Thursday, International Trend Collective (GFC) kicked off New York Trend Week at The Glasshouse with two showcases consisting of earnest idea work, cultural remixing, and some genuinely stunning runway moments. There was a singular mixture of up and coming pupil vitality, craft-forward small homes, and designers who used the runway to inform necessary tales.
Present One — Universidad Iberoamericana / EMIJINGU / MARTIN DALLA LASTA / Ashlyn So / Rasara Faculty
The scholars from Universidad Iberoamericana opened the primary present with a tightly staged, campus-to-runway second: items that learn as capstone work with experimental textiles and sustainable fabrication notes.
With 16 items to indicate, the material manipulations have been intelligent and the designers had assured use of coloration blocking.
EMIJINGU introduced her signature sculptural, balloon-adjacent sensibility to the runway — suppose buoyant volumes and a fascination with impermanence. The gathering’s theme is variety, made to emphasise the distinct radiance every individual carries, celebrating our variations.
Given the balloon designs are tough to protect, all 9 seems have been created over the course of 4 days, finalizing them simply at some point earlier than the present. To actually embody the theme of variety, every mannequin who took the runway for this present was dwelling with a incapacity or sickness, shedding gentle on how individuals of all walks of life carry power and suppleness.
Her pamphlet learn: “Their very presence resonates with the balloons’ momentary gleam, reworking your entire stage right into a canvas that displays the heartbeat of life.”
Argentinian clothier Martin Dalla Lasta’s offered his newest assortment “Loner Boy,” leaning into melancholic tailoring and layered avenue/workplace codes into one thing mournful and a contact theatrical.
His commentary on social dynamics and the human expertise as we transfer on from youth and into maturity shines by his items. With 12 seems proven yesterday, the silhouettes have been youthful but deliberate, with a story of solitude carried by scaled-down equipment and a palette of muted blues and grays.
Ashlyn So continues to be an activist-designer, utilizing vogue to talk on id and societal pressures. Her latest assortment, “Recolored: Restoring the Colours of Life,” did simply that.
A pamphlet was handed out to the viewers, the place So is quoted saying: “The necessity to slot in, and the load of expectations can dim our colours. Over time, we are able to lose contact with our genuine selves, very like the air pollution and warming oceans drain the colour from once-lively reefs.”
Every of the 12 seems So offered was made to characterize the state of the reef and the self. There was a mix of vibrant colours used for instance the levels of breaking down and restoring oneself. Each bit made an announcement, concerning the person vibrancy and celebrating the complete spectrum of life.
Rasara, the Seoul-based design academy/model, introduced modern academy polish — clear strains and a concentrate on modernized conventional strategies.
Their runway felt like a respectful remix of schoolhouse coaching and commercial-ready items; the craftsmanship was neat and the references to Korean textile heritage have been obvious.
Present Two — Nazranaa / LEESLE / Ravishing Couture / PINK SELFIE / Noe Bernaceli
Nazranaa’s present introduced South Asian bridal and formal language to NYFW in a means that felt celebratory. With a complete of 18 seems complete, they have been GFC’s largest displaying of the day.
The gathering, named Samsriti, takes inspiration from the Solar Temple in Konark and hundreds of sculptures of the Meenakshi Temple, reworking Indian historical past and tradition into wearable artwork.
Their latest collections (and boutique id) emphasize custom up to date for modern shoppers — deep embroidery, saturated coloration, and a salon-level tailoring that reads as each wearable and ceremonial.
LEESLE reinterpretations of hanbok silhouettes made for contemporary life. The gathering threaded old-world drapes and trendy minimalism.
LEESLE’s mission is obvious in her items. She has stated, “vogue ought to reside and breathe on the road, not in a museum.”
The model’s mission was seen in how clothes moved and could possibly be imagined off the runway, taking items of Korean heritage to create stylistic, but sustainable items that may be worn on the day by day.
Ravishing Couture arrived with high-glam intent: 12 gorgeous eveningwear, excessive shine, and daring make-up moments. Their NYFW moments are sometimes designed for influence — pink carpet or pageant-ready — and yesterday was no exception. The model delivered confidence-first silhouettes and powerful hair/make-up path.
PINK SELFIE’s runway leaned playful and youth-forward — a bubblegum-pop aesthetic with graphic prints and Instagram-ready styling. The model’s social presence and prior GFC appearances emphasize coloration, kitsch, and direct-to-consumer vitality, and the runway translated these strengths right into a vivid, consumable mini-collection.
Noe Bernaceli’s work felt like probably the most quietly stunning on the invoice: artisanal particulars, a wealthy nod to Latinx references, and mixing of masculine and female codes. The designer’s silhouettes recommended cautious craft and a sensitivity to texture and lineage.
International Trend Collective continues to do what it does finest — curate a wild however coherent mixture of education schemes, heritage manufacturers, and small couture homes. The result’s a runway expertise that’s much less about business forecasting and extra about expertise recognizing and cultural alternate.
September 11, 2025’s GFC runways at The Glasshouse have been an invigorating snapshot of the modern unbiased vogue ecosystem: a daring, colourful, and infrequently significant set of statements from designers who’re constructing their voices. Should you like discovery and designer intent — somewhat than mainstream trend-reporting — this was the day to be within the room.
