All the best bits from New York Fashion Week

What?
A toast to the Mostro courtesy of Puma’s electrifying runway show that kicked NYFW off with an almighty bang.

Mostro, you say? Tell us more…
The sportswear giant recently revived its iconic, convention-defying low profile Mostro sneaker. First released in 1999, the shoe has been causing quite the frenzy amongst sneakerheads, with new, unreleased versions seen on the likes of Skepta and A$AP Rocky, who stars in the new Mostro campaign – all of which was on the runway.

Where was the show?
Taking place in New York’s historic Park Avenue Armory building, the space was transformed into a futuristic fairground setting, complete with merry-go-round and rollercoaster structures. Lit in a deep purple hue, the mood was dark and dystopian, something that was further heightened by Eartheater’s ethereal performance which opened the show.

What about the clothes?
The collection focussed on sleek and sporty unisex silhouettes, from teeny-weeny cropped track jackets teamed with extra-high waisted track pants, to a puffed up jacket stamped with Puma’s iconic cougar logo worn with leather basketball shorts, and a series of metallic silver co-ords. Accessories came in the shape of motorcycle helmets, oversized football-shaped handbags and a number of madcap, 3D Mostro design concepts that debuted on the runway, as worn by models of the moment Alex Consani, Gabriette and Alva Claire.

What did Puma’s Global Creative Director Heiko Desens have to say on the matter?
As Heiko Desens explained backstage after the show, ​“It was important that the casting made sense because we didn’t want to say, ​“This is the men’s look, or this is the women’s look” from the get go. So that had a big impact on the type of person we were casting. This stuff [looks] good on anyone.” This fluidity was certainly felt in the collection. ​“It’s very exciting because we are speaking to a consumer we have not been connected to well in the last years. Now we’re getting interest from these young, interesting, experimental people, and we can have a lot of fun creating for them.”

What?
Coach’s love letter to New York City.

A love letter?
Indeed. Despite having been at Coach for just over a decade now – and subsequently in the city with his family – British creative director Stuart Vevers explained backstage that he’s still obsessed with the city: ​“I think I’m a romantic because I’m still in love with New York. When friends and family come to visit they always talk about the energy of the city, the grit, the toughness, the idiosyncrasies and the unique style that people have here and for me, this is constantly inspiring.”

What about the clothes?
Vevers has been pushing a sustainable agenda at the house in recent years, and this played out stylistically, too, in the shape of loveworn leathers with aged patinas, distressed denim jackets and handbags decorated with trinkets. ​“Sometimes the effect [of these pieces] is vintage but, for me, the reason is to give it attitude,” explains Vevers. ​“I love the idea of imperfection in my work and I want things to feel loved and worn, and to challenge the idea of what luxury means.”

Meanwhile, a series of stand-out taffeta party dresses came finished with frayed edges, whilst some had been spliced in half to create crop tops that were unravelling at the seams and teamed with baggy jeans, or voluminous skirts thrown on with beaten up boots. All this made for an exciting proposition that blended thrift-style finds and evening attire with a whole lotta flair.

Any stand out pieces?
The bags. The trinkets ranged from ​“I heart NY” mugs and Big Apple keychains, to postcards written to lovers in the city and gigantic plastic pretzels.

What?
Another sharp turn from Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez’s painfully stylish brand.

What was it like?
Proenza Schouler epitomises New York cool without the need for bells and whistles or fanfare moments. Off the back of its campaign starring a make-up free Pamela Anderson in relaxed tailoring which set the Internet abuzz last month, the label’s AW24 collection was a continuation of the understated PS codes that have earned the brand cult status. Sharp tailoring and cocoon-like outerwear was interspersed with cowl neck knits, draped maxi dresses, sensual, sheer black shirting and a killer leather blazer and maxi skirt creased in all the right places.

Lovely stuff. Anything else to note?
Marc Jacobs was in attendance, dressed in a pair of sparkly ballet flats and sat next to his husband Charly Defrancesco. We spotted many nods of approval.

What?
Eckhaus Latta’s AW24 show which saw New York’s cool kids turn out en masse.

Tell us more…
This season design duo Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta were thinking about minimalism, or at least a concise wardrobe that works overtime for its wearer. Which meant it was heavy on the spice of life: variety, in the shape of textural outerwear, slinky knits that hugged the body, and spliced tailoring or slashed denim that revealed just the right amount of skin. Eckhaus Latta is never short of sex appeal, and its AW24 collection was laced with exactly that.

Any highlights?
The shaggy shearling coats that were prime for slipping over the semi-sheer tank top and jean combinations, for the optimum day-to-night in the city look.

What did it sound like?
The velvet-smooth vocals of LA-based singer-songwriter Loren Kramar, who opened the show with a cover of Lana Del Rey’s Hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have.

What?
Tommy Hilfiger’s shot of pure, unadulterated Americana into the New York Fashion Week cocktail shaker. This collection – titled ​“New York Moment” – was rooted in the Empire City from the off, from the setting of Grand Central Station’s Oyster Bar to the preppy-meets-uptown-glamour looks that permeated the collection.

Tell us more about the clothes…
Inspired by life in the Big Apple, the collection heralded a return to Tommy Hilfiger’s classic codes of smart, understated American style. Think: earthy tweed tailoring, wide-leg chinos, cable knits for layering, mini polo dresses and luxurious cashmere layers, all topped off with boxy outerwear to boot, all to the sound of Jon Batiste who soundtracked the show’s finale with his hit track Freedom.

Did you actually eat oysters?
Sadly not. Instead guests sipped on dirty vodka martinis and negronis, whilst chowing down on miniature lobster rolls, hot dogs and cartons of French fries in the wood-panelled oyster bar booths that had been turned red, white and blue for the occasion.

What?
The show that stole NYFW.

What was Willy thinking about this season?
As he explained in his studio the day before the show, his collections always start with a feeling. This season, Chavarría had been thinking about the atrocities happening in the world right now. And so his collection centred around love and protection, themes that were brought to life via his self-directed short film, titled Safe from Harm, that aired at the show, playing out in full before the models walked the runway.

Starring the likes of Paloma Elsesser, Kai Isaiah Jamal and Chachi, a friend and muse who always walks Chavarría’s shows, the film shifted between scenes depicting his community weightlifting, embracing, attending church and experiencing shared feelings of anger via a split screen technique. Together, it was a message of protection and togetherness.

What about the clothes?
Shown before a candle-lit altar, and worn by friends and family of the brand including the show’s stylist Carlos Nazario and Chavarría himself, the collection blended upper crust ​‘80s British glam and Claude Montana references with Chavarría’s signature oversized silhouettes and twisted tailoring. Stand out pieces included a leather blazer with puffed up sleeves styled with matching leather rose corsage gloves and an elongated cable knit jumper and wide-collar shirt combination that reached the models’ knees.

What?
Go harder, says Collina Strada.

What do you mean?
Well, Strada is known for her irreverent runway shows and diverse casting, and this season she transported guests to the Collina Strada gym.

What’s that all about?
It was a play on power – or as the designer explained in her show notes, ​“where your inner feminine power takes outer chiselled form”. This notion played out as a series of ethereal dresses, dainty printed co-ords and lashings of tulle contrasted with muscular, body-con armour and sculpted pieces that gave the illusion of beefed up silhouettes. Meanwhile, barbell weights came in the shape of winter vegetables that suggested we flex our femininity and pump some iron whilst getting our five-a-day. Nutritious and delicious.

What?
Peter Do’s quietly confident sophomore collection.

Tell us more…
Having set the foundations for his tenure at the house last season – which received mixed reviews – Peter Do’s AW24 collection felt like an elevated departure from his debut. Reinforcing the Helmut Lang silhouette, he presented a lesson in tough, typically Lang tailoring harking back to the brand’s ​’90s archive.

How did it play out?
There were slick three-piece suits that played with proportion, dresses that favoured deconstruction, Chinatown bag prints and combative looks featuring armour-like layers. Backstage, Do explained that he was thinking about protection and projection this season – themes that felt apparent in the outerwear that engulfed its wearer and the opening look: a shirt and trousers made from a translucent bubble wrap type texture. If last season was the total reset, this collection has started to lay the foundations for what’s to come.