Global Fashion Collective blends culture and couture at NYFW

Every winter, Global Fashion Collective brings designers from across the world to an industrial, all-white room in Hell’s Kitchen. With no boundaries or cohesion between collections, each artist reimagines couture by weaving in elements of their unique culture and background. 

This year, the group held three shows at The Glasshouse on Feb. 14 and 15. From garments made with maple bark to pieces strategically paired with plastic accessories, each designer found a way to experiment with silhouettes, fabrics and colors that blend contemporary fashion with cultural hallmarks. 

Classical-inspired Indian music opened the Saturday afternoon show as Sanjukta Dutta presented a series of elegant designs defined by their flowy silhouettes and sharp red accents. Inspired by her upbringing in the northeastern Indian state Assam, Dutta’s collection contrasted traditional Indian wear, such as mekhela chador and salwar kameez, with contemporary accessories, like chunky black and white boots or a thin puffer jacket. The cohesive collection was defined by its neutral black-and-white palette and recurring motif of flowers — a surprisingly simple touch that evoked a sense of nostalgia throughout. 

Sanjita Nithyananthan said that as a South Indian model, she appreciated presenting Indian-inspired outfits while walking to her culture’s music. Although Nithyananthan has seen other Indo-Western designers, Dutta is unique in that she is not too on-the-nose with her references to traditional designs. 

“I felt like I took up space, which I really liked — the piece and myself. I felt comfortable taking up a big presence,” Nithyananthan said in an interview with WSN. “A lot of times, we’re wearing tighter fit clothing, more slimmer things, so it’s more dainty, but I like that with this, I can be wide and take a wider stance.” 

Nar Rew Ekar

Shoshoni Hostler showcased looks from her brand Nar Rew Ekar, powered by her identity as a Native woman from the Yurok Tribe in northern California. Many of Hostler’s looks featured angular shoulder silhouettes, unique headpieces, geometric patterns and various fabrics in striking contrast. 

Hostler told WSN that Saturday’s collection was inspired by Indigenous sentiment that humans are molecularly very similar to stars, and thus, deeply connected to the material of the universe. She said that she employed traditional materials and techniques to craft many of her pieces and deepen their connection to her culture. For example, much of the clothing included maple bark, stripped from trees and woven in the traditional basket design to abstractly echo ceremonial Indigenous pieces. 

“When we make our traditional regalia, our ceremonial pieces, they’re so detailed and it’s so labor intensive and you have to have good positive thoughts the entire time — you really have to practice mindfulness,” Hostler said. “I get to appreciate it as I’m making it, as it becomes its own living being, and then to have it presented to the world, it just grows that connection with the pieces.” 

Striding out on the promenade first was RuirUiruI, a Chinese fashion brand that embodies intentional living through its designs. The brand’s name comes from a combination of three words fundamental to its vision: “Renaissance. Utopia. Insoul.” 

Uptempo jazz crackled out of unseen speakers as models strode onto the gray, concrete floor adorned in gowns constructed from denim and pantsuits enlarged to nearly comical degrees. Each look delivered a distinct and cutting view of cultural trends alongside contemporary professional attire, showcasing experimental fabrics and silhouettes. An outfit entirely composed from quarter-zips brought an especially ironic twist, poking fun at modern fashion, pushing the boundaries of traditional style. In companion to these nonconformative elements, recurring red and black ribbons and muddy green leathers tied the collection together.

The brand’s commitment to translating staples of frivolity such as micro-shorts to the runway nodded to its larger namesake and evolving mission. By revising pieces that encapsulate leisure to incorporate luxury fabrics — through a bomber jacket made entirely of satin, for example — RuirUiruI is showing a younger generation clothing that upscales daily wear. Still, whether or not the designer’s interpretation on reaching utopia can be actualized remains a question for another day.

Marika Suzuki

Upbeat music that is vaguely reminiscent of an iPhone alarm signaled the beginning of the next exhibition, as models dressed in shimmering dresses and impossibly high heels sauntered onto the runway to display Japanese designer Marika Suzuki’s newest collection.

The intricate gowns were densely embroidered with blues and greens that cast allusions to the natural world, complicated by textiles that, upon first glance, seemed too gritty for a Victorian-style gown. Each look was accompanied by incandescent plastic accessories that jingled with every step taken, a recurring element in Suzuki’s latest collection. Most looks made use of the plastic tubes in a maximalist style, while one atypically stripped-down black outfit was affixed with a clear container filled with a dark red liquid. The clash between Suzuki’s ornate garments and the use of discarded materials provide a distinct vision into the theme of childhood.

Suzuki told WSN through a translator that she, “wants to express her childhood to 80 years old.” This vision is apparent in the bold and whimsical feeling of many of the pieces — one of which included an oversized, purple onesie reminiscent of a child’s blanket. Other aspects of the collection were inspired by Japanese Lolita and kawaii fashion, where pastel shades, lacey finishes and petticoats gave an air of innocence to each look.

The collection’s message was echoed by Vanessa Vii, a model in the show who personally resonated with her outfit and the show’s message. 

“It warms my heart down to its deepest core to have a part in bringing designers’ visions to life,” Vii said. 

Ao Miyasaka opened the show with a striking fusion of Japanese heritage, textile art and a love for graffiti. Her collection explored the fragility of sexuality and her identity within Japan, weaving together deconstructed leather jackets, red-thread detailing, intricate Japanese-inspired embroidery and stained graffiti fabrics. Miyasaka experimented with the interplay between the delicate transparency of lace and heavily structured materials through pieces like thread-woven jackets. 

One look in particular — a halter transparent dress framed with red-threaded fabric dyed on the edges of the bodice, detailed Asian buttons and more threading in the back — was presented to the audience in a moment of complete silence with the lights blacked out, standing out from the very beginning.

In an interview with WSN, Miyasaka described how her work was inspired by her own identity and exploration with female agency. 

“They are exposing their body, they want to show it because they want to show the strength of physical beauty,” Miyasaka told WSN through a translator. “Doesn’t mean it has to be sexy.”

Having grown up in Japan and explored the different ways of expressing Japanese culture, Miyasaka also chose to integrate the delicate placement of Japanese masks called hannya. 

“This is the design for sadness and anger,” Miyasaka said. “She is just fighting for any violence or social issues, child abuse, and she wants to let everybody know someday, you have to overcome such pasts.”

YULIN

Taiwanese designer Yu Lin closed the show with a collection that sharply contrasted those before it, presenting oversized ponchos, checkered fabrics and deconstructed skirts tied together with bows. The collection’s standout feature was its striking focus on sustainable production, using environmentally friendly 3D-printed materials that reflected both clean innovation and Yu Lin’s love for Taiwan’s nature. 

This characteristic look was prominently seen in the first outfit: An oversized checkered gradient poncho with a lace blooming flower headpiece, contrasted by bare legs in nude heels. The 3D-printed material created a balance between structure and lightness of the piece, giving the overall heavier look a sense of movement.

“Taiwan is beautiful, with mountains and rivers,” Yu Lin said in Chinese. “There will always be an element of Taiwanese flowers and nature in my designs.”