Welcome to fashion month! New York Fashion Week came and went in a flash. The week-long event featured hundreds of memorable runway shows, from the blockbuster names to indie designers we all need to know about.

with runway shows everywhere from the Brooklyn Museum to Spring Studios, Piers at South Street Seaport and more. This fashion week is memorable because the February edition of runway shows were mostly cancelled due to the Omicron variant, and the fashion crowd brought it.

Here are seven highlights from NYFW.

Renacio

The couture brand Renacio by Carlos Reyes put on an inspiring display of dream-inspired dresses and garments that swept away the audience. Entitled “The Myth of Eris and the Resilient Unicorn,” and the surrealist symbolism in the garments detail the story of a little girl who goes to sleep and we see what she dreams of.

“The show was inspired by dreams and nightmares with some mythological symbolism,” said Reyes.

In one piece, a large cameo box opens at the heart of the wearer, crowned by the words “Mortem” meaning ‘death’ in Latin and “Saltare” meaning ‘dance,’ on the shoulders. Inside the box, we see an image of a ballerina from “Destino,” a short film created by Salvador Dali and Walt Disney in 1945. The box is emblazoned with the French phrase, “Le disco a besoin de vous” (the dance needs you).

“The whole thing symbolizes the choice between death and dance,” says Reyes. “To live your life stagnant and bored, or to be joyful and dance. The journey of the unicorn is to choose to dance.”

Punk Majesty

Punk Majesty is an eco fashion brand known for its empowering phrases emblazoned across its pieces. It’s also known for upcycling, and fusing together high fashion and streetwear styles. The female-owned brand is founded by Alisha Amnesia, a designer who says the ethos of her brand is rooted in empowerment for all genders, races, and orientations. For their fall showcase, the brand offers chic blazers and studded motorcycle jackets as part of their new collection. The brand is anti-fast fashion, and has been worn by Jane Wiedlin of The Go Go’s, Captain Sensible of The Damned, and Jake Hout of The Dead Boys.

Runway Of Dreams

The Runway of Dreams™ Foundationa nonprofit promoting inclusion and change in the fashion industry for people with disabilities. Their latest showcase of fashion showcased adaptive clothing and footwear for all. Over 60 models with varying disabilities and backgrounds strutted the runway with the latest fashion from Target, Kohl’s, JC Penney, Steve Madden, and more, which use easy zippers and magnets for clothing closures to allow people with disabilities to easily maneuver fashionable items. It was titled A Fashion Revolution and was presented by Kohl’s, and hosted by Peloton’s first adaptive instructor, Logan Aldridge.

Baggallini

The female-founded travel bag company Baggallini introduced their Fall 2022 collection at New York Fashion Week. Their latest campaign features models Amanda Vanderziel, Aubrie Williams and Mackenzie Hamilton, on their hectic day to day, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. across New York City, shot by filmmaker Jimmy Penna and photographer Julia D’Agostino.

The brand is known for their durable, practical and functional bags, from their Modern Pocket crossbody bags, to their tote bags and stylish backpacks, in Dark Cherry, helping New York women get their morning coffee, rush onto the subway and even bring these bags on a plane as carry-on luggage.

“This campaign celebrates the multidimensional woman on-the-go and how our bags show up to support her on her daily journey, with style and ease,” said Alison Muench, Head of Brand Marketing for Baggallini and Creative Director. “New York City became the perfect backdrop to showcase our Fall collection. As they say: If our bags can make it there, they’ll make it anywhere.”

Concept Korea

Concept Korea is an official program going strong at NYFW, for 12 years now. It’s part of a global fashion program hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and organized by the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), the aim is to promote Korean fashion designers as they break into the western fashion market. This season, Seoul-based brands BESFXXK, Cahiers and UL:KIN showcased their Spring/Summer 2023 collections—buzzy brands that have been worn by Yeonjun of TXT and actress Kim Tae-ri. On the runway, musicians Dong Hyuk Kim, D4M $loan, Min, and Ezee, all walked looks.

BESFXXK showcased pinstripe fabrics with khaki trench coats, with their Victorian-style windbreaker with a long, Versailles-esque train stealing the show. Cahiers brought dreamy pastels to long, ruffled dresses perfect to wear in the Spanish countryside of Toledo. UL:KIN designed by Seong Dong Lee showcased fishnets as a key component for the new collection, which is inspired by magnet fishing, with olive-hued vests, zippers, and mesh symbolize the underwater world.

The Blonds

The Blonds returned to NYFW with a new collection inspired by their glamour-drenched summer. The sun-kissed collection featured sparkly golds, yellows and orange hues in retro 1970s inspired items walked by Nikita Dragun, Gigi Gorgeous, Cassie and Saucy Santana, among others.

The designers say their summer was filled with “escapism, glamour and nightlife in New York City,” and is all about “excess style and memories of those hot nights where [fashion designers] Philippe and David bonded over their mutual love of dance music.” The duo have a forthcoming book with Rizzoli called The Blonds: Glamour Fashion Fantasy, out October 11.

Disco Inferno & 14N1

The hip hop community arrived for a runway show called More Fashion, Less Gun Violence, in the heart of New York City’s housing projects, Robert S. Fulton Residences.

Naughty By Nature’s Vin Rock walked the runway for the show, co-presented by Disco Inferno, a brand founded by A$AP Illz, and streetwear brand, DripOnSociety’s 14N1. The brand is known for dressing hip hop luminaries like DJ Whoo Kid, Ayleks, Bobby Nice, Jay Gwaupo, Lil Migo, and more.

“This brand is based on Dante’s Inferno and the nine circles of hell colliding with fashion that grew out of the Parkside Housing Development that I am from in The Bronx, which is the birthplace and mecca of hip-hop,” said Illz in a statement. “I also wanted to shed light on how my generation is killing one another with gun violence, and through this collection, I hope to lighten things up by displaying a fashion show right here in our community.”