RUNWAY RUNDOWN: NYFW/SS16 9.13.15

6pm: Nolcha Fashion Shows at NYFW

On Sunday night we ventured over the bi-annual "Nolcha Fashion Shows at NYFW.” First up were the "Ones To Watch," who are up and coming designers, just about to break through. Our personal favorite was Jungwon, a men’s and women’s outwear collection. While outwear can be boring, especially for men, Jungwon makes her collection stand out by taking chances both on silhouette and color. Our favorites were when Jungwon used bright orange - a color most designers would normally not take a risk on. Pieces of her collection could be worn by either gender, a fact she displayed beautifully by having androgynous model Rain Dove walk out in two gender nonspecific outfits. Taking this concept a step further, the models were all in CAT Footwear, strutting down the runway proud of the clothing they were wearing. Jungwon told us the theme was: "The one jacket you need in NYC," and we definitely got that from the show.

Jungwon’s collection was followed was Planet Zero Motorsports, a line of leather clothing for those who want to "ride in style.” Our favorite looks were a tie between the all black attire and skull belt from a model whose abs looked painted on, and Brett David's bad ass look, helmet and all, looking like he rode his motorcycle to the show. Concluding the evening was Global Citizen, which is a charity to end world poverty that puts on a headlining festival every year in support of this. The t-shirts were modeled by both models and GPP campaign managers, premiering a limited edition Global Citizen x Aviator Nation collection along with the "Beyoncé" t-shirt.

7:30pm: BERENIK Presentation

Right next door in Pier 59 was Swiss label BERENIK. Designer Veronika Brusa is always blurring the lines between graphic design and this collection was no different. Photoshopped images and animation stills were used with pastels prints, mixed in with white and cream. Brusa says she "drew inspiration from personal friend and studio mate, artist Steve Voll’s work– a wild mix of art objects developed into various prints on viscose, linen, cotton and cupro." The over-sized sunglasses and platform shoes on each model added to the concept. The star of the show was "The Face" winner Devyn Abdullah, who looked stunning strutting down the runway.

9:00pm: Nolcha Collective Show

Concluding the evening was a three designer showcase, with our favorite being Daniel Nguyen Couture. Actually hand making each dress, we asked Nguyen his philosophy while creating these intricate pieces. "Fashion and style are based on the culture and heritage of people in action with each other,” he said. The pieces worked well together, and each one could be worn on the red carpet by a top runway model or actress. We definitely saw some of his Texas roots in his collection, designing for that Southern Belle yet adding a level of sophistication. He could very well dominate the red carpet for years to come.