Cue the NYFW Highlight Reel
Faye Wong songs, Cecilie Bahnsen x ASICS sneakers, and the joys of Melitta Baumeister.
This New York Fashion Week dispatch is brought to you by Warby Parker. During fashion month I always wear sunglasses when I’m entering the shows during the day. The main reason? I have anxiety walking through the crush of photographers and people, even after all these years. It’s a forever imposter syndrome — I will deep dive more into the psychology behind that during an upcoming newsletter. Two: if I do spot someone and we start chatting, I wind up making weird faces. As they say on TikTok, I have a face with subtitles so it’s better that I’m not captured in a photo giving a friend the side eye when we’re gossiping. And three: I honestly am terrible at posing for pics so sunglasses help greatly with that. It takes approximately 1/4 of the time to snap a good photo with the right pair on my face. So, safe to say I’m really grateful to Warby Parker for working with me on this recap newsletter and also giving me a selection of shades to hide behind all week.
But before I get into what I wore, let’s talk about the runways and presentations. I know people like to rag on NYFW as being the least interesting of the four cities. And to be fair, I was also not very enthused. It’s hard to not become jaded and cynical, especially when other people around you immediately default to that sentiment. Fashion people love to complain and while I’m guilty of doing that, I have to remind myself of why I got into this industry in the first place. Back in the day, when I first had the chance to go to a show, any show, I was beyond thrilled. I’m sure it wasn’t the best brand or the most exciting clothes but it was an achievement that I never dreamt of at the time. And so I like to remind myself of the person I was years ago, the one who sees everything with fresh eyes, when I do these recaps. Here are the five shows that really stuck in my mind, be it due to looks, music, or moments.
Grace Ling
I don’t know why I haven’t paid attention to Grace Ling until now. The Singaporean designer surprises me — her pieces are sexy and irreverent, a surprise considering how conservative most Asian/Asian-American brands tend to skew. My favorite piece is her butt bag, which is so cheeky (pun intended!). Anyway, her spring 2025 collection show was so fun. PR sat me next to friends (Andrew, Blake, Angela), making it feel like one big Asian Americans in fashion reunion. Vibes were high. As for the clothes? While she’s best known for her slinky gowns, I’m actually a big fan of her tailoring. Those trousers with the little silver fang-like details at the waist? The big blazer worn over the exaggerated collar blouse and mini? Wearable but never boring. Also to note: the finale gown was another moment. I really hope someone wears it. And finally, I’m begging the brand to produce that goth pigeon bag, if only so I can carry it around. It’s hysterical and sooooooo New York.
3.1 Phillip Lim
One of the shows my younger self would have killed to get into back in the day was most definitely 3.1 Phillip Lim. The brand celebrated 20 years, which is a significant anniversary when you think about the rise of fall of his peers (RIP Doo.Ri you were such a THING circa 2007). I already wrote a Substack Note about this but I don’t think people understand the impact music has on a show. As the finale walked out, I heard the opening notes of The Cranberries’ Dreams. I thought to myself, wouldn’t it be cool if Phillip opted for the Faye Wong version? Well, call me shocked when it was actually the Faye Wong version! Was I the only person in my section singing along? Most definitely. Did I have to also explain the significance of the song to everyone around me? Uh, yeah. I won’t even get into how many people had no clue what the language was. The mere concept of a Chinese American (by way of Thailand and Cambodia) playing a Cantonese song to celebrate two decades of being in the fashion business while I, a Chinese American (with a mother by way of Burma), sat front row? Inconceivable to 2004-me.
Alaïa
Honestly, the most FASHION of the shows was also the hardest to get into: Alaïa. I did not go but I definitely poured over the images after the fact. Pieter Mulier can do no wrong at the moment, given how well his accessories are selling. But like all luxury brands, I’m more interested in the ready-to-wear pieces versus the accessories. Do I have anywhere to wear this incredible black gown or the white fur? Absolutely not and I’m sure it’s like $20k+ for each piece, so there’s no logical way to justify it. However, I can and will keep my eye out for commercial versions of the black fishnet look — that has wardrobe lasting appeal.
Willy Chavarria
Speaking of shows that I didn’t go to, I also missed Willy Chavarria. This was entirely my fault — what I thought would be the faster way to get to the show turned out to be a mistake and then I got locked out. It was such a shame because this collection was his strongest yet. Called América, it was the perfect representation of his Mexican American heritage. Willy does some of the coolest menswear out there (that plenty of women wear as well) and no one cuts a better wide legged trouser or baggy pair of shorts than him. This season he also introduced a multi-season Adidas partnership which is such a smart move for both brands — as you know I love a soccer/sporty-inspired styling and this does not disappoint.
Melitta Baumeister
Obviously, I had to end with Melitta! The Dover Street Market-approved brand held their first show at NYFW and it was everything I wanted to close out the week. While we waited for the show to start, a group of dancers writhed on the floor and among workout equipment — a fitting metaphor for the end of fashion week. To kick off the presentation Paralympian Scout Bassett ran down the runway, clad in a skintight black unitard with raised shoulders. I tried SUPER hard not to squeal and cheer for her because it wasn’t the right setting but she’s truly so admirable.
From there it was hit after hit, from her signature strong shouldered knit dresses with flouncy hems to a drop waisted billow black dress to a ruffly creation that is perfectly jellyfish like. Oh, and let’s not forget the Seussian-like hair, the shoes with the double heels, and the bags that were billowing smoke! So much goodness to digest.
And the finale looks? My phone was up to capture every moment from the big leather gown that gives Dune 2 apocalyptic vibes to a giant glittery disco ball dress that is impossible to use your arms in (but who cares!) to (surprisingly) Offset. He closed in a leather look — who knew he was a Melitta fan? Anyway, of course this show is leaps and bounds my fave of the week.
Five Looks I Loved on Others
Street style is definitely hit and miss, especially now as brands dress so many people for their shows. Don’t get me wrong — it’s a huge honor to be wearing a look from a label you deeply respect but it can repetitive to the point of comedy. Instead, here are five outfits from people I found stylish. Chances are you may not have noticed these looks the first time around.
Jalil Johnson’s Substack, Consider Yourself Cultured, is a fave here and I’m betting plenty of you found me through him. We met while on a Nike trip in Minneapolis and on Friday, we wound up with the same schedule so it was the perfect time to snap a photo before we headed to our Vestiaire Collective appointment. I love this oversized Area rosette blazer worn over Matteau trousers topped off with an ESENSHEL hat. It feels so true to his style while being New York Fashion Week appropriate — cool, eye-catching, without being excessive.
Andrew Nguyen is a fashion editor at Paper and we used to work together at The Cut. According to him, I didn’t hire him as an assistant but he wound up winning me over and now we’re friends who sit next to each other at shows. Here’s where having sunglasses comes in handy because sometimes you can see what we’re discussing written all over my face. Anyway, I really loved what he wore when we were at the COS show. The combo of an Adidas track suit with a shirt and tie? Brilliant.
Okay, this is the part of the newsletter, where I have to admit that I ran out of time to photograph other people I found stylish so thank god for Instagram. Next up on the list is Amanda Murray, who I’ve been following on IG for ages. She wears Rick Owens, Dries, and Junya among other brands. I’ve never seen her in anything that didn’t feel true to her aesthetic, even during fashion week. She’s definitely not the type to be wearing the same borrowed looks as ten others. When we talk about personal style, she’s another great example of that. Volume. shapes, and drama — tons of inspiration here.
Chloe King is another perennial favorite come fashion month. No one does unique accessories and creative color pairing better than her. This sequin Comme des Garçons dress from Callen Archive is such an incredible piece to wear so early in the fashion month game. I love how she wore it with an equally as sparkly swim cap — it really stood out at the Area show, which is no small feat given how flashy the brand is.
And of course, I’d be remiss without adding Kristen Bateman, who I’ve seen all week in some spectacular outfits. I don’t even think I’d be able to dream up pairing a Chopova Lowena dress with Noir Kei Ninomiya Reeboks and a Maison Margiela fringe bag. I can’t wait to see what she wears in Paris.
Five Outfits I Wore
I’ll be honest, I did not prepare any of my NYFW outfits at all. Whatever ideas I had in a prior newsletter immediately went to hell because I was swamped with work. Approximately 30 minutes before I had to leave every day, I’d make a game time decision on an outfit. In a dream scenario, I’d have prepared better but being I was in Budapest the week prior, that wasn’t possible. Eventually (like around day 4) I had to do wardrobe triage because I want to save the really good stuff for Paris and Milan.
So I really appreciate that I got to work with Warby Parker on this newsletter. They kindly offered a selection of sunglasses to wear during the week and made me feel like I had something new to pair with my clothes. It’ll keep me from blowing through all the other stuff that I’m saving for Europe. As I’ve written about before, it’s tricky selecting shades when you have a low nose bridge and I’m usually a big fan of going into the store to try things on. This time around, they encouraged me to use their virtual try-on feature, so I could do it in between editing stories.
How it works is that you can either use their app or go to the site on your desktop. I opted for the latter and browsed whenever I had writer’s block (aka every five minutes.) You click on the link at the top of the glasses you’re interested in, the camera opens up, and you can see how they look on your face. They use proprietary tech that shows you the color, size, and texture of the frames in relation to your head. It takes into account how your facial features interact with the frames. I equate it to a very good TikTok filter. One thing I was skeptical about was if all of the styles would suit my low nose bridge. It turns out four out of the five styles sat on my face really well, with minimal slippage, even when I was sweating profusely trying to run to shows on time. Here are the styles I chose and what I wore with them.
Day 1
This was my longest day with four shows and two appointments. I made everything but the Willy Chavarria show, at the expense of my own energy levels. By 9 PM, my iPhone battery, backup battery charger, and human battery were all running extremely low. Initially I was really unsure about the Vanessa style when I used the virtual try-on. I was convinced it was going to be smaller in person because I have a pretty big head and face. To my surprise, the way it looked on screen versus in person was spot-on and these were my favorites of the bunch. I also want to point out that this gold and black Chinoiserie Junya skirt finally got some action. I bought it on deep discount almost two years ago and realized that it works best with short tops to highlight the waist details.
Day 2
On this day I had the Prabal Gurung show as well as an early morning coffee meeting. It was muggy as all hell so in reality, I went home midday to change into something more comfortable only for a rainstorm to come sweeping in and drop the temperatures like a rock. Anyway, that’s not important because this was the better outfit of the day, courtesy of a CdG dress I bought at the DSM sample sale. I basically wore this exact outfit in Paris last September so I’m a chronic outfit repeater. As for the sunglasses, I went for a thicker frame that’s noted on extra wide on the site. I can confirm they indeed fit my extra wide head.
Day 3
Yes, I got my hands on those Cecilie Bahnsen red sneakers that are exclusive to their Chinatown pop-up and they’re every bit as comfortable as you’d expect. On the agenda for day three were 3.1 Phillip Lim and Tommy Hilfiger. My feet were tired from all the walking so I gave them a break with sneakers. This is definitely the most color that I’ve worn all week. Also, I was hitting the wall at this point so I recycled my sunglasses from the day before. I think they worked well although in retrospect I would have worn them with the Val cat-eyes for more drama.
Day 4
Looking back, I don’t think I loved this outfit but it did somehow make it into the Vogue slideshow so I guess it worked? The Jacquemus tank is probably better worn with bottoms that don’t require it to be tucked in, so maybe I’ll rethink my styling and bring this with me to Paris to try with a different look. I also wanted to veer away from my usual cat eyes in favor of something more square and sculptural for my sunglasses — it mirrored the chunky soles of my sandals nicely so I consider the accessories a success.
Day 5
Okay confession: I actually wore this exact look on Thursday night to a Marni x Nordstrom dinner. But it doesn’t count because only a handful of people saw me in it and there were no photos. Or at least that’s what I tell myself. These trousers, that feature a skirt overlay, were the best secondhand find in Melbourne. I’ve worn them SO many times. And yes, the Vanessas made another reappearance. They’re my favorite of the bunch and definitely coming with me to Paris.
See you on Monday, with a brief London Fashion Week recap. I actually won’t be attending this season but it does warrant a quick note as Simone Rocha will definitely be a highlight as well as J.W. Anderson and Molly Goddard.
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You are my favorite and seeing you immediately after Phillip Lim and gushing about the music was a highlight.
Honestly when that Faye Wong version plays, tears spring to my eyes. It’s hard to understand if you don’t have a reason to. I so appreciate seeing NYFW through your lens 🫶