This Is What I Wore to New York Fashion Week F/W '24 As a Sustainable Fashion Influencer
Another year, another NYFW has come and gone. As a sustainable fashion influencer, I know that conversations around fashion week and sustainability can seem contradictory. However, I’m a firm believer that sustainable fashion doesn’t negate the rituals of the fashion industry; in fact, slow fashion is crucial to preserving and improving the industry. I love being in spaces of artistry to celebrate people who are intentional about the craft of fashion, and meeting like-minded peers. And of course, I always love an excuse to dress up. Read on for a look into what I wore to this season’s runway shows.
Look 1: “Paint the Town Red”
Show: Dauphinette
I borrowed this Sandy Liang puffer from my friend’s rental company, Hauteline, which stocks pieces from many amazing small designers. It was Lunar New Year, so naturally, I had to continue the red theme and go for a cutesy look by pairing the puffer with an upcycled mini skirt I borrowed from Transformations by Tracy. I initially wanted to wear my hair in my favorite classic double bow look, but I couldn’t find my other bow. So instead, I added my thrifted rosette to the bottom of my braid. I can’t get enough of it!
Outfit Details:
Sandy Liang puffer and Puppets and Puppets purse borrowed from Hauteline
Upcycled mini skirt borrowed, made by Transformations by Tracy
Tights from Swedish Stockings
Shoes from Nicole Saldana
Everything else is secondhand
Look 2: “Can I get a bow and one apartment, please?”
Show(s): Agbolby, Melke, Ganni, Allina Liu
This little ensemble proves that a coat can be your entire outfit. I rolled out of bed in a tank top and my fave thrifted athletic pants and proceeded to wrap myself in my beloved Lirika Matoshi Apartment coat. I got this coat last year at Matoshi’s mini pop-up sale here in New York, and I knew immediately that it belonged in my wardrobe staples. I wore it to last season’s Fashion Week and I just had to wear it again (as I will again, and again, and again).
Outfit Details:
Apartment coat from Lirika Matoshi
Ballet coin purse from Dauphinette (got it at a sample sale!)
Shoes from Reike Nen
Socks from Colorful Standard
Everything else is secondhand
Look 3: “A Love Letter to Palestine”
Show: Caroline Zimbalist
I had woken up this morning to news of Rafah being catastrophically bombed by Israel. I, along with many of us in our community, have been in mourning, protesting for a ceasefire for the past four months. Images of Rafah felt like a huge blow. I was tempted to just stay home because all of this began to feel insignificant. But our clothes are inherently political and can be used as a form of protest. So instead, I decided to symbolically represent Palestine in my color palette that day to remind people that fashion will always be connected to liberation.
Outfit Details:
Sandy Liang puffer borrowed from Hauteline
Button up from Marimekko
Pants from Etica Denim
Socks from Colorful Standard
Shoes from Nicole Saldana
Everything else is secondhand
Look 4: “The Infamous White ‘Coffee filter-chic’ Dress”
Show: Wiederhoft
I posted about a dress from Interior that I borrowed from Lindsey Media on TikTok to crowdsource tips from my followers on how I should style it for the frigid NY weather. That video ended up going viral, and WOOF. The comments went wild. I was pretty anxious about what to do. Luckily, one of my friends, Mandy (aka @oldloserinbrooklyn) had the perfect jacket for me to wear with it: a Saks Potts coat that I’ve been dreaming about since 2018. It fit me perfectly, kept me warm, and completely made my outfit. It was a great reminder of how special and fun it is to borrow clothes from your friends.
Outfit Details:
Dress borrowed from Interior
Coat from Saks Potts via Mandy (aka @oldloserinbrooklyn)
Puppets and Puppets purse borrowed from Hauteline
Shoes from Nicole Saldana
Everything else is secondhand
Look 5: “A little garden or a factory?”
Show: PH5
Let me just say that PH5 is one of my favorite brands. I adore their ethos and unique sustainable knitwear. Last season, they did a collection entitled “Factory Life,” which celebrated their garment workers based in China and their time-honored techniques. I was able to wear some of the pieces from that collection to their F/W ‘24 presentation and you’ll be able to note the script from one of the garment bags used in the factory as well as a print from their Chinese factory on my top. I carried the floral and feminine themes of the PH5 pieces through the rest of my outfit.
Outfit Details:
Top and skirt from PH5
Upcycled Jacket from Rentrayage
Shoes from Reike Nen
Socks from Colorful Standard
Everything else is secondhand