Despite challenges with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the Omicron variant, New York Fashion Week took place as scheduled, from February 11 to February 16. The show was put on to a vaccinated in-person audience, as well as digital viewers, through a hybrid format of showcases. Designers took the opportunity to premiere their fall and winter collections for 2022, showing us a glimpse of what fashion would look like next season and setting the tone for fashion beyond the runway.
Household names, such as Tom Ford, Michael Kors and Carolina Hererra, were on the lineup, as per usual. However, this Fashion Week introduced us to a large variety of newcomers, who truly have the power and potential to change the future of the fashion industry through their diverse, inclusive and sustainable labels.
A majority of these founders established or grew their brands during the start of the pandemic, which could be categorized as a particularly difficult time to start or improve a business, given the circumstances. Nevertheless, these brands cultivated success and created a lasting impression, through their spectacular debut, their clothing pieces and their origin story.
Melke
Sustainable for the planet and people. Truly a fitting tagline for this eco-friendly, gender-neutral brand, which was founded by Emma Gage in 2020, who promises full transparency. This New York-based fashion designer raises awareness around ethical fashion, and she makes sure to produce every last bit of her collection using only natural, recycled and plastic-free materials. Gage is redefining sustainability and setting the bar high, in an industry where sustainability is a saturated yet overlooked concept. She also strives to combine her work in design with nonprofit work, given her passion for societal change, which includes fighting for children’s education and combatting human trafficking. Gage has partnered with KOCO, a company that produces sweaters hand-knitted by women in rural India in order to foster financial independence.
KGL
The aesthetic of KGL, or Kanika Goyal Label, can be best described as “provocative minimalism,” as founder Kanika Goyal stated in a 2019 interview with Forbes India. Essentially, it’s using the maximum amount of patterns that can still appeal to a minimal dresser. After studying at the National Institute of Fashion Technology in New Delhi and Parsons in New York, Goyal created her brand in 2014, centered around multicultural design and the luxury of ecological and ethical fashion. Before her debut at NYFW, Goyal collaborated with brands like Adidas Originals and SmartWater and dressed global names such as Huda Kattan, M.I.A, Deepika Padukone and more. Her upcoming collection, Sci Trance, features warm euphoric colors and ‘70s grunge to represent the psychedelic energy of the subconscious state of mind, and though it’s a little different from her original brand aesthetic, it’s just as dreamy!
Lisa Von Tang
“I design for soft, pure, spirits who have had to deal with the brutality of the world – I make them powerful armor, and I make pieces that also encourage their femininity. In everything I create, there is yin and yang,” says Lisa Von Tang, a Canadian-born, Chinese-German designer who launched her label in Singapore, in 2017. She’s best known for designing pieces for the film, Crazy Rich Asians. Her designs mainly consist of dressy separates and formal evening wear made ethically from materials such as silk, crop waste, hemp, recycled knits and brocade, all produced in a solar-powered factory. She reinterprets Chinese style in a modern take. She also takes pride in the brand’s high-quality craftsmanship. Additionally, she works with Singapore’s oldest non-government organizations, Nature Society, as well as with UN Women, Recyclothes and more, to cultivate change in the whimsical realm of design, and beyond.
Tanisi
Founded by mother-and-daughter duo Shreya and Axi Patel in 2020, this Chicago-based label is focused on creating sustainable, accessible and high-quality pieces. The elaborate, timelessly elegant dresses and going-out wear are an ode to the Patels’ Indian heritage, further shown through the effortless fusion of Indian and Western styles. Tanisi is another name for Goddess Durga, the protective mother of the universe and the goddess of strength and power in Hinduism. This is also represented by the brand’s logo, further reflecting on the brand’s core value of female empowerment. Tanisi strives to be as ethically responsible as possible, from using and repurposing fabrics and reducing fabric wastage to recognizing the importance of satisfied employees and guaranteeing fair wages and safe working conditions for all.
Castles & Queens
The Los Angeles-based label was founded by Josh J. Holm in 2020 and is the perfect balance between luxury going-out wear and streetwear. Holm takes inspiration from LA, as well as his experiences growing up in South Korea and studying fashion design in Japan to create pieces such as blazers, tops, bottoms, dresses and accessories for both men and women. Not only does Holm aim to create high-quality, minimalistic clothing, but he also focuses on bringing awareness to the multitude of social issues faced by Americans to different individuals. “When you come across our brand I hope it inspires you,” Holm told Shoutout LA in 2021. “I hope you envision a future where you rule as the Kings and Queens you are.”
What was your favorite debut from the February 2022 NYFW showcases? Let us know at @HerCampusSJSU!