of keychains and necklaces draped off of shoes, bags, and even necklaces. Your accessories need accessories this season! In the same spirit, I’m adding the strappy beaded sandals at Khaite to my 2025 wish list.
Monday
Lucky me, still suffering from jet lag, I started my day at 2 a.m., watching Gilmore Girls for hours as I tried to drift back off before starting my day. Alas, I was up and ended up staying home all morning to work.
I finally made it out of the house and over to Hudson Yards for Zankov. It feels like the de facto to host shows all the way in Chelsea this season (“because it’s cheap!” I heard one PR exclaim) and so I’ve done a lot of zigging and zagging across the city to make it all the way out west from home in Brooklyn.
I just talked to the designer Henry for an Elle story (coming soon), and I spotted some of the knits he’d called out in our chat, specifically a sequin style that uses a special technique of actually weaving each sequin into the fabric. Henry is the master of cool colors and I always get a little burst of glee in seeing the ways he mixes and matches unexpected hues.
“I love when colors don't make sense together. I try to find a way for them to work and for them to be in harmony, but also have a kind of tension between them,” he told me.
In a sort of ode to Henry, my outfit of the day was mostly centered around a bright green and mostly sheer sweater I picked up while I was in Japan. It’s an Auralee piece from CoverChord, a cool shop in Tokyo I’ll be talking about in a future newsletter. Since it’s still a little chilly, I styled it with black Ami trousers that have the perfect high rise, old Chanel flats I bought secondhand, a CRZM necklace (it’s the sister line to Mociun that I learned about at a dinner this summer), and a Lie Studio bag that actually fit my laptop without feeling too tote adjacent.
Coach, my next event of the day was up the block but 3 hours away, so I plopped down with my laptop in a surprisingly pleasant Hudson Yards breezeway and quickly singled out a Daily Provisions where I got a chicken salad sandwich that not only matched my sweater, but was gleefully delicious and herby — look it’s not always about fashion in this space people!
Once the Coach show — with its A-list front row and oversized bags — wrapped I headed to Diotima for a beautiful presentation of Rachel Scott’s signature craftwork. She works with women in Jamaica to create her Brooklyn-cum-Carribean pieces, at once elegant and easy. I’m still trying to get my hands on one of her crochet pieces but have yet to pull the trigger. Maybe this crochet top ($450) or maybe this dress for layering.
Sadly I didn’t get to see Tory Burch in person this year, but I loved discovering the alien toile print by Spencer Malinksi featured in the show — right up my freaky little alley.
Tuesday
It was a beautiful and sunny 80 degrees and I started the morning with an unexpected mode of transportation — I got a lift in Jean Prounis’ ‘68 Ford Mustang Fern. Jean is the designer of one of my favorite jewelry labels Prounis, and she was giving me a rundown of her new collection in addition to a ride. A happy hint for anyone soon to be engaged, she’s continuing to build her bridal business, which has been quietly chugging along as a steady — often custom — portion of her work.
After our drive and chat, she dropped me at Colleen Allen’s preview. The Row alum showed her first collection last season, but this was my first time getting to touch the fabrics — divine. She manages to toe the line between aloof and polished in a way that feels very of the moment. This time around, velvet bloomers, colorful caps, and Victorian-inspired cotton dresses all caught my eye. Her inspiration ranged from ‘80s lingerie to chicks molting their feathers… talk about range! Keep your eyes on her work as I think she’ll only continue her rise. Coming soon, you can shop her collection at Ssense, Outline in Brooklyn, and a few other small boutiques (she’s keeping it small for now).
Afterwards I hopped on the train back home to catch up on work before breaking out my bicycle (third mode of transportation for the day) for Cos, which was all the way in the Brooklyn Navy Yards. Stylish outfits that are also bike appropriate can be surprisingly hard to navigate, but a black skirt hides bike grease stains (glamorous, I know) and these flat sandals are straightforward for pedaling. Accessory not pictured: a helmet! My favorite detail from the show was the way they styled Kelly green flats with matching socks as an antidote to the muted black and navy that dominated the collection.
My last show was Wiederhoeft, which was equal parts dance performance and fashion show. Designer Jackson Wiederhoeft’s corsetry is unmatched, and I loved the soft clink of dangling shells that spilled down the bodice of the main dancer.
I got to chatting capes, which showed up on a handful of runways this week, none quite as appealing as this sheer iteration at Toteme and balloon-ish style from Tibi. You heard it here first, swoopy little capes are a must for the months to come!
That’s all until next time — I’ll be chatting more about my adventures in Japan including shopping recs.
I quickly want to give a last call out to Bed Threads! Since finally having the chance to sleep in my own bed this week, nothing has been nicer than resting my head on their linen pillowcases, even if my sleep is still a bit of a mess.