Simplicity Spoke Volumes on New York Fashion Week's First Day

Welcome to The Runway Recap, Marie Claire editors’ daily rundown of the best and most closet-worthy collections we’re seeing at fashion month.

Peter Do perfectly captured downtown-cool for his second collection for Helmut Lang, while Willy Chavarria mixed his signature wide lapel blazers, flannels, and leathers with a punchy new film project. Uptown at the Oyster Bar, nestled in the middle of New York City’s landmarked Grand Central Station, Tommy Hilfiger sent his quintessential prep school pieces down the catwalk, accompanied by a boisterous, star-studded crowd and a performance by Grammy-winning artist Jon Batiste. But in the middle of it all, Veronica de Piante, Marina Moscone, and Colleen Allen quietly debuted their collections on the first day of New York Fashion Week, off calendar— so to speak—inside their homes, amidst their midtown ateliers, and in airy, zen-like white walled lofts, void of distractions.

By default, we talk much less about these collections—built from beautiful tailoring, sensuous textures, and soft-but-strong silhouettes—during the spectacle of fashion month. But much like their approach to their presentations, their new offerings felt both mindful and personal, rooted in craftsmanship and intent. Without an iconic location, an emotional storytelling component, or a name synonymous with an entire sartorial decade, de Piante, Moscone, and Allen still impressed with their simple, but beautiful clothes.

Moscone, a former ballerina, is meticulous about the details. She showcased beautiful draping on her capes that are mainstays of the collection, offering one or two new color variations for each season. Other standouts included gorgeous chartreuse and black sherpa robe and tuxedo coats. The versatility of these pieces is unparalleled— they can be worn as evening wear or dressed down to dinner. Opposite of her new collection were a rack of core pieces, beautiful blazers and button-downs that carry over seasons. She sees the new collections as highlighting these foundational styles, not overpowering what already exists. 

De Piante, who launched her eponymous collection in ’22, incorporates work from  the Social Enterprise Project each season—an organization employing skilled artisans at a refugee camp in Jordan.  The fine tailoring may have been inherited by osmosis—she’s Italian by her father’s side. “It turns out Italians are great at tailoring,” she quipped at her intimate presentation, where just the two of us spoke in her West Village brownstone. Fitted long-line leather jackets, satin suiting, and a sampling of great knitwear were as awe-inspiring as her home decor.

Colleen Allen, a young designer emerging on the New York fashion scene, aspired to do that same fine tailoring, but initially went the menswear route. Debuting her first collection this season, her work mastered the art of menswear needlecraft, but embodied an elusive femininity— with Victorian corsetry, slinky silhouettes, and perfectly proportioned draping. She is surely a name to keep on your radar.

So while the music thumps, the paparazzi swarm, and production takes center stage, remember to pause for the quiet forces that are designing for the long haul. These are the clothes we'll still talk about when fashion week ends.