The new world of fashion seen through the eyes of Elena Velez, Saint Sintra and No Sesso, three brands making waves after this year’s NYFW.
Twice a year, hundreds of people flock to New York City to see both old and new designers showcase their collections on the runway. New York Fashion Weeks are some of the most important weeks of the year for those in the fashion world, and especially for emerging designers. Fall and winter collections are shown in February for the following winter, while spring and summer collections are shown in September in anticipation of the upcoming spring.
After the return to in-person runway shows at NYFW in September, people are especially looking to designers for inspiration. This February, New York Fashion Week hosted a number of emerging designers showcasing fall collections that all brought a fresh, unique perspective to the hallowed halls of NYFW.
No Sesso
No Sesso, a clothing brand that designs for the queer and POC community, has been breaking down barriers for years. At its inception in 2015, the brand’s lead designer, Pierre Davis, became the first transgender woman to present a collection on the official NYFW calendar with her 2019 collection. Davis exclusively casts models of color, and her collections feature models of varying sizes and gender identities. No Sesso is Italian for “no sex” or “no gender,” which speaks to the brand’s deep commitment to inclusivity and representation.
Davis’ designs feature a variety of different materials and textures; she often reconstructs used clothing according to her vision. A consistent theme throughout No Sesso’s collections is the use of patchwork and their signature hand-embroidery. Every garment created by No Sesso is a unique piece of artwork, and the unique perspective of the brand shows through their innovative collections.
Saint Sintra
Saint Sintra is a womenswear brand founded by 25-year-old Parsons School of Design graduate Sintra Martins. Martins launched the independent brand in 2020, presenting a collection of clown-inspired or “clowncore” pieces, set against the backdrop of a colorful warehouse. Before Saint Sintra debuted at NYFW, Martins designed a custom piece for hyperpop artist Slayyyter’s debut album “Troubled Paradise,” putting Saint Sintra on the track to notoriety. Along with Slayyyter, Martins has dressed other celebrities such as singers Kim Petras, Olivia Rodrigo, Willow Smith and actress Sydney Sweeney.
In Martins’s latest collection, she was heavily inspired by a trip to Italy, where she explored themes of honor and tradition.
“I was thinking about chivalry and feudalism and what it means to live with honor,” Martins said.
This inspiration is shown through the utilization of luxury materials and layering techniques to create a modern version of a suit of armor. Martins often plays with texture in her work, mixing heavier materials such as twill and tweed with softer materials like satin and tulle.
A recurring theme in Martins’ work is the presentation and construction of femininity. Saint Sintra is heavily inspired by the shift of “lowbrow” fashion to highbrow, specifically through the idea of bimbo couture, better known on social media as bimbofication.
“Communally, we’re reminiscing and finding meaning in stuff that, at the time, seemed very ephemeral and trivial and now has cemented and become a permanent part of pop culture.” she told The Cut.
It is this part of pop culture that her lines are inspired by, and the generation that grew up with this culture that she creates for.
Elena Velez
Another recent Parsons graduate making a name for herself at New York Fashion Week is Elena Velez, a Wisconsin-native whose work is heavily inspired by the artisanal heritage of the American Midwest, epitomized by the welding and metalwork industry, a trademark of her hometown, Milwaukee. I-d Magazine named Velez as one of five under-the-radar designers to discover at NYFW, and her BFA thesis, “_And Carry On,” was featured at NYFW in 2018.
Velez often uses found or salvaged materials in her work, epitomizing her commitment to authentic process. Her latest collection continues in her exploration of the relationship between traditional femininity and modern life.
As said on Velez’s website, her collection “YR 1 – Maidenhood and its Labors,” is “a dissertation of our woman and her relationship to industry, obligation and aphrodisia.”
Along with American Midwestern influences, Velez’s work examines society post-collapse, with a focus on historical treatments placed in a modern context. Her collection emulates the paradoxical comprehension of femininity in past times through surface treatments and distress techniques such as rust baths, tea stains, gravel and grit. Velez’s designs are both harsh and aggressively delicate, using historical references to examine notions of femininity in a modern world.
Every year, the fashion world becomes more inclusive and diverse, as independent brands make names for themselves in magazines and on red carpets before they make their way to the runways of the city. New York Fashion Week continues to be an impressive showcase of both classic and contemporary brands, with new designers and brands debuting each year. While there are too many up-and-coming new designers to feature, these three designers have made waves at NYFW and are definitely ones to watch in the future.