Runway 7 took over Sony Hall and hosted over 100 brands from around the world for this September’s New York Fashion Week. Their shows have become one of the most exciting parts of NYFW, and for good reason. The only hybrid model of its kind, they serve as a platform for both emerging and established designers to manufacture their latest creations and showcase collections in front of a global audience, creating a new vision for what fashion and the industry could become. (Check out our interview with Diane Vara, Runway 7’s Communications Director, to learn more.)
I got the chance to attend a few Runway 7 shows and caught glimpses of some hotly-anticipated SS24 collections. Here are some of my favorites.
Michelle For Bad Girls
Intimate garments were previously reserved for the home, but there’s been an ongoing trend of incorporating slip dresses, teddies, and the like into day-to-day fashion. Michelle For Bad Girls, a Colombia-based lingerie brand, evolved this fad with their SS24 collection.
Building on the traditional bra-and-underwear set, all runway looks included a skirt or a dress, often with fun ruffles and dramatic asymmetrical hems. Ribbed corset tops featured predominantly, but so did lace, ribbons, and metal chain details. Some of my favorites included a beautiful lacy light blue dress with a high leg slit and ribbon shoulder ties, and a ruffled skirt with two trains extending out from the sides. Michelle’s show was a bedroom pop dream that embodied everything it means to be young, free, and confident. This collection is definitely something that all the bad (and good) girls will want to wear.
Avantika Malhotra
Avantika Malhotra is effortless sophistication. With softer hues in blue, purple, yellow, and white, her collection mainly played with waves, lines, and color. There was a lot of geometrics, ombre, and color blocking on the actual clothes, but cutouts, like a low back on a silky purple top, also drew shapes on the models’ bodies. The interaction between smooth fabrics like crepe and stiffer fabrics like organza also created intricate textural differences in the looks. The whole collection felt easy and elegant — like water itself was flowing down the runway.
Tilted Lotus
Houston-based Tilted Lotus made a bold declaration with golds and reds. Blending South Asian art with contemporary designs, they had a strong brand identity, focusing big on signature patterns. As someone who suffers through NYC summers, the collection’s flowy silhouettes and light fabrics looked like the perfect solution for heat and humidity. A standout look featured an all-red ensemble with a dramatic elephant-and-swan-printed cape that swished along the floor. I’m a sucker for a matching set, and the options to mix and match palazzo pants or shorts with long sleeves, cropped blouses, and bralettes are endless.
Seydehwon
Seydehwon made its NYFW debut at Runway 7. They opened one of the Thursday shows, making a statement with neon blues and pinks that paired well with futuristic-sounding beats and their all-caps logo. One of my favorite looks was a skirt with a print that mimicked chalky paint drawings, paired with a neon airbrushed purse. I loved the interplay between innocence and boldness, emphasized by the fact that most of their models were barefoot and minimally styled, putting the clothes on full display.
Kir x (Ex)Teasy
This collaboration between Ukrainian creatives brought together artist Sergey Kir and lingerie brand (Ex)Teasy. “Woman and art both tend to be objectified by their surfaces. Today, we fight against superficial judgment and objectification,” the opening film stated. “Art is our armor.” These concepts came to life during the actual show, where models carried pieces of Kir’s abstract creations in front of them as they walked down the runway.
The lingerie collection itself featured mesh designs with varied details. Embroidered florals gave one set a delicate look, while neon sets with X patches on the bra and a garter with leg straps offered a sexier image. I loved how this show flipped the idea of a “lingerie runway” on its head and offered a new way to view, appreciate, and marvel at women and art.
Rose Kern
Rose Kern is the elevated streetwear look we all strive to achieve. The way they styled their clothes was as impressive as the clothes themselves—I took inspiration from one model, who had the leg of a mom jean tucked into a knee-high boot, since it changed the proportions and the vibe of the outfit immediately. Their pieces have personality—a sweatshirt with images of bared teeth, embroidered cloud details on jeans, heavily distressed jackets–but are still accessible, since they’re meant to be paired with basics.
Photos by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for Runway 7.
