Day 3 we were hit by absolutely frigid temps and I did something I never thought I would do….wear an ankle-length puffer jacket out during fashion week. But, as the wind whipped down the west side highway, and I trudged from Art Beam to Pier 59 to Milk Studios, I was thankful for my maxi Free Country puffer coat, because without it I surely would have turned into a Lizicicle.

Since I had stayed up past 2 AM to complete my Refinery29 Chromat article, I also had to sadly skip my morning shows. Although fashion week often seems glamorous and fun, it’s also work – if you’re covering shows. So it’s important to take care of yourself and not overdo it. (I’ve done that in the past and paid the price in hangovers, flus, colds, bronchitis, etc.) My day might have been shorter than I would have preferred, but with the harsh chill in the air, I was happy to be indoors and snuggled up.

Christian Siriano

Although unfortunately the majority of my photos didn’t do the collection justice due to my vantage point, the collection was breath-taking in person. Christian Siriano‘s designs are consistently beautiful, with nary a flub in sight.

Inspired by artist Sheila Hicks’ “Art of the Yarn” exhibit, Siriano modernized weaving and knitting by digitally printing knitted fibers onto wool, cotton, and silk jersey – thereby capturing the concept of a knit without actually knitting. Statement-making stripes topped smart suits and wide-legged pants, floor-length ballgown blazers with matching pants brought new life to business wear, cascades of ruffles embellished necklines and sleeves, and monochromatic ensembles sent bold messages to the crowd.

Siriano closed out the show with a memorial to David Bowie; models posed and strutted to the sounds of “Fashion” and the applause of the audience.

Michelle Helene

Designer Michelle Helene debuted her eponymous collection at Pier 59 this season, a quirky mix of traditional plaid and pinstripe with more earthy knits and weaves. Instead of the typical mood board, Helene traveled to Taos, New Mexico with her brother to wave fabrics. Her ethos blended sophisticated detailing with hand-made materials for a bespoke earthy-meets-elite aesthetic.

Babyghost

Babyghost went granny grunge and paired it with the most baby-faced models I’ve ever seen in one room. Like 90s Lolitas, they were decked out in layers of delicate lace, striped satin, and floral-embellished mesh, but all topped with heavy jackets and sweaters in typically masculine prints – combining hard and soft, female and male, all within the same collection.

LRS Studio

LRS Studio was dark and moody, with dim lighting and a pouting pack of models – one would break free from the glowering group to sullenly shuffle to a single spot to vapidly stare back at the staring audience. The bed-head hair and hunched shoulders were reminiscent of a teen awoken from slumber – a totally intentional beauty technique that embraced designer Raul Solis’ edgy sleeping beauty collection.

Solis sourced bedding materials that were manufactured into several of the garments, including fitted sheets, mattresses, and printed blankets. That floral coat in the bottom photo? All blanket, baby.

 

Charles Youssef

Set in a way-too-accurate Winter scene, Charles Youssef‘s F/W 2016 collection proved that there’s so much more than what’s on the surface. Inspired by the dichotomy of the serene nature of the Japanese countryside and the aggressive nature of the modern Yakuza gangster, Youssef embraced classic silhouettes imbued with an air of danger thanks to a smattering of sharp angles, geometric prints, and boxy shapes.

This Is The Uniform

This Is The Uniform showed for the first time at MADE Fashion Week – and with their odd asymmetric designs and too-cool-to-care models – couldn’t be more perfect for the scene. The collection was entitled “No Frills,” playing off the idea of UK supermarket Kwik Save’s in-house brand. Designer Jenna Young equated the launch of these frill-free, fast, and cheap products forever changed the landscape of the consumer market, with fast food eventually leading to fast fashion.

Young utilized cheap jersey materials, nylon strappings, seatbelt-esq woven ribbon, and even plastic tape for a make-shift aesthetic that clearly conveyed her vision.

All images shot and owned by Liz Black.