Meet the Designers Showing at New York Fashion Week for the First Time
This season's list of newcomers is refreshingly diverse.
Even if industry insiders appear to have grown more tired of the fashion week circus than ever before, at least the Fall 2020 season will include some newness.
By our count, there will be 10 calendar debuts this week in New York. While this season's list of designers showing for the first time is a bit shorter than in past iterations, it also happens to be one of the most diverse — the majority are people of color, including promising talents who hail from from Senegal, Grenada, Nigeria, China and Taiwan. There are multiple designers who have already dressed Michelle Obama, one who dressed a Hadid before graduating from college and one who just won "Project Runway."
Without further ado, read on to learn about 10 designers showing at New York Fashion Week for the first time this Fall 2020 season.
Sergio Hudson
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Hudson's name first came to the forefront when Rihanna appointed him the winner of Bravo's short-lived reality series "Styled to Rock." He then launched his eponymous womenswear line in 2014, designing and producing everything in Los Angeles. His elegant wares have already been spotted on Michelle Obama, Beyoncé, Tracee Ellis Ross, Tiffany Haddish, and just this week, he dressed Demi Lovato for the Superbowl.
Sukeina
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Senegal-born Omar Salam is a Parsons alum who worked for Sonia Rykiel and Christian Lacroix before launching his womenswear brand in 2001, naming it after his late mother. He describes his designs as couture with an "airy effortlessness" and "detailed simplicity."
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Fe Noel
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Grenadian Felisha Noel launched her womenswear brand, Fe Noel, in Brooklyn after opening a store in the borough at only 19 years old. The line is known for its beautiful, Caribbean-inspired colors and prints — and the fact that one Michelle Obama is a fan.
Danz
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Designer Danica Zheng will debut her women's luxury streetwear line, Danz, with a presentation on New York's Lower East Side. The vibe is effortlessly cool but well-constructed, as Zheng sees the line sitting alongside brands like Alexander Wang and Ambush. Ninety percent of the collection is produced locally in NYC.
Sebastian Grey
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This will be Sebastian Grey's first show after winning season 17 of Bravo's "Project Runway" last year. The Colombian-born designer has already made a name for himself in his home country, but is now poised to do so in the U.S. with Christian Siriano and Karlie Kloss surely cheering him on.
Muzkin
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Muzkin is a Chinese brand founded in 2014 by Kate Han, who describes her aesthetic language as "neo-Orientalist," taking inspiration from traditional Chinese culture. Having shown in Shanghai, Paris and London in the past, this is Muzkin's first time showcasing its collection in New York.
Oqliq
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Based in Taiwan, menswear brand Oqliq was created by designers Orbit Lin and Chi Houng, neither of whom come from a traditional fashion design background. They have an experimental approach to the craft, using new, high-tech and recycled materials.
Wiederhoeft
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Jackson Wiederhoeft kicked off his career by winning "Women's Designer of the Year" at Parsons for his senior thesis collection, pieces from which went on to be worn by the likes of Rihanna and Aquarius. He then worked at Thom Browne for three years before launching his namesake line for Spring 2020 with a show/performance. This is his first time showing on the New York Fashion Week schedule.
Tia Adeola
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Tia Adeola is a more solidified follow-up to designer Teniola "Tia" Adeola's first brand, Slashed by Tia. The London-raised, New York-based Nigerian designer caught the industry's attention last year before even graduating from Parsons. She dressed Gigi Hadid and Sia after participating in a showroom during London Fashion Week, partnered with Nike and was named to Teen Vogue's 21 Under 21 list in 2018. Her goals, aside from creating "wearable art," are to empower women and to include more people of color in narratives, like fashion, that they've historically been left out of.
e1972
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E1972 is unusual in a number of ways — most notably, it's being launched by model agency Elite Models. Creative director Julia Haart (she was previously at La Perla and is now also CEO of Elite Model) is behind the line, which is entirely made-to-measure and will be sold online, with the option to visit an atelier for a personalized fitting. The debut collection will blend luxury and streetwear and the runway show will star Elite models and feature a live performance by Bebe Rexha.
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