Carlton Jones presented by Global Fashion Collective at New York Fashion Week, September 2022
Global Fashion Collective (GFC) presented itself at New York Fashion Week for the fourth time this month. Led by Jamal Abdourahman, Director of Vancouver Fashion Week, the second largest fashion week in North America, GFC has quickly become one of the top showcases for new talent from around the world, producing runway shows in various fashion capitals. Global Fashion Collective was unveiled at Tokyo Fashion Week in October 2017, followed by a presentation at New York Fashion Week in February 2018 and in Paris in 2019. This month, GFC Milan will add to its impressive roster, followed by a presentation at London Fashion Week in February 2023.
Since its inception in 2001, Vancouver Fashion Week has been dedicated to cultivating the success of both established designers and award-winning emerging designers with its global perspective and highly multicultural approach. Global Fashion Collective follows the same clever approach with its international fashion shows.
This innovative fashion manufacturer never ceases to amaze and delight with its selection of designers. Twelve international talents took the spotlight during four exclusive Spring/Summer 2023 runway presentations at New York Fashion Week in a chic Fifth Avenue location. Designers for this month’s New York presentation included UNSERTEN (Japan/Unisex), Samantha Darryanto (US/Women’s), Kylie Michelle (US/Women’s), Shivajothi (Canada/Unisex), LUNALEE (US/Women’s), DR Maaya (Japan). /women), Ay Lelum (women), TheRealB (India/women), Metamarstowns (UAE/women), Alex S Yu (Canada/women), Ruby or Not Ruby (China/women) and Carlton Jones (USA/women) .
Founded in 2020, avant-garde Japanese brand Unserten is led by a diverse team of designers who aim to create elegant, inclusive designs. This new collection was inspired by Japanese photographer Moriyama Daido’s black and white photography and harsh, blurred “are-bure-boke” style. The 16 looks featured are an artistic yet wearable collection; avant-garde elements such as hardware and ruched asymmetry are applied to blazers and pants. Photographic images printed on various tops and a poem embroidered on the sides of the blazers add an intriguing dimension to this strong new collection.
Carlton Jones is a New York City-based label of the same name that presents highly desirable resort wear for both men and women. In New York, Carlton showed off 15 beautiful new looks in a color palette of white, tan, pink and peach. Highlights included a canary yellow short sleeve top and matching skirt with a high thigh slit and a luxurious silky tan jumpsuit with a sheer cropped jacket over it.
Self-taught womenswear designer Samantha Darryanto founded her eponymous brand while studying mechanical engineering at MIT, transforming vintage clothing from thrift stores. Today, her brand offers a contemporary take on traditional Asian clothing, and she still uses materials like a blue quilted swaddling blanket. Reflecting on her Indonesian heritage, she uses specially designed black and white patterned tie-dye fabrics to create some robes and bodices. The softness of the fabrics and silhouettes provide an interesting contrast to tech elements and streetwear styling. An asymmetric blazer with two black buckles pays homage to Thom Browne.
Kylie Michelle Miller, who recently graduated from Parsons School of Design, showed off her graduate collection, a fun, bright, inventive array of designs inspired by the five senses and the natural landscape. A stunning red cloak was created using paper raffia technique and the multicolored three-dimensional element on her graduation gown was actually created from cut elastics. A short, pastel green vest with a lavender interior contained an element of “sense of smell”. Another look showcased sound and hearing, with Miller stitching shells onto rounded sleeves that jingle with every step.
Sri Lankan-Canadian designer Sujitha Shivajothi creates gender-neutral garments by hand in Vancouver, British Columbia. Her latest collection “Capsule: 02” is stylish and reduced. Shivajothi fuses traditionally tailored techniques with a South Asian aesthetic that honors her cultural heritage. This collection includes 12 looks in a muted color palette of black, white, gray and cream. The designer also shows off her take on classic white button-ups; with banded and asymmetric collar and button placket. A standout look was a cream cropped jacket with black tulle detailing, layered over a simple black t-shirt and white pants.
Luna Lee, a Korean-American designer from Los Angeles, is a Parsons BFA graduate. Showcasing her take on American athletic wear, her brand features a clever padded zigzag panel technique, seen in a tank top dress and oversized hoodie with chest cutouts. In addition to the bright mustard yellow, Lee uses a simple and neutral color palette. Cozy and wearable, this collection combines baggy tops with shorts, asymmetric tank tops with a long skirt. or an oversized brown hoodie with long drawstrings and white shorts.
dr MAAYA, New York Fashion Week, September 2022
dr MAAYA is a colourful, whimsical label founded by a Japanese neurosurgeon who also studied fashion design at Central Saint Martins in London. A voluminous dress uses smaller dresses than cap sleeves and is layered into a skirt. Crazy ‘clothesline’ looks featured models walking with arms outstretched to reveal a hanging array of miniature hoodies and rainbow garments on tiny hangers. She also designed special rainbow shoes to go with any look.
Based in Los Angeles, Ruby or Not Ruby is a label founded by Jiarui (Ruby) Cai, a former stockbroker. Her garments draw on hip hop culture and the freedom of LA style. She uses huge wide eyes, oversized back-seam mittens, and a vibrant color palette of peach and yellow to create a playful vibe.
Alex Yu, New York Fashion Week, September 2022
Alex S. Yu, a Vancouver-based label of the same name founded in 2014, offers colourful, minimalist clothing with a dreamy, fantastical aesthetic. This season he has expanded the collection for the first time with cute children’s pieces in gingham and tulle. Violet. Highlights included casual womenswear with harness elements over neutral maxi dresses, a cream three-piece set with a stunning cutout skirt and a stunning metallic blue oversized dress.
TheRealB is an India-based luxury fashion label owned by Binal Patel, who studied at the Istituto Marangoni in Milan. Bold styles and flowing silhouettes in bright red, pink and orange tones are a hallmark of this ultra-feminine brand. An electric orange dress hugs the waist perfectly, with hand-embroidered black flowers scattered down the skirt. This collection also includes two bags handmade by Patel using khatli working techniques: a shimmering silver clutch and a bucket bag with pink tassels.
Ay Lelum is a Snuneymuxw First Nation design house in Nanaimo, BC, Canada. Sister design duo Aunalee and Sophia Boyd-Good showcase the beauty of Coast Salish culture and aesthetics through beautiful fabrics, vibrant colors and elegant silhouettes. Her flowing outerwear and a range of dresses came in muted grays and tans, but also hot pink, bright orange and a rich scarlet.
MetaMarsTowns has the ambitious goal of building the first city and self-sufficient society on Mars. Making her runway debut this season is from Z, a subsidiary brand with innovative new-age designs. The looks, inspired by mathematical equations used to calculate the chaos on Mars, include a bronze bodysuit with a swirling mass of lustrous copper wires, an orange-pink mohair coat with yellow detailing, and a flowing train of translucent gray fabric over a tight white dress and a computer generated silver chest piece.
