It is no secret that the fashion industry has historically pushed unhealthy, and sometimes even unrealistic standards of beauty. From double zero sizes to lip fillers, fashion has carried the power to open the conversation around what is considered beautiful. The problem escalates as there are several demographics that continue to be significantly underrepresented in fashion runways.
If fashion is meant to dress people of all ages, genders, backgrounds, and walks of life, why is this diversity not represented through the models that are wearing these clothes? This was the premise that fueled former plus size model Candace Christian to uplift talent from all walks of life.
Luxe Style Fashion Week took place at the heart of the Garment District in New York City. Political Fashion’s Javier Luna brought you all the details about what designers and collections to watch out for and what were the main highlights for this season.
Aline Moreno
Some of the most transcendent moments in high fashion often emerge when designers draw upon mythological creatures to transport consumers beyond the everyday to an alternative reality. For Aline Moreno, fashion designer from Guadalajara, Mexico, her collection Dríades: Guardianas del Bosque, (Dryads: Guardians of the forest) was inspired by the Greek mythological creature’s spirit to protect nature, and trees around them.
The magical silhouettes, colors and movements of these dresses styled with incredible accessories, makeup and hair told a very fairy and empowering story that models of all ages and backgrounds were enjoying and celebrating.
Little Black Designs NYC
There are only a handful of fashion items that preserve their relevance across time periods, fads, and movements in fashion —the black dress is one of those.
After Chanel’s 1926 “little black dress” revolutionized women’s attire, this piece has now become a staple for occasions that range from cocktail parties to ready-to-wear social gatherings.
Little Black Designs, a small business from West Virginia, presented a collection of body-flattering black dresses that stand as enduring cornerstones for people of all walks of life. The body contouring silhouettes and styling allowed us to see the many lives that we can give to these black dresses and the many personalities that are targeted for wearing these pieces.
The magic lies in thoughtful construction—strategic seaming, considered proportions, and quality fabrics that skim the body's contours without restriction.
The Kween Kloset
The Wicked phenomenon has catalyzed a striking resurgence of emerald green across fashion landscapes, transforming a theatrical color code into a potent visual shorthand for feminine rebellion. Beyond mere aesthetic influence, the film's costume design—with its juxtaposition of Glinda pastels against Elphaba's palette—has provided designers a rich symbolic language to explore contemporary power dynamics.
Candice Christian’s collection was inspired by the empowerment that this film has conveyed for so many people. The clothes reflected the signature colors of the film, but also the celebration of authenticity, friendship and support lifting each other up rather than pushing each other down.
Louis Vuitton
The luxury market has had a significant shift in the last decade to preserve their relevance and be attractive to the new generations of consumers. In today’s fashion world, luxury does not necessarily mean formalwear —quite the opposite— it’s very often woven into the cultures and trends happening in streetwear.
The show that Louis Vuitton presented at Luxe Style Fashion Week shows us how a luxury French fashion house with almost two centuries of history behind them, embraces the ideas and interests of new generations while maintaining its identity.
The path towards fashion inclusivity is not straight-forward. There are moments in history when we seem to be taking two steps backwards or the road that goes on zig zag. Still, this path is needed to create adaptive clothing for bodies with different abilities, to design clothes that extend size ranges, and to amplify the definition of beauty for every person wearing clothes.
Every person has a story, a walk of life, a personality, an interest in fashion, and maybe, a desire to walk on a runway.
It was refreshing to see a diverse cast of models gathered to celebrate fashion in the heart of the Garment District in New York City —sending the strong message that every person has the right to look and feel spectacular with the clothes they are wearing.
The Business of Beauty
The opportunities for small businesses and emerging designers to showcase their work in fashion shows gives them the opportunity to not just present the clothes that they have created, but also to show the values that they stand for. Several studies show that consumers are 4x times more likely to purchase from brands that align with their values. In the fashion business, the values of inclusion have often been seen as an afterthought, or an ephemeral trend that attaches to an awareness month because there is the misconception that there is no business in inclusive fashion.
Luxe Style Fashion Week’s celebration of beauties from all walks of life, mixed with the joy of the audience and the very positive response from the sponsors, the press, and the audience, is opening doors to more conversations that will hopefully welcome and celebrate beauties from all walks of life.
