Part Two of South Asian New York Fashion Week 2023

This is my second post on South Asian New York Fashion Week 2023. Late? Yes. But never say never! Let’s go - it’s time to cover all the designers from SANYFW 2023.

Note: the categories below are pretty rough. Most designers have clothing in two to three categories and I’ve chosen their most prevalent designs when placing them in categories.

Casual/Daily: It’s so easy to reserve ethnic clothing for special occasions, like weddings or festivals. But it 100% doesn’t have to be that way. These designers show us how to bring our desiness to the way we live our everyday lives.

• Svarini by Artzy by Sheel: As a historical fashion and prep-schoolcore fan, I loved the Svarini collection. Not only are the brocade corset co-ord sets a thing of beauty, but other pieces seem to come out of my favorite Disney movies (see: the yellow dress straight out of “Beauty and the Beast”!)

  • Svarini’s work in marrying tradition to sexiness is all about showing how the two concepts aren’t antithetical to each other, but can work together to create what Svarini means - a free woman.

• Untitle by Nikita: A returning designer to SANYFW, Nikita’s collection this year, The Road Back Home collection, was from her personal, lived experience as a child of the 90s.

  • From Nikita’s website, “The collection upcycles deadstock from the MFTA warehouse with Kalamkari and hand embroidery from India.”

  • It’s easy to think of the 90s as grunge, as contrasted with the playfulness of the 2000s. However, Nikita’s collection reminds us of how fun the 90s really were.

  • Keeping silhouettes constant, she’s reworked the patterns with something just slightly different from what we see in Western 90s fashion - madras and windowpane checks instead of plaid, for example.

• babougie: babougie takes us away from the notion that South Asian nightwear has to be plain or solely practical. Their luxurious robes use traditional chundri and paisley patterns on vibrant silk - with pockets, for a mix of practical, comfy, and sensual!

  
  

Accessories: Sometimes, you need a little more to complete an outfit. For that, take a look at these designers!

• Studio Kiyan: Studio Kiyan takes inspiration from the lines and curves of everyday life, from cardamom to matches to pouring chai into a cup.

  • A majority of their work features meenakari, the process of painting and coloring the surfaces of metals and ceramic tiles through enameling.

  • With their vibrant colors and fun patterns, Studio Kiyan adds a dash of the eclectic to any outfit you wear.

    
    

    Talk about a match-ing set!

• Aks Mathur: Aks’ work brings to mind Nora Ephron’s hilarious essay, “I Hate My Purse”: “…your purse is, in some absolutely horrible way, you…”.

  • Aks’ work is the kind I love, linear and sleek, but rife with hidden secrets. it’s the kind of art that makes you turn twice to catch a detail you just missed.

  • Each creation gives you clues about the wearer - whether it’s his “Mythos” collection inspired by human virtues or his “Paradisus” collection about incorporating natural beauty into our busy city lives.

• As a jewelry lover, I also have to call out his Lunar collection. Like the moon and its various stages, each piece has a raw quality to it, without sacrificing any finish.

That wraps up last year’s South Asian NYFW! Thank you so much for reading - what did you think of SANYFW 2023?

Overall, I loved how we saw designers take pride in their multiple homes and take pieces of the past to create a brand-new future. Fashion, for me, is all about discovering truth and beauty and making it your own and every designer here brought a new twist to the kinds of art we’re used to

Do you have any designers you love? Share them below or as a reply to this email! Or if you have any Qs, email me - I’m always ready to answer!

Want to chat about fashion/history/literally anything else? Here’s my Calendly!