Various Detroit-native designers, brands, editors, and creatives took the runway for New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2022.
Detroit designers such as Kevan Hall, Anna Sui, and Indie Fashion displayed their collections in different locations throughout New York City from Sept. 7-12.
Hall’s Spring 2022 collection, “Brushstrokes,” gave a modern twist to 1930s Parisian culture. Throughout each piece, brush strokes can be seen with either hand paint or woven textures.
He uses bright, pastel colors for each piece, and references his inspirations such as Christian Berard, Alberto Giacometti, and Jean-Michel Frank.
Fashion icons such as Teri Agins, Byron Lars, Sheila Gray, Sergio Hudson, Miss Earth 2020, Epperson, and others attended the fashion show. Long-time model Coco Mitchell also walked the runway in some of Hall’s pieces.
Before creating his own line, Kevan Hall contributed to fashion by working as Halston’s creative director, doing collaborations with Kimora Lee Simmons, being featured on America’s Next Top Model and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and has won many awards for his designs.
Hall also founded The Novus Forum, an international collective trade show and the Black Design Collective, a nonprofit to create scholarships, education, mentorships, and resources for young designers.
Anna Sui’s spring 2022 collection, “Another Day in Paradise,” consists of neon and fluorescent colors, tropical prints, and textures including real birds of paradise and hibiscuses.
The unique, colorful collection has pieces including spandex, scuba shirts, hats, gingham socks, sandals, shirts, dresses, crochet bathing suits, skirts, and more.
The collection also included the “Paradisiac Cocktail,” a colorful drink displayed in the fashion show in partnership with St. Germain Liqueur.
Sui is a second-generation Chinese-American who was born in Detroit and began her fashion career at Parsons School of Design in New York City. She started working with sportswear brands such as Charlie’s Girls, Glenora, and Bobbie Brooks.
She started making clothes with little money from her New York apartment. In the late 1980s, she got recognition from famous designers and received a spot working in the garment district. Sui became known for displaying her collections in unique ways similar to Thierry Mugler and Jean Paul Gaultier.
In 1992 and 1993, Sui opened her first stores in New York City and Los Angeles. Many celebrities have appeared in her runway shows such as Mick Jagger and Dave Navarro. In the past 20 years, she has also collaborated with dozens of brands and designers like Dark Horse Comics, Anthropologie, eBay, Victoria’s Secret, Starbucks, Ford, Barbie, and Jack White's Third Man Records, designing the uniforms for the employees at his record stores.
Detroit-made independent fashion network Indie Fashion held their fashion show at the New Yorker Hotel on Sept. 12.
Indie Fashion is a large, national, and inclusive network of independent brands designers that includes models of all races, genders, sizes, and ages.
The show included dozens of independent designers and brands from all around the country such as Jeanie Madsen Design, A&A HERWAY, Chennell Moore, Denim by Jente, STACI TU, and more.
Alexzander Reynolds, a Detroit native and Los Angeles resident, hosted the Indie Fashion Show.
“The Indie Fashion Show creates a platform for independent models, designers, creatives, and celebrated industry veterans,” Reynolds says. “It’s an equal opportunity platform that’s inclusive of all genders, sizes, ethnicities, social class, extent of popularity, geography, and experience.”
Reynolds, the brand ambassador of Indie Fashion, says that the Indie Fashion Show is important because these opportunities are often not provided authentically nor are they inclusive.
LisaRaye McCoy, actress, humanitarian, entrepreneur, and director, also made a runway appearance at the Indie Fashion Show.
In addition to Detroit brands and designers attending NYFW, Detroit writers and editors also attended the fashion shows.
Devine Blacksher, fashion editor at New York Magazine, attended multiple fashion shows as media. She attended shows such as Collina Strada and Tombogo.
“The high energy and vibes were just there for me,” Blacksher says.
The University of Michigan alum says it felt good to experience shows again in real life.
“Running from downtown to uptown to catch a show was a fucking thrill,” Blacksher says. “Spending $130 on a pedicab with friends then enjoying frozen hot chocolate at the Batsheva presentation is a memory that will live in my head forever.”
Blacksher writes and edits about everything from fashion, culture, beauty, music, tips, and more.
“Overall, this NYFW made me realize that I’ve grown so much in the fashion industry and it’s made me understand what I love most about working in the industry: the chaos and talented human beings.”
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