We are slowly and figuratively trying to inject hope in despair by accepting pear-sized humane models with open arms, walking for more severe causes that need a voice, and bringing local artisans to light. Although some may refer to it as frugal, I refer to it as expansion. New York must go on and in style, whatever the case may be.
Me, being published as a volunteer director and media host #ifaweek6 in Int’l Fashion & Arts Magazine by Vanny Tousignant
As doors open to new ways to maintain fashion, we’ve seen it regain momentum once more as Covid cases begin to fall in New York. Even at its peak, we discovered that alternate methods of sustaining were the season’s theme. We’ve seen online auditions and voting for private shows (Couture Fashion Week).
During the past six months, Alexander Gurman, the producer of Mr. Great Fashion Show, has come up with many such ideas, holding multiple shows in the area, often outdoors where risk is lower.
The outdoor shoot provides space for the models and makes them feel safer. The added advantage is the sparkle in the eyes of bystanders who have previously just seen fashion behind closed doors.
Fashion Goes Billboards and UN
Almost all the designers that have modeled for or collaborated with, including Pamela Quinzi, Heritage India’s Prashant Goel, Natasha Berezhnaya, Vanny Tousignant, Dovile, were honored to be published on the Times Square Billboards/Big Adverts this past year. It was interesting because we shifted our focus from runways to getting ourselves out there in the world.
Designer Prashant Goel also received the Highest Honor Award, a Resolution from Her Excellency, the Mayor of Union, New Jersey, Michele Delisfort at the United Nations for his outstanding promotion of multiculturalism, arts and cultural diversity. Prashant designed pieces for Disney productions, the film Eat Pray Love, which starred Julia Roberts, and has designed for several government officials, including an anarkali gown for Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney.
Fashion & Cause
Amid the doom and gloom of winters and Covid-19, Alexander Gurman, a city native, arranged a fashion show with the dogs to spread positivity and optimism while also bringing attention to more severe issues such as animal cruelty.
Fashion, Creativity & Exotic Locales
Dovile Riebschlager, originally from Lithuania lives in Chicago, tells how water droplets inspired her when she was a teenager. Her innovative ensembles are now one-of-a-kind, as she aims for excellence in every piece she makes.
She frequently travels to New York from Chicago to perform in various shows, including Alexander’s. Her portfolio has recently been packed with outdoor shoots in multiple locations around the United States, including the epic terrains of Utah. Isn’t it fascinating how nature, as her source of inspiration, combines so well with the ambiance and textiles?
Model: Ashley Sierra Orr Photographic Illustrator: Chuck Coleman Designer: Dovile Riebschlager: Artist Shoes: John Ashford Bonneville salt Flats
Fashion and Sustainability
We’ve seen Vegan heels. We’ve seen sustainable fashion, as well as Patrick Duffy’s Global Fashion Exchange. The idea is to let fashion ‘quote and quote’ there while reducing the amount of waste we produce and more wisely use our resources, providing the best and the best to wear.
In the coming years, the age of use-and-throw fashion will become obsolete as we focus on quality rather than quantity, which is also the need of the hour. Fashion resell / exchange sites, such as Poshmark and Thredup, for example, are growing in popularity, as are swap programs all over the city.We are leaning more towards eco-friendly and recycling fashion, which is a very effective change.
A Boom for Photographers
Meanwhile, cameraman Luis helped me transition from just a regular runway model to a media host for NYFW and other shows during the pandemic, and I thought that was a big jump. Still, his constant support and videography skills made me believe in myself.
But is it all safe?
Despite the slow speed and minimal participation over the last two years, a flow has emerged. Fashion transforms from a caterpillar to a butterfly, with more meaning, alignment, and a way to meet the masses rather than just the elites.
As regular people, models aren’t dumb, and when I did shows when Covid was prevalent, most models came in their masks too! When it was at its peak, shows were cancelled or such venues were chosen where crowd was a distant possibility or live online shows were streamed.
Designers are rooting for upcoming Feb 2022, but when it was September 2021 when situation was grim yet aiming to be better, we’ve found ways to survive and thrive. The proof is in the way we put on the shows. One such event was Joe Corbalis’s Westchester Fashion Show, which took place. The fashion quotient must not die, even if it is masked and in style.
What do I think as a model?
If you were to ask me as a model, what did I gain from it? It’s lovely to be a part of the change. When I first arrived in New York, I was astounded by how well people dressed. But, as I dug deeper, I realized that New York was born to breathe fashion.
It is now, as it has always been, a part of New York culture. And, while there were times last season when I stayed at home, refusing to leave, I couldn’t help but smile when I saw the fashion shows I did or the editorials I got published. We discovered excellent copying mechanisms where outdoor became the need of the hour, and editorials took center stage.
A part of me refers to it as “creative madness.” If it wasn’t for an outdoor fashion show, would I have walked in the snow or with a dog? No. I would be ecstatic if I got published without even submitting a cover letter to magazines. But that is a rarity. Had I taken part in some studio shoots? Perhaps.
Nonetheless, here I am, filling that void with the opportunities that have arisen. I believe it’s a space where reflection has given rise to “what can we do” rather than “what should we do,” and it’s a lovely place with the potential to brew change for the upcoming shows, whenever that may be.