090: What the front row (and backstage) wore

14 NYFWers divulge their favorite looks from the week.

Feb 17, 2023

NYFW is over (thank god, amirite), and it introduced some really thoughtful and directional possibilities. Puppets and Puppets was sexy and thrilling and hilariously cool, Tory Burch charged onward in its reclamation of the zeitgeist, Rodarte pulled of high fantasy without falling into kitsch, and Zoe Gustavia Anna Whalen demonstrated exquisite technical and world-building abilities in her freshman show.

Of course, mutual observation was a theater of its own. As with the many of the collections, attendees also brandished their abilities for wearing real clothes that reflect the things going on inside their fleshy human suits. Something in this season shifted and returned fashion to its place as a medium rather than a substitute for self.

This was not a smooth-brain, lobotomized, bimbo-fied occasion (though we’ll be back to that soon enough), perhaps from having the studious, Diane Keaton-ous fall as its backdrop. Rather, the players of the week, filling the seats and making things happen backstage, populated a vast plane of personal expression. Below, 14 of them share the best things they wore this NYFW.

Coco Baudelle, @cocobaudelle

“Stepping out for fashion week as a new mother is quite an ordeal, but I couldn’t resist when KHAITE invited me to their intimate Fall/Winter 2023 Runway show. Especially when they sent the most romantic boned wool dress to wear, which I chose to pair with black Oliver Peoples sunglasses, sheer Wolford tights and a very delicate pair of 1980s satin Chanel Mary Jane pumps. I absolutely adore wearing sweats, but this look felt like heaven!”

Danya Issawi, @danya.issawi of @thecut

“Each fashion week I find myself letting comfort dictate my fashion choices. Of course there’s an element of play that I feel entitled to during the week, but going show to show means I need to be mobile! The Roma sweater I’m wearing was thrifted (and borrowed from my boyfriend), and I paired it over a thrifted nightgown and a pair of jeans. I recently rediscovered how much I love the silhouette a good skirt or dress over pants, and it also brings me back to how I liked to dress as a little girl, which is sweet.

[Another outfit I wore] was just fun. I ran around New York with the Panera handbag and somehow it became the talk of the day online, which was hilarious and fun. People were chasing me down to ask about the Panera bag. It just reintroduced some of the fun and novelty of fashion week which was such a joy.”

Sam Hine, @samuelhine of @gq

“This hunter green sweater. I bought it from Husbands, a really slick French New Wave-y tailoring brand, the last time I was in Paris. It has a super deep v-neck so you can wear it under a suit + with a tie, but I prefer tying it around my shoulders like it's a big scarf. It makes wearing a midnight blue suit feel a lot less serious. Not pictured are a great pair of vintage brown suede Gucci horse bit loafers that my friend Kathleen at Chickee's Vintage in Williamsburg tracked down for me. I like how the brown suede has been mixing with my darker trousers. I'm not sure why it works, but it does.”

Anna Zanes, @annazanes of @papermagazine

“I always think NYFW is when I’m going to pull some real ‘looks’ but every time I go back to my comfort items. My favorite things I wore this fashion week are a vintage leather and rabbit fur trench coat I bought off a rack on the street, a mini leather Miu Miu messenger bag, and my Anna Bolina hoodie! Would also like to mention the Martine Ali chains I never take off and a pair of low-rise Moschino ‘90s flare pants with lace detail that I bought off that same rack ;)”

Vita Haas, @i_guess_this_is_my_life_now of @cafe_forgot

“I wore these shorts by Nicklas Skovgaard to Foo and Foo in Times Square on Monday. Here’s a photo of me wearing the shorts while on the phone with my landlord because my radiator isn’t working. Nicklas is a new designer that we just started carrying at Café Forgot, and I’m obsessed.”

Maya Stepper, @mayastepper

“My Thom Browne look was definitely my favorite look this time. His gender-fluid pieces are so well-made and timeless but never boring.”

Yaminah Mayo, @spicy.mayo

“I’m wearing a Rag & Bone sweater, vintage pants, Simon Miller boots, and Mansur Gavriel bag. I really love color but I’m trying to incorporate it into my wardrobe in a sleeker, unexpected, more sophisticated way since turning 30. This outfit was fun and so comfortable!”

Emily Farra, @emilyfarra of @toryburch

“This is what I wore to our Fall 2023 show on Monday, and I’m now realizing I was definitely inspired by the collection…it was all about deconstructing the wardrobe and embracing the beauty of imperfection. I can certainly relate. I’m not into dressing up and feel most like myself when I’m mixing high and low: vintage jeans with an OTT top, messy hair with a tailored suit. I wore an ivory silk Tory Burch blouse I scored at a sample sale, knotted in a bow and yanked to the side with frayed Citizens of Humanity jeans (always, always Citizens!), jeweled Tory sandals, sheer tights, my grandfather’s ‘80s watch, and Tory’s new silver Marshmallow bag. Possibly the best bag I’ve ever owned…“owned” being a loose term…I’ve been borrowing the FW22 sample for about 3 months! People constantly stop me on the street to ask about it. The burnished metallic goes with everything, but still feels a bit weird and unexpected. And it weighs nothing.”

Sintra Martins, @sintramartnis of @saintsintra

“I just wrapped FW23 so I haven’t been attending many events this season, but I’m really in love with this cashmere skirt from my new collection. Wearing it here with a $2 tee from Jack’s and a vintage scarf from this vintage militaria shop.”

Alyssa Vingan, @alyssavingan of @nylonmag

“It took over a decade of working the fashion month circuit to resign myself to the fact that focusing on a tightly edited uniform for the shows is key to maintaining my sanity. To avoid looks that are minimal to the point of boring, I try to throw one trendy or otherwise special item into the mix. This week, I was lucky enough to borrow a super-soft vintage leather Jean Paul Gaultier jacket from What Goes Around Comes Around—the cowboy-meets-goth feel of it felt very ‘me.’ Thanks to some cooperative weather, I just layered the lightweight piece over my favorite staples: a black cashmere crewneck sweater from J.Crew, Acne black jeans, platform Proenza Schouler boots, and a nylon Prada Re-edition.”

Sara Lopez, @_saralopez of @acompany

“I worked on this sweater in collaboration with my talented design intern this semester, Sumin An, just a couple of days before the show. We pleated and pulled it in specific places to capture the gesture of a tossed sweater in situ and used a thick hand stitch to emphasis something felt and handled. It didn't make it into the collection but it gave me so much comfort to wear on the show day!”

Lauren Servideo, @servideo

“This was a button-up my grandfather wore all the time. When he passed away in December, I knew I had to have it (none of my cousins wanted it hahahah). I wore it to Puppets and Puppets with a full-length knit P&P skirt, fresh Big Bud Press socks, and my favorite Nicole Saldana Nadia shoes.”

Anna Gray, @annazgray of @clubvintageorg

“For the last few years, I've slowly weaned myself from fashion weeks. I don't really need to be there; I sell vintage and, while staying cognizant of what's new and interesting in fashion is important, I can see it online. The rigamarole of attending shows has started producing more anxiety than dopamine. I also spend so much time shooting clothes for other people (to see, to buy) that when I dress for myself it's often left undocumented but here's a recent hit. I’m wearing an Oscar de la Renta cashmere blazer, Fendi white blouse, Cavalli denim (with rhinestone side seam!!), and Reike Nen boots.”

Erin Kelly Meuchner, @milkyyyjade of @e.m.kelly

“This is the outfit I wore the other night at A—Company. Wearing Commission NYC brown coat and grey-black cargo pants with a vintage grey hoodie, Commission studded purse, and E.M. KELLY jewelry. And cowboy boots of course.”

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