New York Men’s Day opened New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023. Sponsored by Canadian luxury outerwear brand Nobis, at Location 05 and Daylight Studios, next to Hudson Yards in Manhattan. Here are ten designers who showcased their presentations at NYMD.
Please note, this is the longest blog story I’ve ever created. Enjoy!

Scene: A. Potts by designer Aaron Potts collection Hiding the Horizon is a story of earthbound angels manifested through nature and the elements. After watching the film, “Summer of Soul” by Questlove, Aaron was inspired by a spirit of liberation, soul, and electricity as embodied by the singers Mavis Staples and Sly Stone. They made him think of angels on earth and thought how angels just might be surrounding us at this very moment. They manifest through the work of artists, but they also surround us masked in the sunlight, the wind, the rain, clouds, and mossy forest floors. This collection is as much about an ascension into the clouds as it is about having our feet planted firmly in the grass.
Aaron Potts is about being gender neutral with his creations. Skirts and dresses now can be worn by both genders. Fabrics used were organza, crinkled linens, chiffon, eyelet, and metallics which were once thought of as womens wear fabrics, but Aaron is out to change those traditional rules. The styles are geared towards many different types of body shapes and are easy to get in and out of.
Talent for the show: Hair by lead hairstylist Kien Hoang and team for OribePro, Lead makeup artist Jessica Marisol on behalf of AOFMPro using Desmalogica, Stylist Memsor, Custom hats Delfina Farias, Legwear Hue, Footwear Dr. Martens.

Scene: Holo Market’s unisex collection What A Wonderful Day! Designer, Riki Yoshida, and Creative Direction, Yusaku.
Riki, a hand-printing artisan, has been developing fabrics for domestic and international major brands for 15 years. Alternating life between urban Kyoto on weekdays and Lake Biwako on weekends, Yoshida was inspired by the two lifestyles of city and nature. Incorporating botanical motifs and color palettes of the great outdoors, the collection attempts to create daily wear for various occasions. Energetic and colorful textiles inspired by nature, such as insects, plants, and animals, are hand printed by the designer himself which also includes embellished shoes. Relaxed pajama styles in fine fabrics and active wear in functional shell parkas are created from their original fabric made from coffee grounds with a deodorizing effect. Other looks are hunting styles in three dimensional effect, studded swing top setups in wool toro material, graphic paneled resort wear, and cozy low-gauge cotton knits.
Talent for the show: Hair by lead hairstylist Ashley Brecken and team for OribePro, Lead makeup artist Jessica Marisol on behalf of AOFMPro using Desmalogica, Stylist Kan Fuchigami, Footwear Sperry.

Scene: Teddy Vonranson, by Founder and Chief Creative Officer Teddy Vonranson. He worked at Ralph Lauren for 15 years before launching his label. The collection is titled Joshua Tree. Joshua Tree has long attracted mystics, artists, writers, musicians, and those chasing beauty, healing, and inner truth. This collection discovers the designer’s own voice, while building on his affinity with desert themes. The collection reflects Teddy’s Joshua Tree finding: a piece of peace. Grounded in muted tones of stone, sand and bone, offset by desert clay and teal, Teddy supplants his black and navy classics with rich darks with highlights of antique brass and bronze.
“When one looks beyond the pale landscape on rock formations, crushed gravel and sand, one begins to see the pale tones of dried grasses, desert floral, and mosses canopied by rich blue skies that hug the mountainscape in deep teals fading into clear and bright blues as they touch the sun” — Teddy Vonranson.
Talent for the show: Hair by lead hairstylist Christian Ceja-Compin and team for OribePro, Lead makeup artist Monique Rinard on behalf of AOFMPro using Desmalogica.

Scene: Nicholas Raefski, by Designer Nicholas Raefski. His collection is titled The Stars Don’t Look Bigger, But They Do Look Brighter, is a dynamic, sharp collection that builds upon Raefski’s repertoire of menswear for the modern man. “This collection was inspired by blind optimism for the future, and we did this through this lens of retro futurism” he said. The collection consists of clothes for the everyday. Evoking a futurism imagined from the past like hovercars and jetpacks as seen on The Jetsons. The collection walks a fine line between nostalgia and newness. The 12 look collection is divided into four divergent archetypal groups and is grounded in the aesthetic of the optimistic 1950’s-60’s.
At the presentation, waiters passed around White Claw seltzers on platters while attendees sipped and surveyed the collection, shown on models lounging around raised tables on a stage like platform in small groups, watching the audience watch them. 
Talent for the show: Hair by lead hairstylist Christian Ceja-Compin and team for OribePro, Lead makeup artist Monique Rinard on behalf of AOFMPro using Desmalogica, Stylist Jules Wettreich, Footwear Adidas and Dr. Martins.

Scene: Atelier Cillian by designer Stephen Mikhail. The gender-fluid collection is titled The Hubris of Howard Carter. Carter was the British archeologist who with Lord Camarvon discovered King Tutankhamun’s famous tomb in 1922 in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings inspired his collection.
This collection ranges from desert proof linens and smoky tweed sets with gold jewelry and gold and blue eye makeup relating to interpretations of the precious treasures Carter unearthed. Egyptian blue is the world’s oldest known synthetic pigment. It originated in Egypt over 5,000 years ago. Another interesting facet of the collection is its juxtaposition of weighty materials like yarn and tweed alongside breezy linens, silks, and raffia. Atelier Cillian explores the various iterations of masculinity through the ages, from antiquity to today, and reinterprets these cues in a classic yet contemporary manner. The clothing is designed to embody the wearer rather than dictate who the wearer is. The label is known for its impeccable tailoring and bold color schemes.
Talent for the show: Hair by lead hairstylist Mandee Tauber and team for OribePro, Lead makeup artist Monique Rinard on behalf of AOFMPro using Desmalogica, Footwear Birkenstock and other brands.

Scene: Todd Patrick collection Small Town, Big Dreams was inspired by Desyree Nicole’s childhood. Brand partners Desyree Nicole and Gabriella Paulino have managed to keep Todd Patrick on the front lines of fashion’s new school, by melding streamlined tailoring with innovative craftsmanship. Their forecasting of a relaxed aesthetic is comprised of square cut leather short sets, wide legged trousers with net overlay, cropped boxy jackets and netted tanks. The textures and color palettes were drawn from Nicole’s memory of the small town aesthetic. A muted color palette of brown, blue, and moss green, this brands latest offerings allow refined stitching and intricate fabric layering to be revealed in each design. Todd Patrick is a menswear label focused on diversifying the concept of high end streetwear. The models gathered in a retro 70’s living room aesthetic and walked one by one up to the front.
The brand’s Creative Director, Desyree Nicole says the new collection is “An ode to every small town kid that dreams bigger than the street they grew up on”.
Talent for the show: Hair by lead hairstylist Janelle Oldman and team for OribePro, Lead makeup artist Monique Rinard on behalf of AOFMPro using Desmalogica, Footwear Dr. Martens and other brands.

Scene: Nobis, a Canadian luxury outerwear brand of winter parkas, jackets, and coats was founded in
2008 by co founder Robin Yates, who envisioned urbanely tailored outerwear that could safeguard against the harshest conditions. Senior Director of Design Michael Kerr’s collection is inspired by todays urban explorer which can be worn by men or woman. The brands slogan is “Embrace The Elements”.  Nobis integrates forward thinking craftsmanship with an advanced fashionability to craft sophisticated performance garments that find as much relevance in the arctic wilderness as in urban milieus. Coats and jackets are constructed from the inside out: the core is developed to safeguard against the most punishing elements before the outer shell takes shape. Canadian white duck down ensures supplementary heat, comfort, and movability, ideal for sub-zero urban commuting and Alpine vacations.
Talent for the show: Hair by lead hairstylist Kien Hoang and team for OribePro, Lead makeup artist Jessica Marisol on behalf of AOFMPro using Desmalogica, Stylist Christian Stroble, Footwear Sperry.

Scene: Fried Rice’s genderless aesthetic collection titled  Creative Community Has No Borders. The collection was designed and styled by Maya Wang. Creative Director Matthew Sperzel.
“As a brand, we are completely focused on the creative community, on celebrating the diversity of creative and cultural perspectives here in our NYC neighborhood and around the world. The mood and aesthetic of the brand is a kind of mashed-up creativity and energy that wells up from the dynamism of the diversity of these creative and cultural perspectives around us”— Maya Wang.
The brand operates under the “high street” moniker. This season, the brand debuted a collection that feels like true streetwear, prioritizing oversized constructions with technical notes of utilitarianism weaved seamlessly throughout.
“Creative Community has no borders” was represented through the diverse group of inspiring international and NYC artists and entrepreneurs who joined as models during the presentation.
Talent for the show: Hair by lead hairstylist Jenelle Oldman and team for OribePro, Lead makeup artist Monique Rinard on behalf of AOFMPro using Desmalogica, Stylist Christian Stroble, Footwear Dr Martens.

Scene and Heard: At the end of Fried Rice’s presentation in Loft One, a dance cocktail party ensued ending NYMD with a live performance by Olivia K and the Parkers, with bartenders serving 1800 Tequila watermelon margaritas.

Scene: Amirok, an Italian luxury brand designed by Michael Nelson founded in 2019. A knitwear focused label crafted from 100% recycled mulberry silk. Their pieces move with the wearer and feel like an extension to the body blending functionality, beauty, and comfort. This season, the label partnered with artisans from Botswana to develop custom sequins made from discarded ostrich shells to accent their spring offerings. You can see them on the shorts, cardigan, and the edging on the pockets. The hand embroidery on stretchable knitwear was done in India which was very beautiful. Amirok hopes to connect cultures and people through various artisanal crafts at their best. The artisans of this collection were from Botswana, India, and Italy. For every collection, they pair 100% upcycled silk knitwear with sustainable and natural elements. “Deliberately functional and formally beautiful” — Michael Nelson.
Talent for the show: Hair by lead hairstylist Ashley Brecken and team for OribePro, Lead makeup artist Monique Rinard on behalf of AOFMPro using Desmalogica.

Scene: Terry Singh collection The New York Suit by Terry Singh, Creative Director, and Jack Sivan, Designer. This season was focused on tailoring and a variety of skirts. It is a look inspired by the infusion of the Indian Dhoti, and the desire to create something as comfortable, and make it his own. He incorporated the best material he could find, mostly from Italy and Paris, to create his elegant and urban signature styles.
Native New Yorker and father of four, Terry Singh is reshaping the way the world views masculinity, diminishing society’s view of how a man should look.
After a six-month tour of India as a Yogi, Singh had a revelation. After his spiritual journey, Singh defied his Western imposition of love, giving birth to his eponymous mark. He was inspired to recreate this sense of release through a dhoti, an ancient garment worn by leaders and warriors. “I was inspired by the freedom to wear a dhoti because it flows and it also somehow brought me to this space” — Terry Singh.
Talent for the show: Hair by lead hairstylist Coby Alcantar and team for OribePro, Lead makeup artist Jessica Marisol on behalf of AOFMPro using Desmalogica, Footwear Sperry, Dr. Martens and other brands.

Scene: The OribePro Hairstylist Team, most of who are in this photo, for the NYMD23 Shows.
Front row: Nicci Welsh and Jenelle Oldman.
Back row: Adam Livermore, Ashley Brecken, and Kien Hoang.

Scene: Monique Rinard, Lead Makeup Artist on behalf of AOFMPro worked on most of these presentation.
Thanks so much for your help and support! @monique_marquerite
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Special thanks to Helen Oppenheim, hair historian, archivist, and blogger, for asking me to collaborate during Fashion Week.