Ever since I was young watching New York Fashion Week (NYFW) has been special to me, and as I’ve grown that love has only expanded as I am able to discover more about myself and the world around me as I experience each collection.  

Last week marked the biannual September NYFW 2022, a week in which designers of all levels of popularity have the opportunity to showcase complete collections to the public. At NYFW designers get the opportunity to present their latest work, which can range anywhere from strictly runway attire to ready-to-wear. No matter what the collection consists of, presenting at NYFW is a great honor. This freedom allows designers to fully develop ideas and characters and experiment with an idea as a whole rather than a singular garment. Collections are made to be looked at as one organism, one idea, but because of the nature of fashion, it is often that we only see pieces of them at a time. 

There were incredible collections from designers who presented such as Christian Siriano, Fendi and Coach, but a few stood above the rest. 

A brand that truly embodied the spirit of innovation in fashion at NYFW was Deity New York. This collection reinvents the idea of classy and classic. For example, the collection kicks off with what seems at first glance to be a basic green silk dress, but as you get closer you can see the details of corseting and the difference in the material used in the top and bottom of the skirt. They contrast the use of delicate silks with harder and more unique shapes, portraying the idea of someone who is sophisticated but does not allow that fact to contain their passion. 

This collection redefined timeless pieces, creating pieces where confidence was the key accessory. Deity New York is a brand that proves classy fashion is not mild and can be just as inventive as the avant-garde. It presented ready-to-wear pieces that were made to stand out, a mix of high fashion with something far more uniquely personal. 

Another brand, Area, put on a show this year that was truly like no other. Their collection this year was inspired by pyramids, and it explores the different lenses through which pyramids have been seen over the course of history. This collection definitely takes on an innovative and conceptual look that serves the main theme extremely well. 

Area does an amazing job in this collection of taking something seemingly meaningless and turning it into something that is full of life and expression. The collection is high energy which transfers to the viewer, and overall such a joyful collection that knows and accepts what it is. Accomplishing such a task is quite challenging, however, Area makes it look effortless. 

A designer who truly blew everyone out of the water this year was Prabal Gurung. Gurung presented a highly innovative show that felt almost interactive. This collection by Gurung is effortlessly chic, with a mysterious edge to it. No garment is exactly what you think, and leaves you guessing until it is revealed in the full light. 

Gurung is experimental in this collection, with a wide variety of different fabrics and colors used, but he still makes it abundantly clear who he is designing for. Gurung’s work is for the person who wants to be the center of attention and turn heads at every corner. His work is both futuristic and current, making this collection something so chaotic yet cohesive. Gurung is absolutely one to watch out for in the future of fashion. 

However, among all of the good comes bad, and Tory Burch definitely had a miss with this collection. While no one look was bad, the collection seemed to be lacking focus as a whole. Despite the theme of mesh that carries throughout, the collection has pieces that feel high energy but also look that border on business casual. When presenting a collection, it is of the utmost importance to deliver a message to viewers in some form, and Tory Burch could not deliver that this season. 

Overall this season’s collections were amazing, and artists continue to outdo themselves season after season. With creative minds like Gurung, Area, and Deity New York in the game, it is impossible to not be excited about what February has in store for the fashion world.