At first glance, New York Fashion Week's (mostly digital) line-up looked empty. Tentpole names like Marc Jacobs and Michael Kors were noticeably absent. Meanwhile, the memory of recently axed standouts like Sies Marjan left questions about the future of smaller lines hanging in the air. But, in an exciting twist, the rail-thin calendar opened the door for younger and more experimental designers to take their turn in the spotlight. It also allowed designers to explore creative outputs beyond the catwalk and in doing so, reach a wider audience. Brands both big and small explored ideas as complex as Covid-19, racial justice and the climate crisis in bold new ways. Below, the five designers who piqued Nataal's interest.

Anna Sui

For some people, surviving the pandemic depends on dreaming about life beyond it. Anna Sui is one of them. Looking to the 1968 film Wonderwall for inspiration, Sui presented a collection of faux-fur leopard coats, tea dresses, flared pants and patterned bucket hats that felt like a psychedelic fever dream. The range was divided into five moods, with changes from sequin to crushed velvet and campy florals with dizzying checker prints drawing the dividing lines. Admitting to Vogue that she hated the movie but liked the message of a man alone in his apartment fantasising about the world outside, the line was full of looks that begged to be worn out in real life.

The collection marked a new chapter for Sui, who has slowly invited new creators into her orbit. Standout pieces like the hand-painted jeans and recycled sunglasses came courtesy of her band of diverse illustrators, artists, and even the designer's nieces. If the collection is any indication, life beyond the pandemic is as freewheeling as the 1960s and as collaborative as Sui's team.

Proenza Schouler

If there's one thing Proenza Schouler does well, it's to meet the modern woman where she's at. With their core audience now power-brokering from home, designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez swapped out the sharp sleeves and aggressive necklines that wowed audiences in the past for more relaxed fits. Clean-lined knit halter tops, belly-baring button-downs and breezy jumpsuits blurred the line between ultra-professional and ultra-comfortable. Expressed through inky blacks with pops of burgundy and marigold, the duo zeroed in on texture and layering to replicate the energy usually reserved for its sculptural pieces. In a word, the collection was Zoom-perfect - energetic from the waist up, effortless from the waist down, and minimal enough to be worn again and again.

Also, in the frame? The duos' politics. In the past, the pair have made headlines for campaigns around Planned Parenthood and about LGBTQ rights. This year, the brand gave Ella Emhoff, step-daughter of US Vice President Kamala Harris, her fashion week debut. The Parson student who signed to IMG only a few weeks ago appeared twice in the brand's recorded show. Once, in a long line wool coat with a furred neck and then a sculpted midriff-baring black suit. Whether intentional or not, it was a nod to women's increasing power and their preference for the new administration.

Black in Fashion Council

One part incubator and one part advocacy group, the Black in Fashion Council cemented its place as the launching pad for the next generation of black design with an elaborate showcase at Spring Studios. Held in association with IMG, the event included 16 brands from across the country. House of Aama, Edas and Marrisa Wilson were just a few of those who filled the room with architecturally-inspired bags, pierced leather pants, textured silk separates and graphic symbols of black pride.

Brooklyn-based Theophilio stole the show with The Matrix-inspired pieces designer Edvin Thompson dreamed up at the Black Lives Matter movement's height. Scrunched leather jackets, Jamaican-flagged Doc Martens, sporty high-neck knits with branded zippers and coned hats made for a line that felt suited for battle - ideological and physical.

Honing in on the 1999 film's idea of choosing between reality and ignorance (red pill vs. blue), bright pops of red and blues broke up the otherwise earthy collection. If the clothing didn't make enough of a statement, Thompson also debuted what's been dubbed the it bag of the season - a mossy moon-shaped bag with his shiny new logo.

Gabriela Hearst

What does a Benedictine abbess have to do with high fashion? Everything according to Gabriela Hearst. A far cry from her SS21 collection, which saw shelled belly cut-outs and sexy crocheted tank dresses on the runway, Hearst whipped up a AW21 collection that included crisply tailored pantsuits, an imposing white wool cloak, heavy knits with appliqué flowers, and a stable of leather belted dresses.

Hildegard of Bingen, the abbess in question, was a writer, composer, philosopher and mystic who predated the Renaissance and who history has forgotten. Hearst brought her back to life with crocheted appliqués that mimicked her flower drawings and hand-painted belt buckles with placed mano figas, talismans signifying fertility and female power. Tying Hildegard's other legacy as an herbalist to her sustainability initiatives, the designer used the collection to push her brand closer to the 50 percent deadstock mark.

Collina Strada

If we're honest, the pandemic has turned us all a bit primal. Collina Strada tapped into that. This season, the Manhattan-based line addressed conservation with models who morphed into animals that looked like them. Presented via gif in a digital lookbook, one model in a bouffant chevron dress turned into a chicken, another in silk emerald separates became a lizard. Standout looks include a chocolate and mint striped coat worn by playwright Jeremy O. Harris and a sheer floral bodysuit with matching shoes worn by disability advocate and model Aaron Philip.

Designer Hillary Taymour is always striking a balance between an acid fever-dream and climate consciousness. Brand loyalists will recognise materials recycled from past seasons, while show notes explain that the line's new tees came from the Kantamanto market in Ghana. With all of the morphing and recycling, one can't help but wonder if Taymour is forcing us to question who we as a society are turning into.

Words Amber Nicole Alston

Published on 27/02/2021