For Spring/Summer ’24 Fashion Week in New York, designers showed their collections all over the city with fabulous and more sustainable designs. Flying Solo opened last Sunday’s Fall ’24 shows at Canoe Studios on West 26th St. on the 14th floor. With dozens of diverse, young, and very talented international designers from all over the world, Flying Solo’s sumptuous collection flowed from couture, classic cuts to sportswear and elegant evening wear. The men’s fashion designers stopped the show!
After one of the shows, I quickly went backstage to speak with the designers and view fashions up close. It was total chaos, with models and designers everywhere. Some designers were dressing models with pins in their mouths, busily lining them up for the next show. A few designers showed ten outfits, while several could only show three or four pieces. Many of these unsung designers worked in teams, so their presentations were usually a combination of two or three designers to complete the collection. Some are new fashion companies in their beginning stages after COVID; several top designers never recovered from the losses of revenue and business.
This fall’s introduction of new creators is wonderful. Their design approaches, styles, and the ways they collaborate to get their lines off the ground is encouraging.
From the looks on the runway, wide-leg pants teamed up with waist-length jackets. Lengths still varied from one collection to the next. One-sided long skirts are in fashion. Evening dresses were strapless, off the shoulder, sexy, and shapely. Delicate draping in the back of dresses looked new. Fabrics were soft. Details like bare shoulders, cinched waists and high splits to the hip hit the runway. Halter habits are back. Prints were bold and colorful and fabrics soft. Bright alphabetical patterns in black and white were at play. One dress was adorned with a big pink heart that hung on a gold chain. Beautiful abstract, floral and striped patterns were evident.
For winter, mannequins showed off shearling cloaks and jackets while leggier looks moved on the runway. Most bags were small. Bigger bags (briefcase sized) were carried by men in the shows. For men, denim looks were smashing with wide brimmed hats, wide-legged pants, belts, and walking sticks.
I stopped to speak with professional hairstylist Mac Sean, who was creating a hairstyle for one of the models appearing in several shows in this event. What’s hair looking like for Spring/Summer ‘24? Is it long? Short? “Hair is big and full. All hair types and styles are in,” said Mac. On the runway, hairstyles were long, short, pulled back, curly, straight, natural, in extensions, braids, and ponytails. “Basically, your hairstyle should look best on you, [and] work for your lifestyle, your face, your personality,” said the hairstylist, whose brand is Creator Mack