A Brand New Designer Made Her Debut at NYFW and Everyone is Talking About Her
Zoe Gustavia Anna Whalen, a new designer that quit her job last September to fulfill her dreams of becoming a fashion designer, is now making her debut at New York Fashion Week. She was featured in a Vogue article titled “The New NYFW: Five Debuts to Know About” which is huge since she just put her name out in the industry not even 6 months ago.
Photo: Vu Tran via Vogue
Her collection of 16 looks with a very neutral color palette is entirely made of deadstock and scrap materials. She is a DIY designer with sustainability on the front of her mind as she upcycles, recycles, and sources materials from eco-friendly places. The line gives a vintage or raw feeling when looking at it, which helps with her intention of being sustainable. Whalen looks to the 1690s as inspiration for her designs, the audience could perceive the garments as almost antique and organic when watching the show. With the creation of the pieces, Whalen hopes to help other designers realize that starting from scratch is not the only way to sew and design. Designers still have the option to use old scraps or clothes as fabrics for future items.
One thing that really stands out from the show itself are the models. The models that Whalen chose to walk have a very unique allure that differentiates them from the typical beauty standard. In addition, she played with femininity and masculinity with the models by having some of the male models wore more feminine clothes such as dresses.
Photo: Vu Tran via Vogue
Those who know about the history of seamstresses know that mostly females did the sewing and alterations. A legacy Whalen embraces and uses it as her own inspiration and motivation for designing.
Photo: Vu Tran via Vogue
When looking at the structure of the garments, you realize that the silhouettes and necklines are uncommon, this points to her focus on a lingerie style of clothing. The lingerie style came from her historic inspiration, where corsets and formal sleepwear were popular.
It is no secret that if you see a garment on the runway, it will come with a very hefty price tag. However, Whalen understands financial struggles, especially the cost of living in New York City which she struggles with herself. When the line goes live on her website, hopefully soon after a production test, the price will be set from anywhere between $50 and $150. She wants to make her pieces more accessible to the public, specifically so that her younger audience does not have to worry about being able to afford it and being unable to own pieces of art in the form of fashion.