CFDA Incubator Day helps support up and coming designers

One of the most important things that the fashion industry can do is support up and coming talent. After all, the designers of today who are just getting their brands off the ground could be the heads of top design houses tomorrow. And in the ever evolving world of fashion, fresh talent keeps the industry exciting.

Last week, CFDA held their annual Incubator Day in their efforts to support young design talent. The brands featured included Lucio Castro, Deszo by Sara Beltran, Nomia, A Peace Treaty, Katie Ermilio, Misha Nonoo, Isa Tapia, Orley, Kara, and Kaelen. While most of the designers have been in business for several years, the Incubator Day helps them gain more media exposure and brings in buyers to view their collections.

For their collections, some designers went all over the world to find their inspiration. Tapia found her inspiration from her vacation in Spain over the summer. Her new season's shoe collection now includes everything from heels with hand-done embroidery treatments to flamenco dancer inspired booties. One thing that is unique about Tapia's shoe offerings are her heels and boots done with laser cut patterns where the embroidery is then stitched on top.

This particular technique has never been done before, and it took almost six months for them to create. "It was a real trial and error process for us," Tapia said. "It took at least 4 prototypes before we got it right."

CFDA Incubator Day focuses on new designers

For Kaelen Haworth, her latest collections were about experimentation as well. This season the brand used a nylon/spandex blend which is common among athleisure offerings, and while Haworth says that she "isn't an athleisure type of person," they took the material and did it in unexpected, new ways. For example, they created a quilted bomber from the material, and also did a feminine high-waisted pants. As usual, the brand also had their sunburst pleats on their sleeves which became increasingly popular with their previous resort collection.

This season, small details were also major for Kaelen. A new coat they are offering has horn buttons with burnished steel encasement, because it's all in the details after all.

Lucio Castro, just like Tapia, also found his inspiration through international motifs. His latest collection is inspired by the Stonehenge Festival that happened in England during the 70s and 80s. The event was a celebration of multiple alternative cultures including the Tepee People and Circus Normal just to name a few.

Castro did something that few men's wear designers have ever dared to do and tried to stay away from neutral colors like black, navy, white, and grey. He actually found not using neutrals less difficult than you'd expect.

"You think it would be a challenge, but I found the complete opposite," he said. "People responded to the collection better than ever before, and I think it's all in part due to this whole resurgence of surrealism in fashion, especially men's wear. Just look at how Gucci is doing."

In the world of luxury scarves, A Peace Treaty is making a prominent name for themselves. The brand is known for their beautiful scarves which are handmade in countries like Ecuador, Peru, and India. High quality materials featured include baby alpaca wool, leather, and silk. Their best sellers include their striped woven and printed scarves. Their offerings can be found in top department stores the likes of Barneys New York and Bergdorf Goodman.

Designer Misha Nonoo, who is a rising star in the world of contemporary women's wear, found her inspiration through artists such as Liam Gillick and Donald Judd, which meant a lot of minimalism. While many designers are doing maximalism this season, Nonoo always thinks about her customers and what they want first before she thinks of the industry.

"For me, the Misha Nonoo girl is effervescent, she has an entrepreneurial spirit, she has a free spirit, she's a bit of a rebel, a bit daring, she likes to have fun really," Nonoo said.

One of her most unique and stunning offerings is a wool sweater with flecks of metallic that were already part of the yarn. In addition to stylish knitwear and sweaters, the designer also has a collaboration with Aldo this season that has been proving popular. Graphic stripes, cut out details, and shirting with rolled up cuffs were the signature details of her spring/summer collection which is currently available in stores.

CFDA's annual Incubator Day continues to be a success for designers. The Council's seal of approval is an impressive gold star on any designers resume, and the designers showcased this season have more than earned theirs.

photo:via CFDA