Thursday, Global Fashion Collective (GFC) kicked off New York Fashion Week at The Glasshouse with two showcases consisting of earnest concept work, cultural remixing, and a few genuinely surprising runway moments. There was a unique mix of up and coming student energy, craft-forward small houses, and designers who used the runway to tell important stories.
Show One — Universidad Iberoamericana / EMIJINGU / MARTIN DALLA LASTA / Ashlyn So / Rasara College
The students from Universidad Iberoamericana opened the first show with a tightly staged, campus-to-runway moment: pieces that read as capstone work with experimental textiles and sustainable fabrication notes.
With 16 pieces to show, the fabric manipulations were clever and the designers had confident use of color blocking.
EMIJINGU brought her signature sculptural, balloon-adjacent sensibility to the runway — think buoyant volumes and a fascination with impermanence. The collection’s theme is diversity, made to emphasize the distinct radiance each person carries, celebrating our differences.
Given the balloon designs are difficult to preserve, all nine looks were created over the course of four days, finalizing them just one day before the show. To truly embody the theme of diversity, each model who took the runway for this show was living with a disability or illness, shedding light on how people of all walks of life carry strength and suppleness.
Her pamphlet read: “Their very presence resonates with the balloons’ momentary gleam, transforming the entire stage into a canvas that reflects the heartbeat of life.”
Argentinian fashion designer Martin Dalla Lasta’s presented his latest collection “Loner Boy,” leaning into melancholic tailoring and layered street/office codes into something mournful and a touch theatrical.
His commentary on social dynamics and the human experience as we move on from youth and into adulthood shines through his pieces. With 12 looks shown yesterday, the silhouettes were youthful yet deliberate, with a narrative of solitude carried through scaled-down accessories and a palette of muted blues and grays.
Ashlyn So continues to be an activist-designer, using fashion to speak on identity and societal pressures. Her recent collection, “Recolored: Restoring the Colors of Life,” did just that.
A pamphlet was handed out to the audience, where So is quoted saying: “The need to fit in, and the weight of expectations can dim our colors. Over time, we can lose touch with our authentic selves, much like the pollution and warming oceans drain the color from once-lively reefs.”
Each of the 12 looks So presented was made to represent the state of the reef and the self. There was a mixture of vibrant colors used to illustrate the stages of breaking down and restoring oneself. Each piece made a statement, touching on the individual vibrancy and celebrating the full spectrum of life.
Rasara, the Seoul-based design academy/brand, brought contemporary academy polish — clean lines and a focus on modernized traditional techniques.
Their runway felt like a respectful remix of schoolhouse training and commercial-ready pieces; the craftsmanship was neat and the references to Korean textile heritage were apparent.
Show Two — Nazranaa / LEESLE / Ravishing Couture / PINK SELFIE / Noe Bernaceli
Nazranaa’s show brought South Asian bridal and formal language to NYFW in a way that felt celebratory. With a total of 18 looks total, they were GFC’s largest showing of the day.
The collection, named Samsriti, takes inspiration from the Sun Temple in Konark and thousands of sculptures of the Meenakshi Temple, transforming Indian history and culture into wearable art.
Their recent collections (and boutique identity) emphasize tradition updated for contemporary clients — deep embroidery, saturated color, and a salon-level tailoring that reads as both wearable and ceremonial.
LEESLE reinterpretations of hanbok silhouettes made for modern life. The collection threaded old-world drapes and modern minimalism.
LEESLE’s mission is apparent in her pieces. She has said, “fashion should live and breathe on the street, not in a museum.”
The brand’s mission was visible in how garments moved and could be imagined off the runway, taking pieces of Korean heritage to create stylistic, yet sustainable pieces that can be worn on the daily.
Ravishing Couture arrived with high-glam intent: 12 stunning eveningwear, high shine, and bold makeup moments. Their NYFW moments are often designed for impact — red carpet or pageant-ready — and yesterday was no exception. The brand delivered confidence-first silhouettes and strong hair/makeup direction.
PINK SELFIE’s runway leaned playful and youth-forward — a bubblegum-pop aesthetic with graphic prints and Instagram-ready styling. The brand’s social presence and prior GFC appearances emphasize color, kitsch, and direct-to-consumer energy, and the runway translated those strengths into a bright, consumable mini-collection.
Noe Bernaceli’s work felt like the most quietly surprising on the bill: artisanal details, a rich nod to Latinx references, and mixing of masculine and feminine codes. The designer’s silhouettes suggested careful craft and a sensitivity to texture and lineage.
Global Fashion Collective continues to do what it does best — curate a wild but coherent mix of education programs, heritage brands, and small couture houses. The result is a runway experience that’s less about commercial forecasting and more about talent spotting and cultural exchange.
September 11, 2025’s GFC runways at The Glasshouse were an invigorating snapshot of the contemporary independent fashion ecosystem: a bold, colorful, and often meaningful set of statements from designers who are building their voices. If you like discovery and designer intent — rather than mainstream trend-reporting — this was the day to be in the room.
