The Top Shows From New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023

New York City, like London, Paris, and Milan, continues to be a destination for some of the biggest fashion shows of the season. While New York City-based labels such as KidSuper or Thom Browne have gone on to present more frequently in Europe, many of the biggest labels to come out of the United States really got their start at New York Fashion Week.

This season, over 100 designers were confirmed to present on the official Council of Fashion Designers of America calendar. Hometown heroes like Who Decides War and Luar returned to deliver live presentations. International luxury labels, such as Marni, flew to New York to throw runway shows in America’s fashion capital. There were also great shows from emerging New York-based designers like Kim Nguyen of Nguyen Inc. and Edvin Thompson of Theophilio. Even Los Angeles’ own Tombogo returned this season to present one of its most captivating runway presentations yet.

Overall, New York Fashion Week was packed with exciting shows. It’s impossible to highlight them all. But with New York Fashion Week officially in the books, we decided to highlight some of our favorites. Check out our thoughts on some of the standout presentations from New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023, below.

Designer Raul Lopez took a season off from presenting at New York Fashion Week, but that didn’t mean he hasn’t been busy. He introduced the Ana, a framed bag with circular handles, at his Spring/Summer 2022 presentation. Since then, it’s become an it-bag that’s garnered him a CFDA nomination for American Accessory Designer of the Year. The Ana bag is back for his Spring/Summer 2023 collection, titled “La Alta Gama,” which means the high end in Spanish, coming in different iterations including a larger cobalt blue version with faux fur details and a croc embossed chocolate brown style. The women in his life always serve as the starting point for his collections, but this season he honed in on his specific experience at a Dominican family reunion in Brooklyn. The looks highlighted the duality of their outfits, which typically featured utilitarian nylon down coats that protected their sequined dresses. Models walked a square runway and stopped at full length mirrors to pose and affirm their existence. They wore dresses that took on the details of a sporty nylon coat merged with fluid, ruched skirts. More structured pieces included leather trench coats that featured Luar’s signature belt closure detail on the chest. The tailored pieces took on interesting shapes with pronounced shoulders—meant to symbolize the weight Lopez carries on his shoulders as a gay Latin man. Lopez rounded out the collection with classics, including track suits, jeans, white tank tops, and leather belts with the script “L” logo. Lopez continues to show his specific point of view and merge together multiple ideas in a way that feels fresh and forward.—Aria Hughes

Ev Bravado and Téla D’Amore of Who Decides War gave themselves a tough act to follow by hosting their last live New York Fashion Week presentation on the Intrepid, a decommissioned military aircraft carrier docked off the coast of Manhattan, last September. While this year’s setting wasn’t quite as extravagant, the pair behind the local label still delivered a memorable showing for Spring/Summer 2023. With their latest collection, the duo used the Caribbean islands as a vehicle to provide commentary on big themes like climate change. Some pieces like polo shirts and jeans featured tropical scenery spray painted by the artist Omi alongside verbiage like “Shockwaves” and “Underwater” to allude to the natural disaster that plague many of the island’s communities. Other looks included a plaid mohair cardigan covered in stained glass graphics, hoodies with paneling made to resemble the world map, and green sweaters with window pane-shaped cut-outs. Signature elements of Who Decides War like stained-glass window motifs and heavily-distressed denim covered in graphic embroidery were also present throughout the collection. It’s easy to use images of palm trees and sunsets to escape from the harsh realities of the real world. With this collection, Ev Bravado and D’Amore showed that you can also use these things to deliver a meaningful message rooted in the challenges we face in the real world. NBA star Kyle Kuzma called the show one of his personal standouts of New York Fashion Week. It’s clear to see why.—Mike DeStefano

Class was in session at Tombogo’s second live runway presentation for New York Fashion Week, which was fittingly presented in Manhattan’s iconic Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. Tommy Bogo was late for class as students such as Teezo Touchdown and Isaiah Rashad stumbled into their desks for Tombogo’s fourth ready-to-wear collection titled “For The Truant & The Fluent.” Like any good high school movie, the class clowns, goths, and nerds were all in attendance. Basketball players arrived wearing crochet knit shirts and shorts sets embellished with patchwork logos and handknit details. The seniors confidently stepped in with two-toned varsity jackets that proudly displayed Tombogo’s “Freelance” mantra from past collections. As always, Tombogo’s utilitarian aesthetic shined on multi-pocket dresses and slacks that were fitting for the nerds. Bungee cord-embellished apparel tapped into the familiar nostalgia of wearing a fresh North Face backpack for the new semester. Even though Bogo presented his collection in New York, he made sure to aptly pay homage to his Bay Area roots with a graphic T-shirt worn by Guapdad4000 that referenced Mistah F.A.B.’s hyphy anthem “Yellow Bus.” One model, who swooped in on a scooter in spray painted apparel, paused on the runway to paint his scooter until an “Insecurity” officer rolled in to stop him. It was a poignant moment during the show, as it reminded us how our own insecurities can impede us from being ourselves as teenagers. After Junebug went through attendance, Bogo finally arrived in time to close out the show with a class picture shot by Jacob Consenstein. It was a fitting end to a trip down nostalgia lane, as Bogo reminded us that the biggest runway we’ve all ever walked on was likely our own high school hallways.—Lei Takanashi

Puma hasn’t shown at New York Fashion Week since Rihanna was designing for the German company. But the brand is back, now with legendary stylist June Ambrose at the helm serving as stylist, curator, and designer. Ambrose, who was named Puma Designer and Creative Director last year, put on their Futrograde show at Cipriani’s in New York. It featured around 80 looks that covered various capsule collections and collaborations. Ambrose presented pieces from her own collection, titled “Keeping Score,” along with collaborative capsules from Dapper Dan, Koche, Palomo and AC Milan. Signatures from Ambrose were felt throughout like the oversized hats, the red leather tracksuit worn by Puffy’s son Christian Combs (remember the shiny suits from the “Mo Money Mo Problems” music video?), and the long black skirt made from shiny down coats (remember Missy’s Elliott’s patent leather blow up suit in “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” video?) The show was filled with all sorts of fashion forward moments with urban details like a camel-colored faux fur jacket styled with a tracksuit cut as a suit, or a jumpsuit with cape details. The show ended with Usain Bolt wearing a Puma tuxedo and Winnie Harlow wearing a long Puma gown. Ambrose said her goal was to offer the brand a little more street cred. Mission accomplished. —Aria Hughes

One of the most unique venues of New York Fashion Week came by way of Willy Chavarria. The 55-year-old designer decided to present his Spring/Summer 2023 collection, “Please Rise,” in Manhattan’s Marble Collegiate Church. The church setting wasn’t just used for spectacle. It inspired the looks that made up Chavarria’s latest season. The first model down the runway carried a crucifix in his hand, while wearing Chavarria’s take on the “Sunday’s best”—a black suit jacket with an exaggerated lapel and ultra baggy silk pants. Various takes on suiting that played with proportions and Chavarria’s interpretations of garments like cassocks and surplices worn by priests stayed true to the holy theme. There were also his elevated takes on heritage American brands—teal Dickies work pants that draped to the floor swallowing up sneakers, short sleeve work shirts with exaggerated elements like elongated sleeves and large pointed collars, and paneled nylon anoraks by Pro Club. All are well-executed nods to the common wardrobe of the community that the Mexican American designer grew up in and highlights in all of his work. Weaved in with the clever tailoring were more playful graphic pieces like a red mesh top that read “Catholicism” in collegiate lettering across the chest or an oversized arch logo T-shirt that read “Fresno,” a reference to Chavarria’s hometown. With his latest collection, Chavarria proved that fashion could be a religious experience after all.—Mike DeStefano

One of the biggest collections to hit the runways of New York Fashion Week was from Peter Do, who unveiled 60 menswear and womenswear looks for his Spring/Summer 2023 presentation. The show was made in partnership with Korea’s SM Entertainment, the entertainment agency behind mega successful K-Pop acts such as Girls’ Generation, Red Velvet, NCT, and more. Do’s collaboration led to the first time a K-pop artist ever opened a show for New York Fashion Week, as Jeno from NCT stepped in with the first look. Do, a Vietnamese-born designer who previously worked for Phoebe Philo at Céline, continued to evolve upon his ultra-clean tailoring. Do’s signature, a four-piece suit with a pleated skirt, returned for both men and women. Menswear offerings included sharp short suits, cashmere hoodies, languid silk blouses, and denim staples. Womenswear looks included long pleated skirts, lightweight gowns, knits, and jerseys paired against smart suiting and warm layering. Hand-done resin dyes, bleach, and paint embellishments on garments only reaffirmed Do’s commitment to reimagine classic tailoring at his New York-based atelier. Do’s footwear was dip-dyed and hit with white paint, coats were embellished with Swarovski crystals, and button-up shirts were decorated with hazy prints that were digitally-manipulated photos Do took of New York City’s skyline. Although Do is known for womenswear, his long-anticipated entry into menswear did not disappoint.—Lei Takanashi

We have had our eyes on 22-year-old designer Keith Herron for a minute now. There’s a reason we highlighted his brand Advisry as one of our Brands to Watch at ComplexCon last year. Herron made his New York Fashion Week debut last year with a short film titled “Sometimes Dancing.” The characters were outfitted in items from the brand’s upcoming collection. For its ninth season, Herron’s Advisry transformed a hall in New York’s Lower East Side into Paris, a nod to the French New Wave film Masculin Feminin that it was named after. Streetwear-leaning items like embroidered varsity jackets, oxford shirts bearing Black Panther-inspired graphics, and logo hoodies upgraded with knit construction were present. Many looks hinted at an upcoming Adidas collection including candy-coated green Sambas with remixed soles that looked like models had stepped in giant wads of chewing gum and classic tracksuits done up in more premium materials like mohair that were worn by Teezo Touchdown on the runway. The show also marked Herron’s first womenswear collection, which featured fresh takes on traditional items like black leather skirts with cargo pockets or silk dresses adorned with various zippers that allow for some unique customization opportunities. In 2021, Herron told Complex that he’s still learning about the ins and outs of the fashion industry everyday. “It’s not a bad thing to not fully understand what’s going on,” said Herron. “That’s not to say I don’t study it. I read the books, listen to the interviews, and see the documentaries.” Looking at his latest presentation, it’s clear he has been doing his homework.—Mike DeStefano

Marni has never presented during New York Fashion Week. The brand usually holds its runway shows in Milan, the fashion capital of its home country. But it certainly made a splash for its debut across the pond. The show, which was the third under creative director Francesco Risso, took place on a cobblestone street in Brooklyn under the Manhattan Bridge. The unconventional location was transformed into a stylish oasis soundtracked by a composition by Dev Hynes that was performed by the String Orchestra of Brooklyn. The color palette, influenced by the Italian countryside, ranged from bright oranges and reds to darker tones like blues and grays. The array of hues was featured across a wide-ranging assortment including cropped mesh tank tops, long trench coats, billowing leather pants, and shimmering velvet suits. There were standouts like ultra-flared velvet jeans featuring artwork of Flaminia Veronesi. Many of the looks incorporated colorful mohair elements, a detail that has become a signature of the brand, but with a new twist. Fishnet paneling and beaded chains added a DIY quality to this collection. A circular design meant to nod to the sun (rising or setting depending on where you are in the world) was another common element used across everything from dresses to T-shirts. People have been quick to write off New York as a premier fashion destination in recent years in comparison to European cities like Paris and Milan. The presence of designers like Marni is certainly a step in the right direction that proves it’s still a place that the industry values.—Mike DeStefano

After winning the 2021 CFDA Emerging Designer of the Year award, Theophilio founder Edvin Thompson has made his return to New York Fashion Week with a show that tapped into both his roots in Kingston, Jamaica and his upbringing in New York, New Jersey, and Atlanta. Titled “Homecoming,” Theophilio’s second live presentation for New York Fashion Week dived into rastafarian motifs while paying homage to unique creative energy found in metropolises like New York. The classic “I Love NY ‘’ T-shirt was flipped into “I Love TH” and bedazzled with enough rhinestones to open a time machine into the early 2000s. Red, yellow, and green hues colorized ’70s-inspired sequin graffiti prints that graced skintight dresses, tank tops, and bottoms. Snakeskin leather boldly appeared on shorts, vests, and new accessories such as crescent-shaped handbags. Nostalgia for the aughts also came through in denim looks that included jackets with gold embroideries, skirts, and suits. The most stunning garments were intricate pieces of headwear inspired by J’Ouvert, the Caribbean carnival celebration held every summer in Theophilio’s homebase of Brooklyn, New York and other cities with Caribbean communities across the world. Although Theophilio is based in New York, “Homecoming” showed Thompson’s garments can tell stories that resonate beyond the five boroughs.—Lei Takanashi

T-shirts crafted the bulk of Nguyen Inc’s debut for New York Fashion Week, which featured 20 looks mostly crafted from used T-shirts sourced from Goodwill. T-shirts are something that Kim Nguyen has long been familiar with. The Vietnamese New York City-based designer previously worked at Supreme and Marc Jacobs for several years before launching her own label, Nguyen Inc, in 2020 selling upcycled T-shirts. Despite her connection to the streetwear giant, Nguyen Inc’s first collection offered far more than graphic T-shirts. Instead, T-shirts were upcycled into ruffled bra tops, paneled bandeau corset tops, strapless bubble dresses, and more. The most eye-catching upcycled works included multicolored, asymmetrical, strapless dresses and batwing sleeve tops with T-shirt “yarn” fringes. At the label’s live presentation in Chinatown, skateboarder Beatrice Domond traded in Supreme’s denim jeans and graphic T-shirts for Nguyen Inc‘s upcycled patchwork cotton jersey tank dress. Artist Eri Wakiyama walked in one of the label’s signature upcycled fitted T-shirts and a crochet mini skirt. Nguyen’s first collection was titled Ham Chơ which, according to Nguyen’s parents, means “you only live once” or “someone who parties way too hard” in Vietnamese. It was an apt name for a free-spirited collection that also felt like a celebration for one of New York City’s emerging creatives.—Lei Takanashi