Who Won the Day at NYFW? Alejandra Alonso Rojas’ Embellished Silk Dress Is a Love Letter to Spanish Culture and Craftsmanship

Nothing screams New York Fashion Week more than a Ralph Lauren show. The iconic designer kicked off the week celebrating his classic preppy heritage with a show at the Khalily Stables in the Hamptons. Perfect, right? Another power move included Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington closing the show. “It’s like old times, it is heaven to work with Christy,” Campbell said at the after-party dinner. But it was a very young male model wearing a blue denim jumpsuit and matching bandana, and sporting the perfect model pout, and “I really don’t want to be here” attitude that stole the show and became the first look of the day of this NYFW.

The New York City Alaïa show will go down in the fashion history books as one of those shows to remember. What began as an exchange on social media with admiration for a Guggenheim-inspired Alaïa look ended up as a first-ever runway show at the museum.

The show was a glamorous return to America for Alaïa, and a home coming, of sorts, for Pieter Muller, who spent years in the city while designing for Calvin Klein.

The reunion of ’90s supermodels gave it a fashion stamp of approval while Rihanna brought high-wattage star power. The room was electric with anticipation, and the collection delivered at every level. The undeniable talent of Muller was evident in every look, from couture-like sculptural volumes to a French viewpoint on American sportswear with bandeau tops and more. In a multitude of options, a head-turning white dress that WWD’s Booth Moore described in her show review as, “A glorious pleated jersey gown clinging to the naked torso” makes it the chicest look the day.

In a considerably short amount of time, Khaite has become a big highlight of New York Fashion Week and a must-see show. Known for its fascination with dark city glamour, designer Cate Holstein surprised by showing one of her more delicate, joyful and most beautiful shows to date. The organza dresses and pants dominated as did her commercially successful leather jackets. A white ethereal organza dress with floating scarfy layers was a stunner, and the best look of the day.

Tommy Hilfiger’s love affair with New York City continued this season. After the very successful Grand Central show from fall 2024, this time around, the American brand descended on the Staten Island Ferry as the show location and used the Brooklyn Bridge as the perfect backdrop. Maritime designs, preppy aesthetic and collegiate fashion were the main messages but updated silhouettes and more continental takes on American classics proved to be the successful formula. A great example, this elongated black and white tennis-wearer dress that gave cocktail-chic vibes.

Choosing major New York City locations and landmarks to host designer shows has become a major trend from key New York Fashion Week designers this season. Tory Burch, also a big advocate of the Big Apple, chose the legendary Domino factory in Brooklyn to stage her spring show. “I want to look like a wet swimming pool,” Burch said backstage, of her all-green and red fully tiled swimming pool set. With that sport in mind, a black bathing suit paired with tribal wave-printed bell bottom pants, looked fun and on-trend. Not expected to be waterproofed, but still very cool.

What makes a great runway show today? A powerful collection for sure, but a celebrity front row and a great location are also musts-haves. And what is more New York Fashion Week than showing at the Rockefeller Center with Madonna and Ice Spice on the front row? Well, Luar delivered on all fronts.
A sense of joy and fun is one of the main messages from the season, and this leopard-print coat with matching boots closed the Luar show and captured one of the moods of the season.

A sense of optimism was in many designers’ mind this New York Fashion Week. An array of colors, prints and softly constructed romantic silhouettes pushed the positive spirits through the runways. Designer Alejandra Alonso Rojas delivered a romantic and optimistic collection that served as a love letter to her Spanish culture and craftsmanship. An off-white silk dress embellished with a flute playing Caramariñas lace appliqué was the perfect example and a very chic look of the day. “This intricate lace-making tradition has been practiced in Camariña (Galicia) for centuries and is characterized by its delicate and detailed designs,” said Alonso about the Spanish craftsmanship technique. Optimistic for sure!