Image: Louis Vuitton

New York Fashion Week is an important part of the fashion industry because it provides a platform for designers to showcase their creativity and talent. This September, 109 brands and designers will present their Spring Summer 2023 collections to the fashion world. Fashion week returns with a diverse group of creators, reflecting the CFDA’s commitment to supporting and extolling American talents while reiterating the fact that New York remains a vital part of the global fashion industry.

Image: Michael Kors

Michael Kors, Carolina Herrera, and Tory Burch will be joined by a slew of new-generation designers who have revitalized the city’s offerings. Some of the most anticipated newcomer brands this season include Barragán, Batsheva, One/Of by Patricia Moto, and Willy Chavarria, among others.

In addition, after a brief hiatus, brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, AREA, and Marni will return to the runways for the first time since the pandemic began. “When I thought about where to launch our return to fashion week, my heart immediately went to New York’s iconic creative culture,” Hilfiger said in a statement. “When I first started out in the industry, this is where fashion, art, music, and entertainment all came together.”

Image: Carolina Herrera

With so many exciting designers showcasing their collections, this season is sure to be memorable. Here are some brand names to keep an eye out for at New York Fashion Week 2022:

One/Of By Patricia Voto

Image: One/Of

One/Of is a women’s ready-to-wear brand based in New York founded by designer Patricia Voto from remnants of heritage brands and designed for evolving modern life. Voto has spent the last decade honing the vision and craft of emerging designers like Rosie Assoulin, Brock Collection, and Gabriella Hearst.

Her fashion education began at Altuzarra, where she worked under the eponymous founder, Joseph Altuzarra, to develop her sensibility and unique perspective. During the pandemic, designer Patricia Voto quietly debuted her sustainably conscious brand — designed to meet the needs and whims of the modern woman and to be both sustainable and timeless.

Image: One/Of

Her collections are focused on custom-tailored separates such as easy-fitting skirts and collarbone-skimming tops: pieces that can be worn now and for years to come. “Every time we make a garment, we have to think about it, and we want it to fit our client perfectly,” Voto explains. “So we make it a little hard to buy in a lot of ways.”

Image: One/Of

Her commitment to sustainability is evident in the fabrics she chooses. Each garment is unique and thoughtfully considered, made from upcycled fabrics. Voto’s debut collection consists of 14 pieces (11 garments and three accessories) rendered in sumptuous upcycled fabrics from fashion capitals around the world. “I’ve been really fortunate to have had a lot of great partnerships with various mills over the years,” Voto says. “I reached out and asked, ‘Hey, do you have any leftover fabrics?’ Maybe an order was canceled, or you overproduced…whatever you have, I’m interested.'” Because her materials are limited, each One/Of piece is a limited edition and made to order.

She will make her runway debut during the upcoming fashion week, serving as a beacon of hope for the future of sustainability in fashion.

Barragán

Image: Barragán

Barragán is an underground and experimental designer who draws inspiration from 90s subculture, sensuality, and fetish tailoring. The brand is founded on inclusivity and community, and it is constantly pushing the envelope by challenging current fashion trends.

Victor Barragán, a Mexican designer, created the brand by removing and re-attaching elements from old silhouettes to cater to his distinct aesthetic. Plain white tees and blue jeans are transformed into halter tops, aprons, dresses, or a combination of different garments in one.

Image: Barragán

Barragán collaborated with Belgian vegan footwear label Rombaut for his Fall Winter 2017 collection to blur the lines between art and fashion. Models wore multifunctional outfits with see-through materials layered over velvet, black leather, and silk taffeta. “For the Fall Winter collection, I wanted to create an experience in which the models’ attention was diverted from self-exposure to a specific object, action, or audience.”

Now, he’ll be making his mark on the runway, with his show attracting the attention of thousands of fashion fans worldwide.

Batsheva

Image: Batsheva

Batsheva Hay’s works are infused with an electric kind of energy, owing to her upbringing in New York. She wasn’t always a designer, though; before her well-known label, she was a lawyer. “When I became a new mother, I was at a loss as to what to do next in my life.” “We had just moved to a new neighborhood on Manhattan’s Upper West Side,” Hay explains. She found herself reconnecting with the clothes she wore in her youth while immersed in a strange new world with her husband, photographer Alexei Hay.

Image: Batsheva

She was inspired and decided to make a dress for herself out of ten different fabrics, contacting a pattern maker through a friend. When Ella Emhoff, Kamala Harris’ stepdaughter, wore Batsheva to the 2021 presidential inauguration, the brand caught a lot of attention. According to Hay, the increased brand awareness did wonders for sales: “I had no idea it would be so huge.” I got a big sales boost from it that I wasn’t expecting.” Batsheva has since collaborated with brands such as Anna Sui and expanded into new categories such as furniture.

She’ll be showcasing her pieces on the runway for the first time, painting the space with colorful, playful womenswear with an emphasis on comfort and design.

Willy Chavarria

Image: Willy Chavarria

Willy Chavarria discovered his love for art and commerce while growing up in a small community in California’s valleys. His fashion experience ranges from working with Nicholas Graham on his Joe Boxer brand to being the design director for American Eagle Outfitters, before moving on to a design position at Ralph Lauren and launching his eponymous streetwear label.

Willy Chavarria’s brand combines his love of 90s-inspired menswear with an ongoing social justice campaign. The Mexican-American designer, based in New York, personifies his desire for social equality through statement slogan jumpers and rugged, military-like silhouettes.

Image: Willy Chavarria

His self-titled label focuses on depicting the real America, the real streets where trouble, racism, and inequalities thrive, as well as his desire to strive for sustainability. In his shows, he frequently conducts street castings for his models, providing the audience with a more authentic experience. His most recent collections emphasize both authenticity and sustainability.

His “Love Garage” collection is a throwback to the 1990s, complete with fingerless leather gloves and denim pieces. “I wanted to recreate a time when New York and Chicago house music was making its way to the West Coast.” It was a time when the nightlife was an important part of advancing culture and fashion. The movement took pride in welcoming anyone who wanted to feel the love. “It was also very glamorous,” says the designer.