The Asia Fashion Collection, also coined as the ‘Global Incubation Project’ is a collective that gives new designers from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong the space and opportunity to showcase their work for New York Fashion Week. Featuring Dairiku, Behind, R.Y/S.H, J.Chung, Ceci, Kevin Ho, and Gahee Lim this season, AFC teamed up with Vantan Inc., who helped to groom this season’s young designers to premiere their work at NYFW.

This show was something to see. With garments made by various artists, the contrasting design perspectives, aesthetics, and techniques all coexisted with one another. From luxurious fur coats, to patchwork jackets, even to shear tuxedos, these designers delivered an impressive show that will inspire you to think more about how we conceptualise dress.

Some of the highlights of the show include Ceci, who started off with garments made from luxurious fabrics, furs, and textiles that consisted of cool and dark tones. Look 8 from Ceci was an oversized lapel coat and palazzo pant ensemble. The coat included a deep plum fur lining. Both the coat and pant were made of a blue-grey fabric with a ruffle trimming quilted throughout the fabric. As the model walked down the runway you could almost make out the trimming fluttering in the air and the fur ruffling with each step.

In contrast with Ceci, Dairiku showcased menswear and delivered street style with subtle influences from the 70’s thrifty subculture movement. Embroidered jackets reading ‘Hamburgers’ spelled out on the back, shirts made of plaid fabrics, screen printed tops, and different pant styles were sent down the runway. Look 7 from Dairiku included an oversized turtleneck with a Harley-Davidson spin-off patch on the back reading ‘Hurry-Dairiku’.

Gahee Lim closed out the show with a gorgeous showcase of men’s and womenswear pantsuit ensembles constructed of layers of sheer fabrics. Each garment included some element of deconstruction, such as basting used with contrasting colours, visible shoulder padding, and pieces of the garment that were purposely cut from their seam lines, all of this subtly hinting at the process of how a garment is constructed. As each model walked down the runway, the hanging pieces of fabric floated, and you begin to see the merriment of the human body enveloped in a blur of color. The ending of the show left viewers with an eager energy. AFC, Vantan, and the featured designers have successfully provided viewers with something to look forward to as we anticipate what new designers are willing to deliver in the near future.

Review by Zo Fielder, photography by Natalie Black.