Talking About New York Fashion Week

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Christine Nicholson and Douglas Wright at the Noon by Noor spring Nee York Fashion Week show. “We work together a lot, so maybe that’s why we’re synced up,” Mr. Wright said. “We didn’t coordinate,” Ms. Nicholson insisted.CreditMarcy Swingle for The New York Times What are you looking forward to this fashion week?

Pamela Love, left: “Sleep.” Crystal Renn, right: “Ditto.”

CreditMarcy Swingle for The New York Times Paris Hilton at Monse’s spring 2019 show. What is the advice she would give to influencers who want to be like her? “Work hard and have fun,” she said. “Believe in yourself and be inspirational to others and maybe your dreams can come true.”CreditMarcy Swingle for The New York Times “I’m always really inspired by nature. Nature reminds me to take a moment to pause and breathe and truly listen to myself,” Hayley Kiyoko, an actress and musician, said at the Dion Lee spring show. “It’s alway important for me to do that. That’s definitely where I draw inspiration from for my music videos.” CreditMarcy Swingle for The New York Times Corey Stokes, right, fashion editor at large at Highsnobiety, and Jan-Michael Quammie, style director at Highsnobiety. “There are smaller designers in the industry that are more conscious regarding the amount of clothes that they produce and put on the runway,” Mr. Stokes said at the Eckhaus Latta show. “I think that we need to be aware of all of the waste. People don’t shop as fast as brands are producing clothes. When we talk about consumerism, the fashion industry really just wants people to be spending money. It’s the responsibility of the designers and the brands to care more about the environment. We need to have more of a moral compass.”CreditMarcy Swingle for The New York Times “Eckhaus Latta think about the intersection between making clothes that are both avant-garde and not always wearable and having pieces that are completely wearable,” the model and activist Paloma Elsesser said after walking in the Eckhaus Latta show. “Buying with intention is always important. They give people an option. It shows that they’re producing art that is thoughtful and not just a trend. That’s what sustainability is about. In an industry that’s operated on trends and seasons, Eckhaus and Latta are timeless but in a nuanced way that speaks to the freaks of the world.” CreditMarcy Swingle for The New York Times “My fashion is inspired by my history,” said Ebonee Davis, a model and activist, attending the Telfar show. “My dad essentially taught me how to dress. I really look up to him in terms of his fashion. I like to incorporate all eras. I’m inspired by the ’70s, I’m inspired by the ’90s, I’m inspired by what’s happening right now. I want to be a representation of past, present and future.”CreditMarcy Swingle for The New York Times “One of the biggest things the fashion industry has done is that it’s decided that it can be political. This is such a good thing because really intelligent designers, who I’ve always admired, always address society through their clothes,” said Lyn Slater, a professor of social welfare and fashion blogger, at the Tibi show. “Often, we are part of the big social revolutions. I’m hoping that the industry as a whole becomes a little less superficial and about marketing and instead can become a major force for change.”CreditMarcy Swingle for The New York Times In New York City, it has been a particularly rainy fashion week this season. Temperatures hovered around 90 degrees on the first days of shows, then dropped to the 60s (with rain) for the rest of the week. But the weather didn’t stop the fashion troupes from showing up in full force donning their umbrellas, boots and functional fabrics.CreditMarcy Swingle for The New York Times Hamish Bowles brought ombré to a rainy day after the Carolina Herrera show.CreditMarcy Swingle for The New York Times “I’ve been coming to the Oscar de la Renta show for 45 years, and we’ve been coming together for 10 or 15 years,” said Emilia Saint-Amand, left. “We’re longtime customers.” Our reporter them what they thought of the show: “We’re getting older and it’s getting younger,” Susan Braddock said. “But we are gonna do our best.”CreditMarcy Swingle for The New York Times Elaine Welteroth and Andrew Bevan, both formerly of Teen Vogue. “Liberating” is how Elaine described life after magazines. “I think it’s just cool to be able to work on the things that inspire you and to not have to work on the things that don’t,” she said. “And I think it’s great to not to have to manage decline. To just be able to be creative and think outside the box and not be restricted by structures and old ways of doing things and shrinking budgets.” Andrew added: “Life-work balance. It’s inspiring. If you need to go to a museum in the middle of the afternoon or a movie to get inspiration, you can. It’s like you have this whole buffet in front of you. Instead of just like one little plate of pasta, you can have the egg rolls. I compare everything to food now!”CreditMarcy Swingle for The New York Times “I think a lot of times fashion week can be a bit of a toxic environment,” said Claire Sulmers. “There’s a lot of no’s and ‘you’re not on the list’ and a lot of judgment, and sometimes people can feel bad about themselves. And I think it’s important to know that it’s not that serious. It’s supposed to be fun. It’s supposed to be an expression of creativity.”CreditMarcy Swingle for The New York Times This coat is one of a kind. It’s by Andre Laug from Rome. It is hand-painted — really. Every ombré is hand-painted. It’s wearable art. I chose it so I could bring my great-grandmother’s vintage bag and my grandmother’s scarf — I’m carrying them with me,” Camerone Parker McCulloch said. Her forebears were also part of the NYFW circuit. “I know they’re looking down from God’s closet saying, ‘Now that’s a fashion moment to remember,” Camerone later added via email.CreditMarcy Swingle for The New York Times “You don’t even have to spend that much. My outfit was probably $20,” Melody Trend said. “I feel like you don’t have to do all designer. Just be a dope person and have a sense of style. You don’t have to spend all this money to be accepted or be fashionable.”CreditMarcy Swingle for The New York Times