Our top picks from NYFW 2019

Fashion Editor’s thoughts on the best of New York Fashion Week. 

It’s that time of year again when fashion takes over. Throughout September, designers will travel to New York, London, Milan and Paris to showcase their latest creations and this season, it’s all about change.

London is renowned for its emerging talents, Milan for its flamboyance, Paris for its refinement, and New York for its progressive social conscience. Leading the way in terms of powerful political statements, body positivity and diversity, we take a look at how NYFW 2019 is changing the game and paving the way for a more inclusive industry.

Gucci goes carbon neutral

With 70% of their factories already using only renewable energy, Gucci are well on their way to becoming the world’s leading environmentally friendly fashion house. Plus, in the wake of recent advancements to make the entire industry more sustainable, Gucci was one of the first major brands to sign the ‘fashion pact’ at this year’s G7 summit.

Promising to transform their methods of production and waste in favour of being eco-friendlier, Gucci is taking things a step further in their efforts to reduce the environmental impact that comes with running an international company.

‘Given the challenges we are up against and the reality of our global climate and biodiversity crises, to address the need for urgent solutions Gucci is setting an ambitious new precedent through our carbon neutral commitment,’ said CEO Marco Bizzarri.

This primarily involves offsetting all their annual greenhouse gas emissions and supporting forest conservation around the world. And while there’s still a long way to go, I think this is certainly a very good start.

‘We know it’s not perfect, but we cannot afford to be complacent. We cannot wait for technological innovation alone to improve the climate crisis,’ added Bizzarri and we stan.

Speaking of sustainability, what about Femail Forever, the brand devoted to repurposing fast fashion materials into unique textiles and garments?

As we already know, the fashion industry produces one garbage truck of waste every minute. That’s a lot of waste. But what if brands started using old materials instead of tossing them? Offering a new life for discarded clothing otherwise meant for a landfill, Femail Forever are doing just that.

The up-and-coming designers recently made their NYFW debut with vibrant, zero-waste, wearable pieces of art that are making a statement on the fashion industry itself.

‘I believe the garment industry would radically transform if designers had a stronger connection to the materials they were using. We need to embrace technology and find the tools to make clothing production more holistic,’ said founder Camilla Carper.

At its core, Femail Forever doesn’t focus on appealing to a mass market with trends and wearability but aims to highlight the industry’s eco-problem with statement garments that reimagine the fashion world as thoughtful and sustainable.

‘It’s pile of laundry you can step into and put on,’ says Carper. ‘But with a really important message behind it.’

Chromat celebrated its 10-year anniversary with a show dedicated to empowerment

To mark its tenth year in the fashion industry, Chromat graced the catwalk with an inclusive array of models of all genders, ages, races, abilities and sizes. Defying the odds with their body-positive range of swim and activewear, the label has helped to change the fashion conversation regarding what should be considered beautiful.

When casting for the show, designer Becca McCharen-Tran’s vision was built on the idea of inclusivity and breaking down the barriers of fashion.

‘It’s about moving forward,’ she told Vogue. ‘It’s something we’ve barely scratched the surface of, and I’d love to explore further.’