The Best Looks From New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2024
LaQuan Smith
There’s a certain type of energy that flows through each LaQuan Smith show, on and off the runway. Taking place after dark, the wait leading up to it feels like you’re about to enter the hottest club in New York—with the crowd to match. Fittingly so, as the designer’s spring 2024 collection is one that could easily take its wearers from one spot to the next. Colorful metallic leather and party-ready denim made their way down the runway in the form of racer-style moto jackets, minidresses, and larger-than-life cargo pants. Other standouts were designs that could easily be worn from day to night, including a croc-embossed pencil skirt—which featured an exposed zipper for anyone to show as much or as little leg as they’d like.—Dale Arden Chong, senior fashion commerce editor
LaQuan Smith
LaQuan Smith
Staud
According to the collection notes, Staud’s spring 2024 collection was inspired by the Italian term villeggiatura, which essentially translates to...taking your damn time. The show did just that: After keeping guests in a holding cell outside the grand ballroom of The Plaza Hotel, we were finally allowed in to witness designer Sarah Staudinger’s joyful collection of very wearable everyday pieces, ranging from Keds canvas sneakers and leather flats to the brand’s new collaboration with Wrangler. The highlight? Easily Jeff Bezos sitting front row (Staud is available on Amazon, after all).—Claire Stern, digital director
Staud
Staud
Sandy Liang
Sandy Liang may be one of the labels at the forefront of the coquette aesthetic, but that doesn’t mean the designer, the label, or its audience, hasn’t grown up. For her latest collection, Liang took inspiration from ethereal mermaids, creating garments that boasted iridescent sequins and transparent taffeta and jewelry with freshwater pearls and shells cast in metal. Of course, there were also plenty of pieces for the more practical shopper—or the uniform dresser—such as cotton T-shirts and cotton jersey pants, and sweater sets. My main takeaway? The Sandy Liang girl contains multitudes—and the label’s namesake knows it.—Dale Arden Chong, senior commerce fashion editor
Sandy Liang
Sandy Liang
Dion Lee
This season, Dion Lee put in work. The designer put on the latest NYFW show to date, starting around 10:45 P.M., to an electric response. His hot, slinky take on workwear hammered home his vision for downtown dressing, with literal screws, hammers, and plugs finding their way onto corseted bodysuits and over-the-top footwear made in collaboration with Ancuta Sarca. Highlights included utilitarian lace dresses and mini bubble skirts rendered in crushed metallics that are ready for the streets...or construction sites.—Kevin LeBlanc, fashion associate
Dion Lee
Dion Lee
Khaite
Khaite is perhaps the only brand in fashion right now doing minimalism right. Case in point: a simple black dress with ruching on the skirt, a flowy white maxi cinched with a belt featuring clasped brass hands as hardware, and a voluminous top paired with hot pants for unexpected proportion play. Apart from the clothes, the highlight of Catherine Holstein’s spring/summer 2024 show was undoubtedly the presentation: beams of light in the Park Avenue Armory followed each model down the runway, offering attendees a different view of the pieces as they moved. “Summer Overture” by Clint Mansell—memorably featured on the Requiem for a Dream soundtrack—fittingly blared through the speakers, signaling in a brutalist way that fall has arrived.—Claire Stern, digital director
Khaite
Khaite
Eckhaus Latta
Downtown cool kids Eckhaus Latta brought the heat to midtown on Saturday night with a show ready for late, sweaty summer evenings. The label’s sensual take on everyday basics was on full display, with transparent paneled tunics and denim in all shades paired alongside body-hugging cut-out lace dresses, transparent shifts, and tees. There’s an ineffable quality of sexiness without sacrificing artfulness, making the clothes that much desirable, despite being what some may deem “ordinary.” There’s so much personality with so little said.—Kevin LeBlanc, fashion associate
Eckhaus Latta
Eckhaus Latta
Anna Sui
You can always count on Anna Sui to bring something eye-catching to the runway. Set in a movie theater at The Crosby Hotel, the designer created the atmosphere of an underwater seascape, with graphics projected onto the silver screen while models walked across the stage. Per the show notes, the “fabric and prints throughout the collection are a celebration of the sea.” And a celebration it was. Standout looks featured metallic jackets and prints featuring dreamy pastel pinks, purples, and blues. There were also plenty of flowy dresses and ruffled details that embodied the bohemian trends of the ’70s. It’s undoubtedly playful, and perhaps that’s just what we need for the warmer weather of SS24.—Dale Arden Chong, senior fashion commerce editor
Anna Sui
Anna Sui
PatBo
Looking for a showstopping look to wear for your next special occasion? Or perhaps even a fancy tropical vacation? PatBo has you covered. For her latest show, creative director Patricia Bonaldi celebrates her Brazilian roots with dresses dripping in colorful beading, fringe, and floral embellishments. The show also wouldn’t be complete without some head-turning swimwear, and one of the most notable looks was a coordinated set with a fringe cover-up.—Dale Arden Chong, senior fashion commerce editor
PatBo
PatBo
Proenza Schouler
Even 20 years in the business, Proenza Schouler’s Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez continue to innovate. Take, for instance, the new logo they debuted on Instagram ahead of the show, or this transparent blue dress inspired by the Waldorf Astoria woman (as in, one who would check in and stay at the luxury hotel). Same same old Proenza, but different.—Claire Stern, digital director
Proenza Schouler
Proenza Schouler
Theory
Bright and early on Saturday morning, guests descended on Theory’s headquarters and flagship in the Meatpacking District for another Jeffrey Kalinsky-narrated show. This one included a whopping 44 looks revolving around the idea of “the uniform,” which included linen tweed, the perfect T-shirt, and hopefully not the uncomfortable-looking metallic heels that the models could barely walk in.—Claire Stern, digital director
Theory
Theory
Ralph Lauren
After a four-year hiatus from the calendar, Ralph Lauren invited the fashion set into his home for New York Fashion Week...sort of. With the help of his talented team, the veteran designer, now 83, transformed a warehouse at the Brooklyn Navy Yard into a version of his Colorado property, the Double RL Ranch, complete with steaks sourced from his farm. There were metallic gold polo shirts, Diane Keaton-approved denim on denim, and chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Read my full review here.—Claire Stern, digital director
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren
Collina Strada
On a Brooklyn rooftop overlooking downtown Manhattan, Collina Strada’s Hillary Taymour was thinking about death. Not necessarily personal death, but rather the death of our planet. Entitled “The Earth’s on fire; why are we here?,” the show questioned why we’re not consumed with saving our planet instead of taking in high fashion. For the unfamiliar, Collina Strada is known for its sustainable approach to patterned, colorful frocks, and this season it even used AI (which climate change activists are wary of) to help design a much-needed dose of joy on the first day of the schedule. Models trounced down the runway in exaggerated smiles, and at the turn of the catwalk, pivoted to a straight face, suggesting there’s only a bit of hope left for all of us. In the meantime, it can’t hurt to be well-dressed. Read social media personality Harry Hill’s front row review here.—Kevin LeBlanc, fashion associate
Collina Strada
Collina Strada
Grace Ling
Designer Grace Ling’s debut was an assured introduction to her robo-chic universe. Her most potent and successful looks were downright hot, with her use of zero-waste 3D printing to create metallic pieces that straddle the line of art and fashion. There were lots of ideas here, and it’s refreshing to see a new designer taking risks and finding what gels. The metallic pieces and strong shirting are where she should place her focus, as they have strong hanger appeal and are perfect fodder for the red carpet.—Kevin LeBlanc, fashion associate
Grace Ling
Grace Ling
Helmut Lang
The official opening slot of the week’s schedule went to the much-anticipated debut of Peter Do for Helmut Lang. Fashion cognoscenti descended on the Lower East Side for the designer’s take on the cultish brand, most known for changing the way we dressed in the ’90s. Do relied a bit too heavily on Lang signatures, not leaving much room for contextualizing the house codes for the contemporary buyer. Still, there were some new things to love, including this pearlescent knit dress and color-block pants that pay homage to what made the label what it is.—Kevin LeBlanc, fashion associate
Helmut Lang
Coach
Coach had a lot to celebrate on Thursday evening, with the 10th anniversary of creative director Stuart Vevers joining the brand and giving the classic American brand a much-needed refresh, leading up to this very moment. He celebrated with the essence of Coach, that is to say, with lots and lots of leather, and even a PETA protestor who crashed the runway. His revival includes doses of punk and fetish that he found on the streets of NYC when he decamped here in the ’90s, along with the perfect biker jacket and slithery silk cami dresses which prove he’s tapped into the past as much as the present.—Kevin LeBlanc, fashion associate
Coach
Coach
Rachel Comey
Before New York Fashion Week officially kicked off, Rachel Comey quietly returned to IRL presentations with a runway staged in an alley just behind her Soho store. Fans of Comey, or Comeyheads as I’m calling them, will find lots to love in this refreshing collection that pays tribute to American artist Joan Jonas. References both subtle and overt brought texture, pops of color, and fringe to Comey’s signature easy denim, workwear skirts, and lace skirts. The collection’s release in March coincides with a retrospective at the MoMA for Jonas.—Kevin LeBlanc, fashion associate
Rachel Comey
Rachel Comey
BUCI
If you aren’t familiar with BUCI, it’s time to get acquainted. The New York-based label is a popular name among It-girls for its flow and ethereal—yet provocative—designs, and it presented its fall/winter 2024 and resort 2024 collections with its first-ever show at the Boathouse at Prospect Park. Models walked in looks inspired by the whimsy of an autumn daydream, with transparent chiffon cascading behind. Standout pieces include an ’80s-inspired silk dress with a deep V-neck, a deep red midi dress with an exaggerated keyhole and transparent paneling, and coordinated sets. And, for those who fell in love with the collection the moment they saw it, you’re in luck: The collection is available to shop on bucibucibuci.com now.—Dale Arden Chong, senior fashion commerce editor
BUCI
BUCI
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