Michelle Chen, product director, described the spirit of the collection: “It’s a lot of joy, a lot of color, optimism. I think that’s hard to come by in fashion in general. Just dressing for your body, however it is, in the most fun way that one could have.”
For many visitors, the pop-up offered a rare opportunity to experience high fashion. Seventeen-year-old aspiring designer Kyla Hardy wandered slowly through the racks, examining each garment like a museum piece. She found the accessibility of the pop-up inspiring. “I think that we should be able to inspire each other all the time. We should be constantly building off of each other because that’s how art is made. Art is made by other art, made by other art, made by other art. Making it so that we can appreciate and feel and look at things like this up close, in a way that is accessible to people — I’m just so grateful.”
Harbison hopes visitors leave with something deeper than a new piece of clothing.
“At the end of the day, the girls matter the most,” he said. “I want women to feel joy, optimism, and strength — to feel feminine, but never compromised in the world.”