Fashion week always dazzles and sparks plenty of conversation around emerging styles, gorgeous models, and illustrious runways. This September, though, New York Fashion Week had plenty more tongues wagging – and not for a good reason.
This year’s Spring and Summer collection showcase in the Big Apple has been riddled with controversy, so much so that many calling it a hot mess.
PETA protestors
Fashion week and protesting have a long history and often go hand in hand. Each year, PETA and various other organisations often make their own spectacles, protesting animal cruelty, mental health, and environmental issues.
This year was no different. A pair of PETA protesters disrupted the Coach show, with one brandishing a sign reading “Coach: Leather kills”. The second protestor strutted down the runway in body paint depicting muscles and tendons and the same message painted on her chest.
While this campaign against using leather in the fashion industry made a big splash at NY Fashion Week, PETA did pop up elsewhere. Protestors made similar spectacles at the London, Milan, and Paris Fashion Weeks.
@b0model New || An iconic moment at #coach #ss24 during the #nfw || #fypシ゚viral #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #b0model_
Influencer-filled runway
The use of influencers instead of models remains the biggest controversy to come from New York Fashion Week this September. Many fashion houses and couture brands replaced a few of their models with social media influencers such as Coco Bliss and Woah Vickey.
While this is perhaps just another form of influencer marketing, the move may have hurt NYFW.
These influencers, unfortunately, don’t have the same flair as Naomi Campbell. Many have swarmed to social media to voice their disappointment, highlighting how inexperienced these influencers looked.
Ari is that you?
@fourseasons.studio Why are they letting Ariana copycat walk on nyfw #nyfw #paigeniemann #fourseasonsstudio #ariannagrande
A particular influencer caused quite a stir, though. Paige Niemann, an Ariana Grande look alike, took to the runway at the Creators Inc. x Bossi show.
She waddled down the walkway, donning a flashy pink corset, grey and pink pants, glamourous black heels, and the famous Ari high pony. After briefly showcasing her outfit, she quickly skipped and ran back up the runaway.
Unfortunately, it didn’t look as cute as it sounds, and many people have shared their views on social media. One TikToker, nomoredanny, shared his thoughts on the “disastrous” fashion week and highlighted a very important question: “Why is she walking the runway if she can’t model correctly.”
Fashion week stage crashers
Despite the exclusivity of Fashion Week, the runway saw a few uninvited guests take the stage.
Canadian American influencers, the Nelk boys, snuck onto the runway, with Kyle Forgeard wearing black angel wings and a leather jacket. Whilst seemingly harmless, Forgeard fell on his way back up the runway and seemingly struggled to get back up.
@nelkboys Snuck onto the runway at new york fashion week 🤣
Another runway crasher included a man in a shower cap and a plastic shower curtain. While he walked better than a few of the invited influencers, his trolling was quickly squashed when security removed him.
While security carted protestors and the shower curtain model off the stage, Forgeard didn’t appear to get into much trouble for his spectacle.
Julia Fox’s eyebrow-raising outfit
And of course, it wouldn’t be fashion week if there wasn’t an outfit controversy. Julia Fox, known for her outlandish, boundary-pushing outfits, raised a few eyebrows this year at the Naomi Campbell x Pretty Little Thing show.
She donned a tiny silver chain bra and metal thong, complete with a black leather trench coat. Her striking black lips and pin-straight red hair tied off the look.
As you can imagine though, the look, along with her similar, skin-showing outfits from the rest of the week, caused quite the stir. Many commenters on Instagram and X (formally Twitter) shared their negative thoughts about her outfits.
Fashion week, whether in New York, London, or Paris, is never without some form of controversy. But this year’s spectacles took the cake!
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Feature image: Instagram
