Willy Chavarria, Collina Strada, and More

New York Fashion Week has officially come to a close, and while we don’t like to play favourites, there are a few superlatives we have to give out. Between Tommy Hilfiger’s ferry and Wiederhoeft’s jaw-dropping performance-based show, keep reading for who caught our attention for location, score, casting, beauty, and more.

All aboard! For Tommy’s SS25 show, the designer welcomed guests onto a decommissioned Staten Island ferry redesigned just for the evening. Where lifejacket signs supposedly once hung, branded variations now read “locate your fashion lifesaver, Tommy Buoy located under seats” and “in case of emergency, wear Tommy.” A show on a boat is wild enough, and with custom paint jobs is even crazier, but the cherry on top? Apparently, it was Pete Davidson and Colin Jost’s ferry — the one that the pair famously purchased with a $34M renovation plan.

Collina Strada’s SS25 presentation, “Touch Grass,” reminded us to reconnect with nature. As always, the show was full of whimsical designs and peculiar details, from ground-sweeping hair to lizards in hand. But as models walked (or danced, in some cases) the runway, it was the score that caught my attention. Reimaginaing The Chords’s 1955 hit “Sh-Boom (Life Could Be a Dream)” to sing “Life could be green, if we could go ahead and plant more trees,” the original score by Oyinda and Low Noon playfully drove home the brand’s message of sustainability.

Backstage, Rachel Antonoff told me that in another life, she’d be a casting director. And, well, she’d be a fantastic one. For her ‘Best in Show’ presentation with Susan Alexandra, the lineup of models not only included adoptable dogs, but also iconic New Yorkers, actors, musicians, and even the designers’ parents: Tavi Gevinson, Gabby Windey, Chris Fleming, Blu DeTiger, Chris Laker, Kimiko Glenn, Micaela Diamond, Natalie Morales, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Dylan Mulvaney, Sandra Bernhard, and more. The hosts? Jacqueline Novak and Kate Berlant. Crazy.

If there is one constant during NYFW, it’s that the Wiederhoeft show is going to be one to remember. With a background in theatre and a knack for storytelling, designer Jackson Wiederhoeft has become known for his presentations that blur the lines between fashion show, dance performance, and Broadway production. For SS25, the stage began with a singular spotlight on a lone model, who, after a heartbreaking dance sequence, stayed seated to watch models in classic Wiederhoeft fashions walk around her. For the third and final act, 26 models in wedding gowns (representing the 26 sizes of corsetry that the brand has now developed) drew the crowd’s breath away as they took turns dropping a white flower on the protagonist’s lap. And while the corsetry, embellishments, and detailing of the pieces could truly speak for themselves, it would not be a Wiederhoeft production without going the extra mile.

The official kick-off to NYFW, AREA’s SS25 show was the perfect event to get us excited for the week. Between the hardware accents and handprinted patterns, the designs had our eyes glued to the runway the entire time. But the glam? The glam might have taken the cake. Gravity-defying hair, the smokiest smokey eyes, and dark lips got us practicing new techniques in the bathroom. (Disclaimer: didn’t quite accomplish the hair look).

Ever since I stopped by Taottao’s NYFW debut last season, I couldn’t wait to see what designer Yitao Li would come up with next. In addition to the muted yet striking colour palettes and thorough storytelling, her groundbreaking pattern-making and silhouettes have solidified her position as one to watch. Last season, that came in the form of hearts, and this season, it came in swirls that echoed seashells. Obsessed.

It’s been a political week in America, on and off the runway. Between the first Trump vs Harris debate, a CFDA x Vogue pro-voting march, and designers using their platforms (and tees) to encourage engagement in the upcoming election, the city felt vibrant and motivated for its future. But amongst everything, one collection stood out. Willy Chavarria’s “América” celebrated the creative impact and legacy of the country’s immigrant voices in a vibrant discussion on diversity within the industry and a thought-provoking reminder of fashion’s ability to drive change and play an active role in activism.