NYFW Fall 2024 Highlights to Inspire You

A few of my favorite things I saw.

Another fashion week down, so many more to go. We’ll be back to our regular shopping content soon, but in the meantime, here’s what I loved at NYFW fall 2024.

Anna Sui Fall 2024: Agatha Christie Dreams

Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple, well-heeled characters of mysterious Whodunnits and the Charleston House of the infamous Bloomsbury group: Anna Sui brought the eccentric, vintage-loving literary muse to life with her fall 2024 runway show. The show took place inside one of New York City’s most extravagant locations for literary lovers: The Rare Book Room at The Strand.

The smell of old books filled the room as Marc Jacobs, Sofia Coppola and Debbie Harry took their seats. Mixing subversive elements of the 1960s and juxtaposing them with 1920s, she created a collection evocative of any thrift store lover’s dream. So much styling inspiration to take advantage of: little scarves tied around the head, slip dresses layered over silky blouses and checkered pants, sequined opera gloves and matching caps, argyle socks with midi skirts and those incredible, big tapestry bags carried in the crooks of elbows. So deliciously right now and so inherently Anna Sui.

The prints represented an explosion of bohemianism and Art Nouveau wonders. And the colors of the clothing melded with the earthy reds, browns and greens of the leatherbound books, but Sui said the inspiration behind all these rich hues was Clarice Cliff, a woman potter who created ceramics for working women during the 1920s and 1930s. Virginia Woolf’s impactful book covers influenced the darker palette.

Those little crushed velvet dresses with Poor Things-era puff sleeves mixed with knee-high socks are everything. Layer, layer, layer, according to Anna–from the hat (with a scarf underneath) to vests and cargo pants and sweaters. Shopping vintage has never been more mainstream, but the die-hards lately (myself included) have been very much into shopping antique, pre-1970s fashion. I recently just bought some 1920s tulle dresses in the most beautiful shade of fuzzy peach. Clearly, Sui has picked up on the feeling of fashion’s biggest fans embracing the singular colors and incredible textures of the pre-internet past like never before. The touchable fabrics and blooming hues in this collection defy wow-factor far beyond our screens.

Ulla Johnson Fall 2024: Everyday Alchemy

There’s something to be said for those designers who bring forward a sense of magical alchemy to everyday dressing: those brands that subtly mix thoughtful fabrics, prints and textures with silhouettes that are surprising, but somehow also wearable in the real world. Actually, very few of them exist, but Ulla Johnson has always been one of them.

For Ulla Johnson’s fall 2024 show, she brought guests to Brooklyn for a collection fueled by adornment and the trial and error of getting there. Johnson was thinking about the performance aspect of being a woman and all it that encompasses, inspired by the philosopher Judith Butler’s 1990 book Gender Trouble. It’s an interesting topic especially right now, when designers are playing with the multi-dynamic exploration of being a woman (or therefore also, girl) and how it presents itself. Even more interesting was the fact that Johnson chose to integrate male models into her runway show, wearing some of the women’s designs.

Against the bold brownish and yellow-y shades of the backdrop, nothing looked as good as those ultra-saturated colors Johnson has become so obsessed with: marigold yellows, shimmering coppers, brilliant purples; even the ivories and inky charcoals came alive through textiles like stunning crochet, boiled wool and refined leathers. Call it everyday alchemy: the opulent transformation of pretty dresses through an infusion of major personality.

Sandy Liang Fall 2024: The Culture of Girl

Sandy Liang has firmly declared itself the voice of the girl in the fashion world. Since its beginnings, Liang herself has been inspired by nostalgic motifs, but now, in its 10th year, it seems the brand has solidified its voice with pieces that mix ultra-feminine girl codes with uniforms, utilitarian sportswear pieces and modest minimalism.

Sandy Liang’s fall 2024 collection “follows a schoolgirl who grows up to be a princess,” according to the show notes, with a special emphasis on the silver star bag and the idea of the bow. No, bows are not going away any time soon, in fact, they’ve become a modern cultural marker–but also hold a special history intrinsically linked to feminism and activism. In 2024, being a girl is one of the boldest (and bravest) things you can do. There’s a certain kind of delicacy in Liang’s work that speaks especially well to this: palest pink satins, soft buttery lemon yellow leather ballet flats and big boots toughened up with bows. Fragile, maybe…but strong in their unwavering ability not to comprise those saccharine girlishness.

Those tracksuits and modest suiting were all but odes (subconsciously or not) to the vision of the modified girl(boss). But we’ve got bows to keep us grounded. Growing up is never the goal, after all.

Christian Cowan Fall 2024: Swans, Mob Wives and Saltburn Stereotypes

Christian Cowan took his fall 2024 collection in a very different direction than his last season Parisian debut which involved Sam Smith and large, walking furry balls. With sky-high wigs and crystalline gems applied by the Euphoria makeup artist Donni Davy, Cowan stepped into the more extravagant side of Upper East Siders’ world–with a great age diverse casting to boot. ’90s models including Emily Sandberg, Nelly Pakh, Jenny Brunt, Elanor Simon, Bethany Nagy, Giannie Couji and Duyen all walked the show.

At a time when Swans (the lore of Capote) and mob wives are on everyone’s lips, it’s easy to see why the collection resonated. Plus, a modified soundtrack from Saltburn played as models quite literally swanned about under the wood-carved ceiling and chandeliers in gossamer sheer maxi gowns, sparkling star sequin mini dresses, fuzzy boas, shimmering capes and razor sharp tailored suits reworked with all kinds of exaggerated cut-outs. Flat shoes, kitten heels and flower-embellished Tom’s (a new collaboration for Christian Cowan) dominated the footwear. One model backstage commented about how happy she was that the footwear was comfortable.

With wine glasses and cigarettes in hand, the models sauntered down the runway with personality. Stars were everywhere figuratively and literally–Cowan took the majority of his inspiration from stars and astrology for this collection but the models lit up the runway. Also: older models are everywhere this season. It’s great.

Puppets and Puppets Fall 2024: A Weirdo Swan Song

There’s been a lot of talk about Puppets and Puppets lately, especially with the advent of the New York Times publishing several stories on the brand and how the fall 2024 show would be its last ready-to-wear collection before the designer Carly Mark decamps to London to run the label firmly as an accessories brand.

And yet, the Puppets and Puppets fall 2024 collection was one of the best yet when it came to clothing. Decidedly a little bit weird (this is a good word for us) and very much representative of the quirky, downtown girl Mark has always stood for–we saw backless fur coats, funneled draped dresses, pantless look and slouchy quilted pants with furry tops.

Puppets and Puppets has always reminded me a little bit of Gray Gardens in the way the pieces are styled on the runway and that’s one of the many reasons the brand stands out. It’s Edie Sedgwick and Little Edie fueled. It’s representative of New York eccentrics. It always had an artist sensibility and maybe the clothes didn’t make perfect sense from a commercial standpoint, but I think that was the point. Especially in an overly and increasingly commercial New York fashion landscape. We need this kind of thing.

Many of the looks were twisted, draped and unravelling, a proverbial spiral away and out of New York. The bags didn’t have any of the signature fruits, cookies or objects attached to them, but we can only hope for more in the future.

During the show, a slow-mo version of Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” played. Pretty iconic; the same song played at Tom Ford’s final Gucci show.

Batsheva Fall 2024: From the Female POV

There was some amount of buzz before Batsheva’s fall 2024 show. Among industry insiders; whispers of the entire cast of models being over the age of 40–many of them much older, in fact. Unheard of in this world, and more necessary than ever before in a complex universe where we’re somehow idolizing both girl culture and grandmas at the same time; and yet the plus-40 set rarely gets its due whether in media, Hollywood, fashion or the workplace.

From Molly Ringwald to Amy Fine Collins, the women of Batsheva’s world swanned down the runway (some of the joyfully danced or had big bright smiles on their faces) in statement-making dresses that recalled those vintage silhouettes that Batsheva has become so well known for over the years.

Once upon a time, Batsheva was a brand more narrowly defined by prairie dresses and Laura Ashley looks that almost looked historically accurate. That’s how designer Batsheva Hay started out, after all. The past few years though, she’s strayed a little bit from that theme, playing with other eras and reference points while still creating dresses, skirts and tops that feel inherently vintage inspired.

As well as being age inclusive, many of the styles Batsheva sells go up to a U.S. size 20. The only thing that could have made the fall 2024 show even better would have been seeing more size diversity in the front row and on the runway in a way that highlighted that the brand does sell designs in these sizes. Because it’s important.

Still, Batsheva’s fall 2024 collection proved above all else, she makes really, really great statement dresses of all styles. Think: sweet silhouettes with decadent caped hoops and matching muffs, lace collared maxi dresses, faux fur leopard print shifts and big striped ruffle frocks bedecked in bows. And they have wit, personality and individuality too. This was a collection so clearly designed by a woman from a woman’s point of view. This is what we need more of.

Wiederhoeft Fall 2024: Couture for the Next Generation

In the vast landscape of New York Fashion Week, Wiederhoeft is one brand doing things entirely differently. Creative director Jackson Wiederhoeft spent time at Thom Browne before opening his own whimsically dark brand, and it shows. Meaning that many of the pieces capture the allure of couture-made fashion with incredibly well-executed details. Just imagine: corsets rendered in blue-grey Harris Tweed, with hand-beaded breastplates. Or bow-bondage maxi dresses in pink silk double-faced satin, covered in a sea black faille striped bows and delicately dangling glass chandelier crystals.

The distinct coding at Wiederhoeft revolves around fantasy. The gowns and outerwear especially fulfill that incredible fairytale aesthetic. Few brands can pull off using hand-embroidery, ostrich, marabou and coque feathers, sequins and crystal beading in a way that still feels deeply edgy. It was also nice to see some more everyday details woven into Wiederhoeft’s fall 2024 collection, including super wide-leg pants and glittering t-shirts paired with heavily embellished skirts.

One can always count on Wiederhoeft to transport its fans to a different world. In recent seasons, every Wiederhoeft show has contained an element of performance. But for fall 2024, all eyes were on the clothes in the stark fog-filled runway at Starrett-Lehigh. Sure, that totally over the top, mesmerizing element may have felt like it was missing, but this format definitely allowed the guests to take a closer look (and put more of a focus) on the delicious details of every single piece. In that way, it was an incredibly decadent experience.

I also loved:

The incredible red knitted coat and gold leather bustier dresses at Gabriela Hearst. Read my interview with her here.

The medieval looks at Luar and how even senior fashion industry people were jumping on benches and running around in circles just for a chance to see Beyonce. Read more here.

Willy Chavarria’s excellent street casting and very, very good Claude Montana shapes. The big, bold ‘80s are back, baby! Review here.

How Peter Do at Helmut Lang is constantly using New Yorkers and their everyday lives as a point of reference for Helmut Lang. Very interesting. But I want him to push the concept even further. More here.

Vivienne Westwood opened up a corset exhibition at its New York boutique that I really loved. More here.

Clownish neck ruffs at Altuzarra. I think there were a lot of TikTok-led microtrends here than more press would care to admit, but I’ll always love a big clowncore neck ruff. More here.

Area’s googly eyes!!!!! WOW.

Thom Browne’s American gothic couture take on The Raven stands in a category of its own compared to the rest of NYFW. There’s a reason why they saved this show for last.

Until next time dolls,

Kristen

P.S… did you know I have a new book coming out April 2024? Pre-order it here. It’s a little history of the Met Gala, diving into the history, iconic designers, moments, celebs, outfits and cultural context. With an epic foreword from Jeremy Scott.

+ I wrote a book on New York fashion, which was recently released! Order it here.

BTW. I use affiliate links where possible, which means I may get a small commission from things you buy. Thanks for your support. <3