NEW YORK (AP) — Tourists and New Yorkers crowded around Rockefeller Center’s roller skating rink Saturday trying to catch a glimpse of the vibrant eye-catching fabrics on display at the latest New York Fashion Week show. by Victor Glemaud.
For the Haitian-American designer, who grew up in New York, the show held sentimental significance but also served as a career milestone as his brand continues to grow. He launched his brand in 2006 and has since collaborated on a collection with Target and dabbled in homewares with Schumacher.
Glemaud’s show began with skaters wearing their signature knits, storming the rink at Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace, laughing and dancing as guests looked on. It continued with models showcasing sheer looks, statement cutouts, some layering, and a new collection of eyewear.
Glemaud was inspired by a recent trip to Harbor Island in the Bahamas to create his contemporary sporty looks. Glemaud said she wanted her collection to feel effortless, playful and “something you want to wear in the summer.” Models strutted down the runway in skin-baring crocheted throws, looking like they’d just arrived from an ocean resort.
Glemaud’s brand was one of 28 record-breaking black-owned brands to be showcased this New York Fashion Week.
“We’ve worked hard and we love this industry,” Glemaud said of his fellow black designers. “And, you know, our businesses for the most part are independently owned and self-funded. Fashion week means a lot. So the more the better.”
During the pandemic, the designer founded “IN THE BLK”, a non-profit collective to support black creators in the fashion industry.
“This is about bringing collective creative entrepreneurs together, not just fashion designers,” he said.
Glemaud’s show attracted a handful of TikTok celebrities, including fashion influencer Brittany Xavier.
“I love that her collection is so inspired by summer and being together,” she said. “The kind of energy that we’ve been missing for the last two years.”
While Glemaud relied on a minimalist color palette and animal print, that didn’t stop the youth of his designs from shining through with their playful cutouts. They elevated their dresses with subtle sexiness and gave swimwear a chic update.
“V”-embellished capes and skintight leopard prints would have been considered the showpieces of the night, had it not been for one moment that stood out from the rest: When the show ended, Glemaud’s mother, Julie, began to break with pride
“The vibration, the love, the joy, she said. “It’s always fun with Victor.”
Source: apnews.com