Hybrid fashion production house and fashion show producer Runway 7 showcased a collection of emerging and established designers to present their latest and greatest for Fall/Winter 2023 fashion. Their shows run in parallel to New York Fashion Week and with big names like Naeem Khan, Stephen Goudeau, Barbara Hulaniki and Susanne Bartsch, you know a three day fashion event from Runway 7 is going to be good.
This winter, February 2023, the selections were even greater than last time with a whopping 45+ designers. Runway 7 has definitely upped the game this year with the latest in teen and young adult fashion, swimwear, evening wear, street fashion, emerging designers to keep your eye on, and all with their core focus on philanthropy and giving back.
With the warm weather coming up ( or still mixed in between bouts of snowstorms, heatwaves, and too much salt on the sidewalk when the sun is up ), if you haven’t already been pining for that getaway vacation here is something to help motivate you to start. Here we have designers showcasing their latest for resort wear, activewear and of course lingerie, for Runway 7’s Fall/Winter 2023 season. Get inspired to get going.
Maricel Marcantoni Art
Maricel Marcantoni Art is a brand created as the modern platform for the beautiful work of Puerto Rican fine artist, Maricel Marcantoni. The collection features her artwork on an assortment of merchandise from apparel to home goods. For their showcase at Runway 7, they went big and vibrant, showing skirts with petticoats, bodycons, bodysuits and bags with pretty printed patterns that are perfect for the summer-y season.
Maricel Marcantoni Art was created during the pandemic as a solution to the issue many artists faced with the decrease in access to audiences. Fine art has always been dependent on physical real estate available and willing audiences to invest in the work. These factors can make it hard to find buyers because of its limited experiential form. This is not to say that it is any less valuable than art in other forms as fine art in its original manifestation is how it was intended to be received.
However, this issue is not uncommon and the movement to make fine art more accessible and “consumable” in a variety of ways, such as printing fine art onto wearable attire, makes it a great candidate for the print on demand and ready-to-wear market. Smaller digital artists have already taken this route with print-on-demand websites like Society6, Redbubble, and Zazzle. It’ll be interesting to see how industries merge as artists look for new ways to connect with audiences and what this means for the world of fine art.
Bela Brand
Sustainability is in season. With how fashion directly affects the environment, and especially our oceans ( where everything ends up ), it makes sense that eventually they would meet in what you would wear to the water. Bela Brand is a swimwear company focused on quality products and ethical practices. Founded by Maria Laura Litteo, the brand provides an assortment of swim apparel with a variety of colors, prints and styles and for a wide range of body types. Their latest collection featured large tropical prints on brightly colored swimwear and coverups.
While from the outside the brand looks just like any swimwear company, it really is the unseen threads that provide a different perspective on just how beautiful their product line is. Bela Brand attempts to address every angle of being a consumer brand in this world and how it impacts the environment. This can be seen from material sourcing, to the packing process, to product end of life and the future of the environment. It’s a lot to address, but the ambition and dedication is clearly there. You will see this more in brands as sustainable and eco-conscious efforts are becoming a priority ( or at least an attractive selling point ) for the fashion industry.
Royal T
Royal T is an activewear brand designed by Tania Daley after finding current offerings less than desirable for her athletic body type carved from dancing, working out and being a fitness trainer. No matter your body type, your clothes should fit you in a way that makes you feel good in your skin. Royal T keeps this all in mind, with their own enthusiastic spin on the designs.
For the Fall Winter 2023 season, the focus was mainly on the shimmering gowns you would see in salsa, samba and Carnival. We did say “activewear” right? But less of the yoga pants and more of something shiny that you can sweat in. Aside from one leather looking dress that seemed very difficult to move in ( but very cool to wear, especially if you are into alternative fashion), most of the pieces were fun and festive, adorned with feathers, marked with stripes and frequently covered in crystals. Animal prints appeared in various forms such as zebra leggings adding to that party animal nature. I’m sure we all can’t wait to see the swimsuits Royal T comes out with later this year.
A Milli Merch
A Milli Merch is a lifestyle and streetwear brand whose name was inspired by the founder’s artist name Million Dollar Kate. It has a mission to empower others in their self expression and freedom. It does mention being a streetwear brand on their website and they do have the obligatory sweats sets with an embroidered logo on top. However, their collection this Fall Winter season is for the active baddies who need something a little less for the street and a little more for what to wear when you’ve received that big paycheck and want to lounge in bed.
In their showcase pretty printed silk made an appearance on robes, crop top sets, and a tennis dress. Mixed in also was the use of see-through corset cutouts in dresses and tops adding a sophisticated allure to the activewear space. As a huge fan of robes, see-through attire, and lounging around looking pretty, I approve of this collection.
Drusilla by Valentini
Drusilla by Valentini was a collaboration designed by model and writer Drusilla Gucci with eco-wear swimwear brand Flavia Valentini. Italy and NYC meet again, as fashion powerhouse cities should at Sony Hall. The showcase opened with an intense video montage of clipped scenes from media Drusilla was involved in. Once the models came out the collection was revealed to be a variety of swim wear in the form of bikinis, bandeaus, cover-ups and beautiful, billowing skirts. The color palette included white, black, pink and red and used gold detailing for securing pieces. Valentini’s statement Trikini also made its appearance with it’s beautiful pink porcelain effect.
The delicate details could easily be lost while looking at beautiful women walking on a stage in bikinis, but look closer and you’ll notice the tiny crystals used in the circular holding pieces and at the edges of the bikini bottoms. I found they were a thoughtful, subtle and intriguing choice for adding just that little bit more to a simple look. I also was personally a fan of the high leg bikini bottoms and think they are a great choice to add sensuality even when paired with a high-waisted cut.
All the swimsuits are made from recycled materials with eco-conscious coming up again as a theme. Materials are sourced from old items such as fishing nets and other discarded plastics instead of new nylon being created. Sustainable practices never looked so elegant.
Drusilla has had many lives, much of it not televised in the US, and having her share her designer self is a wonderful thing to experience. And as a bonus, she writes dark fantasy romance novels, a girl after my own heart, and something I hope to find translated in English to devour on my own time in a wonderfully designed bikini.
The showcases of the weekend could not have happened without a huge backing to support it all. From the amazing selection of models from Famous Talent Management, the official makeup artist AMA , the official hair team Rogue House and the official model glam location Sicily Osteria. You also cannot have a production without food and water which was taken care of by catering partners Greek Eats and Ess-a-Bagel and hydration sponsor RX Water. Lastly, NYFW is about enjoying fashion in a party environment, which means you need a place to stay and a place to party. INNSIDE New York Nomad was the official Runway 7 NYC Hotel Partner and Me Cabo was the official vacation hotel partner. Nightclub venue MUSICA was the official after party partner and model casting venue for Runway 7.
We covered all of Runway 7’s amazing showcases for New York Fashion Week featuring designers’ Fall/Winter 2023 collections.
Philanthropy and Pets at Runway 7
You can also find more of our fashion week coverage at our official Instagram account Official Beauty News NYC.
Credit: All Photos by Ilya S. Savenok // Getty Images for Runway 7
