For Spring/Summer 2023 season at New York Fashion Week, Global Fashion Collective (GFC) proudly highlighted twelve international designers across three different showcases. The GFC I showcase featured designers from Japan, the United States and Canada. GFC aims to spotlight emerging designers and provide them with a platform during the most prestigious fashion weeks in the world. This organization has previously presented at New York Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week and Tokyo Fashion Week.
Unserten was founded in 2021 after the global COVID-19 pandemic caused the rapid change and led to new levels of “uncertainty.” This collection was inspired by the black and white photography of famed Japanese photographer Moriyama Daido and the harsh blurry “Are‑Bure‑Boke” style. The 16 cohesive looks come together as an artistic yet wearable collection; avant-garde elements like hardware and ruffled asymmetry are applied to blazers and trousers. This Tokyo-based brand is helmed by an international team of creatives and the collection is in collaboration with a Japanese photographer who provided the images seen printed on various tops and the poem embroidered onto the sides of blazers and lace layering pieces. The showcase closed with a suit that leaves thread hanging from the embroidery, the first foray into this technique for the brand.
Samantha Darryanto is an eponymous brand created by an MIT mechanical engineer alumni who currently also works as a derivatives trader in New York City. Darryanto’s garments often draw from her Indonesian heritage, like utilizing custom-designed black and white patterned batik fabric to create the robes and tops in the latter half of the collection. This collection was two years in the making and a departure from her typical feminine and flowy style. While maintaining that softness with her fabric and silhouette choices, Darryanto juxtaposes them with tech elements and streetwear styling. The fourth look is an asymmetrical greige blazer set with two black buckles on the jacket in an homage to Thom Browne. DArryanto also doesn’t shy away from unconventional materials, using a blue quilted moving blanket to create the first two looks.
Kylie Michelle is a recent Parsons School of Design graduate who showcased her senior collection inspired by the five senses. Designer Kylie Michelle Miller uses bright colours to stimulate the eye and textured fabrics to entice viewers to feel the garments. The red coat from her third look utilizes a paper raffia technique and the multicoloured 3-dimensional element on her closing dress was actually created from cut-up elastic bands. Look six features a cropped pastel green vest with lavender inside to incorporate an element of the “smell” sense. The next look taps into sound and hearing, with Miller sewing shells onto rounded sleeves that jangle with every step. This inventive collection with experimental styles is for a fun and funky consumer who is unafraid to proudly showcase their truest colours.
Shivajothi was created by Sri Lankan-Canadian designer Sujitha Shivajothi, who creates her gender-inclusive garments by hand in Vancouver, British Columbia. Her latest collection, “Capsule: 02” is stylish, stripped-back and a testament to the appeal of timeless silhouettes. Shivajothi merges traditionally tailored techniques with South Asian aesthetics that honour her cultural background. This collection includes 12 looks in a muted colour palette of black, white, gray and cream. The designer also showcases the Shivajothi take on classic white button-ups; using banded and asymmetrical collars and featuring columns of buttons. The closing look includes a cream cropped jacket with black tulle elements, layered over a simple black tee and white trousers.