On February 9 and 10, SFW RUNWAY presented its bi-annual streetstyle fashion showcase. Held alongside CFDA’s New York Fashion Week, SFW’s shows featured 16 emerging designers presenting their latest and greatest for the Fall/Winter 2024 season. It’s the largest event for Creators Connect, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting up-and-coming talent through education, mentorship, marketing resources, and shows.
I had the chance to attend the final runway in Crown Heights on Saturday night. These were some of the standout designers.
AR Custom Design
AR Custom Design opened the show with a holographic bang. With bold, structured pieces in metallic oranges, pinks, and whites, the designs sat on the models’ bodies like pieces of armor. The eveningwear looks played with sequins, scales, and futuristic petticoats, perhaps a humble nod to the Year of the Dragon. One of the most memorable pieces was a wedding dress. A silver breastplate corset, accented with draped chains, complemented a heavy skirt of white tulle, creating a delicate balance of power and femininity.
Louis Jean Desravines
When a model came out wearing a pair of patchwork Sanrio loungepants, I knew I would like Louis Jean Desravines’ work. This brand upcycles pre-loved fabrics and plays with texture, shape, and color to create something worthy of the runway. A jean waistband and plaid skirt are repurposed into a bralette top and paired with a mustard cardigan shrug with distressed ends. Another skirt’s thin, sheer panel acts like a playful cutout among the mixture of fabrics. Louis Jean Desravines pays huge attention to detail, from the head-to-toe matching sets, knit balaclavas and legwarmers, and soft, thick purses. I loved the pink knitwear dress, with a high neckline and gaping armhole accentuated by a long tube that snaked around the model’s body like a rope.
PISHPOSH
Philly-based Emani Harris, aka the Pish Posh Girl, started painting at a young age. She brings this artistic quality to her clothing brand, with a collection rooted in colorful flowers, relaxed silhouettes, and printed quotes like “Created 2 create” and “Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others.” An eyeball peers out from the center of the flowers, bringing a slightly unsettling yet dynamic quality to the designs.
PISHPOSH immediately stood out to me for being incredibly versatile and fashion-forward at the same time. As a testament to its increasing popularity, this collection is available online and in-stores in collaboration with Urban Outfitters. True to the beginnings of her brand, Emani also handpainted 30 exclusive 1-of-1 pieces, 20 of which are only available at the Herald Square UO location.
Check out more of our NYFW coverage here.
