KidSuper, Diotima, Zankov and Aknvas

Another glorious day of September weather took advantage of outdoor spaces, skyscraper locations, sunny lofts, and the famous Apollo Theater.

Super Boy

Fashion shows are as much a brand-building exercise as they are a tool to present a designer’s new collection. Indeed, given the emphasis on social media content compiled for a brand from runway images, some would argue that that is their only purpose. After all, in theory, fashion professionals such as buyers, editors and other journalists can see it on the showroom floor.

For KidSuper's Colm Dillane, his modus operandi has always been brand building. The self-funded designer, who has been lauded with LVMH and CFDA prize nominations and landed a coveted guest designer gig on Louis Vuitton's menswear collection just before Pharrell Williams was announced, has always relied on brand sponsorships and collaborations, which have spanned from Canada Goose, Sony PlayStation, a Marvel Spiderman video game, Meta and next week a partnership with Uniswap Café.

His latest collaborations include Puma, an obvious pairing thanks to KidSuper's high-street appeal, and LoveSac, a 21-year-old brand.streetEvolution of the 1970s bean bag chair concept, a seating cushion that actively campaigns to be in tune with fashion. Dillane strongly believes in multidisciplinary corroboration and himself explores other creative mediums such as

Part of Dillane’s modus operandi has been to challenge fashion norms. True to form, the designer staged a runway show at the famed Apollo Theatre to reveal his new offerings, which included patchwork and embroidery versions of his signature menswear, eye-catching faux furs, deconstructed coats, tracksuits, all accessorised with colourful bags and scarves.

Instead of a traditional runway and models, Dillane recruited seven comedians:DC Young Fly, Earthquake, Sam Jay, Deon Cole, Jeff Arcuri, Sam Morril and Kevin Herrera— and cast Marlon Wayans to host a comedy show on the legendary stage, with each comedian getting dressed and Wayans making several “suitable” changes as he introduced each comedian between acts.

Comedians made plenty of fun of the whiter-than-usual crowd, along with guests Paul Wesley, Paris Jackson, Jaylen Brown, Ozuna, Taylor Momsen, Oshae Brissett, Malu Trevejo, Joey Bada$$, Westside Gunn and Kordell Beckham with raucous, risqué performances that were a lot of fun. It made the 90-minute show at the end of the sixth day of NYFW shows a pleasure rather than a burden.

The show opened with the latest installment of Dillane's self-scripted cartoon called
'Scram', which revolves around a group of archetypal New York City kids, including a young Colm and a feisty cat, and the mischief they get up to in New York. It was also a way to introduce some of Puma's products.

As the last comedian left the stage, Dillane emerged in a new Puma-themed tracksuit to reveal a surprise special guest, Jim Jones. The 90s and 2000s rapper sang his popular basketball-friendly song “We Fly High,” while Dillane and the comedians danced to the music on stage. It was a fitting tune for the young designer who has flown high by blazing his own trail.

Diotima

Diotima’s Rachel Scott is the forerunner of New York’s rising stars to watch. Since launching her 2021 collection, which leans hard into supporting Jamaican craftsmanship (she was born in Kingston, Jamaica), the Brooklyn-based designer has already received the CFDA’s Emerging Designer of the Year award.

So the fashion public — old-school journalists, retailers, and new-school digital fans alike — was happy to discover another gorgeous outing from Scott to the Chinatown studio on Monday afternoon. In an oversized, window-filled studio bathed in sunlight and white paint, the designer lined up models in two sets on the sides of rooms, with the models frequently wading into the crowds milling around the room to a reggae-centric soundtrack that was decorated with red-painted wood and lit red candles by the artist TK that were meant to symbolize a ritual, according to Scott, who spoke to reporters in the corner of the room (though largely inaudible on the recording thanks to the loud music).

In the program notes, Scott described the collection as a summer memory recreated “of a place, of an idea,” which emerged from a “vivid Caribbean dream.”

This included ritual revival dances, Sunday church scenes and street dance parties. According to the statement, Jamaican ritual culture was evidenced by “blood-red crochet scarves, opaque stockings worn under white dresses and bare hems that revealed inner worlds.”

The most appealing thing about the collection was the sophisticated use of embellishments in Scott’s skilled hands. (According to one editor, wearing a piece from the collection also gives ASMR vibes.)

Shells cascaded down the front of dresses, beaded fringe swung at hems, crinkled silver and gold sequins adorned waist cutouts on sleek, form-fitting knit dresses or thigh-high slits, and metal eyelets enriched a dress bodice with a deep, armor-like V-neck.

Other motifs in the collection included “English embroidery reminiscent of palm trees, seaweed leaves or both” applied to denim or as a cool cotton dress at the hem, sheer styles and a mesh net fabric that became a beaded deep V-neck dress or a layering piece under a white suit. Overall, the collection was a breath of fresh air during the week.

Zankov

Henry Zankov has tapped into the rowing sports trend sweeping the US – from which Manhattan is not immune – by showcasing his collection at the Reserve-Padel club in Hudson Yards. He used the courts, dotted with oversized, Stonehenge-like raku glazed ceramic totems made in collaboration with artist Ben Mazey, to present his Spring/Summer 2025 collection. If you think it was all tennis skirts and polos, think again. Zankov was thinking Sonic Youth, not the US Open.

See catwalk

“This collection is about rebellion and wildness, about mixing and subverting preppy glamour. I saw Kim Gordon in May and it reminded me of high school and college, when I listened to a lot of alternative rock and grunge. It was my first introduction to American culture when I moved to the US. It was a moment that left a mark on me,” said the designer.

He said watching it brought back those feelings and memories because it shaped his taste in fashion and music. With a style reminiscent of 1990s grunge, Zankov also leaned into the dichotomy of New York’s urbanity juxtaposed with its nearby coastline.

“It’s living in a city but being close to the beach. Some things felt beachy but also urban. It’s the idea of ​​a preppy mesh polo or jacquard checks inspired by vintage matte and shimmer wallpaper with clear sequins, so it’s a glamorous touch of sequins. I wanted to introduce a more playful sparkle,” she continued. The latter was indeed reminiscent of a grunge-style flannel. She made oversized shorts out of merino wool that looked like lambswool in pointelle inspired by vintage socks and applied giant sequins reminiscent of the sea.

The designer collaborated again with jewelry designer Presley Oldham (nephew of 1990s designer Todd Oldham) to create sea glass and Murano jewelry, and added sunglasses thanks to a new friendship with Selima of Selima Optique. In another nod to the 1990s, one pair was a replica of a model designed for Carolyn Bessette.
New categories aren’t the only way Zankov is pushing his brand forward. He’s also exploring the use of more fabrics.

“I’m a knitwear designer, so I usually do just that, but I always wanted to do knits to stretch and grow the brand and the visual language, the color of the pattern and the texture. One piece is a trench coat in cherry red gingham and yellow, which to me is a neutral. Each piece stands out on its own. The style is very eclectic and I wanted the wardrobe to be able to come apart and come together.”

aqua

Held in a glass-walled space on the 37th floorHe On the 10th floor of Hudson Yards, the Spring/Summer 2025 collection was on a high—literally, in many ways. The brand partnered with luxury THC-infused grocery and rolled goods store The Travel Agency, which left guests with a goodie bag full of products to try. Backstage post-show designer Christian Juul Nielsen was elated without the aid of cannabis products, thanks to a fun and exciting collection full of interesting new items.

See catwalk

The outing, called 'Nordic Summer Camp', was presumably a trip down memory lane for Juul Nielsen.

“It’s divided into three sections; ‘Urban Scout’ is the first to arrive at camp, and as they begin to interact, the girls start using the boys’ practical belts as bras,” she explained of the stylish camisole bralettes worn with tiny bloomer shorts.

“The second part shows them playing in the flower fields of the Danish summer; the flowers get caught in the shorts and children’s shorts,” he added, referring to a group of eyeleted floral prints in white and bright colours of monochrome separates that looked attractive and commercially a success.

The designer said the shiny sequin styles and studded and perforated denim styles were reminiscent of the reflection of the sky in dewdrops glistening on the body.

Of course, every camper needs a backpack, and the brand launched its first backpack, something that pleased Nielsen. “It's a very important achievement because of the amount of work that has been invested in this. We want to go deeper into this category,” he added.

The brand's expansion into more categories will surely help strengthen its current and future wholesale clients, which include Saks Fifth Avenue, Fwrd, Revolve and Harvey Nichols in Hong Kong.