NYFW ’24
MODEL? nepo baby? What about BOTH
By Giselle Acosta
The Art of the Rewear: How Sustainable Fashion is the New Sexy
By Willa Kramer
Tendances ou Hommage: L'obsession de la mode pour la nostalgie et le retour du rêve Y2K
By Gloria Mbile
NYFW Events: Here’s What Guest Wore
By Willa Kramer
September — NYFW SS 25 TAC
“
My Totally Unbiased, Perfectly Reasonable Ranking of Runway Nepo Babies
”
By Giselle Acosta
As New York Fashion Week draws to a close and high fashion Twitter becomes flooded yet again with runway photos, I couldn’t help but wonder: how many of these models actually deserve to be there? The New Yorker declared 2022 “the year of the nepo baby,” but I think a more accurate title is “the decade of the nepo baby.” It seems like every year a new crop of unqualified, A-list progeny trips onto the runway to make their debut. A few of them, however, have managed to stick around and carve their own niche in their parent’s shadow. Therefore, I feel it is only right to judge these fashion legacy admissions on their walks. After all, isn’t this the equal treatment they’ve been asking for?
But first, a few disclaimers. I am only focusing on these women’s runway walks, not their IG photos or print appearances. I am looking for grace, dexterity, consistency, and a signature style. In other words, I’m hopelessly seeking the magic of ’90s runways, which are widely considered the golden age of fashion.
Second, I will not be judging their appearance. No one can change their genes. Besides, all these girls come from wealthy families, so I’m assuming they helped themselves to cosmetic procedures that gave them a leg up on self-made models.
Third, with the exception of clips from the most recent NYFW, half of my analyses are based on video compilations of the models’ “best moments.” The other four models (ranked #4 to #8) haven’t worked enough to merit such montages. I think this selection is the only way to correct for the “unfair prejudice” insert eye roll nepo babies experience. It’s also the easiest way to judge runway skills to the fullest extent. If even their best is severely lacking—well, let’s just say they should go the extra mile on Mother’s and Father’s Day.
8. Lila Grace Moss
Nepo Connection: her mother is Kate Moss, the famous ’90s supermodel
The younger Moss made her runway debut at Miu Miu three years ago, and she doesn’t seem to have improved since then. Her walk isn’t bad, per se—it’s just entirely forgettable. Her mechanical stride makes your eyes glaze over as she passes. Whether you remember her at all entirely depends on the quality of her clothes, which defeats the whole point of a model. A good model should capture everyone’s attention even in something as bad as Balenciaga Fall 2024 couture.
To be fair, she seems like a nice girl who actually cares about fashion. If modeling really is her dream, she should use some of her mom’s connections to get lessons before she heads back out on the runway.
7. Deva Cassel
Nepo Connection: her mother is Monica Belluci, the actress and famed Italian beauty
Deva is pretty new to her career. At least, she’s too new for her own “best of” runway compilations. Her expressions on the runway are consistently sultry. Her walk is also pretty good and identifiably “high fashion,” but it’s not memorable. Cassel is about as skilled as the average runway model, which for a nepo baby still says something.
6. Iris Law
Nepo Connection: her father is Jude Law, the actor and early 2000s heartthrob
Iris also hasn’t done many shows yet, but she’s performed well in the ones she was in. Her walk is an attention-grabbing strut instead of the default plod of most nepo babies. Her “model face” is clearly refined. Law’s castings are still too few and far between to judge her consistency and versatility, but as far as inexperienced nepo babies go, she’s one of the best.
5. Amelia Gray
Nepo Connection: her parents are both actors, and her mother, Lisa Rinna, stars on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
According to The New York Times, Amelia Gray is “one of the most booked models of the moment.” That was news to me. Her walk is polished and gives the impression that she’s practiced extensively, which is more than you can say for most nepo babies. However, she constantly has the same blank expression, and she doesn’t offer anything we haven’t seen before. She could very well be the next big thing, but she needs to hone her signature style first.
4. Kendall Jenner
Nepo Connection: she’s a member of the infamous Kardashian-Jenner clan, but you probably knew that already
Kendall walked for Alaïa in this September’s New York Fashion Week. She has a confident stride, swings her hips in a dynamic way, and has already proved that she’s capable of navigating obstacles like stairs with poise.
Nevertheless, she loses points for her blanker than blank expression. She has what I call “Dead Eye Syndrome,” which is a great affliction in the Kardashian-Jenner family. It can be identified by the impression that if you peered into their brain, all you would find is an Ozempic-thin hamster struggling to keep up with its wheel.
3. Kaia Gerber
Nepo Connection: her mother is Cindy Crawford, another legendary ’90s supermodel
Kaia’s walk was surprisingly great. Controversially, I think it’s even better than Kendall’s, even though Gerber is slightly afflicted with the same “Dead Eye Syndrome.” Her walks are energetic and eye-catching, a far cry from the robotic strut of the average nepo baby.
Her style is somewhat inconsistent and can look messy at times, but she makes up for this by moving in a way that melds with and highlights the clothes. Her Moschino runway is the best example of this.
2. Gigi Hadid
Nepo Connection: her mother, Yolanda Hadid, is a former model and star on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Unsurprisingly, Gigi Hadid is one of the rare breed of models who can balance versatility and charm. Her range of captivating expressions (bye bye robot eyes!), comfort with various props (even a live dog!), and practiced, powerful walk make an impact even when she's wearing flats.
Who can forget her iconic hair flip at Jacquemus FW20? Any model who can improvise a viral moment like that without interfering with the show deserves her spot on the runway.
1. Bella Hadid
Nepo Connection: the same as Gigi Hadid. They’re sisters!
Bella Hadid’s runway presence can be described in one word: fierce. Over the years, she’s developed her own signature walk like the supermodels of old. She incorporates a serpentine swing of the hips, earth-shattering steps, and an expression that dares you to question why she deserves to be there.
What makes her the best is her ability to serve while accommodating the theatricality of high fashion. She’s done cartwheels for Mugler and had a dress sprayed onto her by Coperni, yet her supermodel aura hasn’t slipped for a second. That consistency and seamless execution of iconic runway moments is what defines fashion’s #1 nepo baby. And her name…is Bella Hadid.
September — NYFW SS 25 TAC
“
Tendances ou Hommage : L'obsession de la mode pour la nostalgie et le retour du rêve Y2K”
By Gloria Mbile
Après avoir envahi les podiums et inondé nos feeds Instagram, la mode Y2K s’impose désormais dans les rues. Il suffit de lancer un regard en coin pour repérer quelqu’un portant un jean taille basse avec un baby tee et les Beketts d’Isabel Marant.
Dans l’espoir d’avoir la même aura que Bella Hadid, même ceux qui se moquaient autrefois de la mode des années 2000 n'ont d’autre choix que de monter à bord. Des maisons comme Miu Miu ou Blumarine s’y mettent aussi, avec des collections qui reprennent tous les essentiels Y2K : micro-jupes, motifs papillon, accessoires à strass, et ceintures ornées de pierres brillantes. Ces pièces iconiques nous rappellent que cette époque était synonyme de maximalisme et d’extravagance ludique.
Mais il ne s’agit pas là d’une simple question de tendances. La Gen Z doit une grande partie de sa culture aux années 2000. Il est presque impossible de scroller sur TikTok sans tomber sur une compilation de moments cultes — comme Kim Kardashian en train de prendre un selfie pendant que sa sœur part en prison. En plus de romantiser une époque dont on a à peine des souvenirs, on a le droit au retour de marques comme Juicy Couture. On peut enfin ressembler à Paris Hilton, ou du moins essayer. En ajoutant à ça du PinkPantheress dans nos écouteurs pour bien rentrer le mood.
Et si c’était à cause de la pandémie du Covid qui avait frappé notre chère planète que nous avons tous décidé de chercher un échappatoire dans le passé ? Ou peut-être que c’est parce que c’est une époque que nous avons presque connue, et avec laquelle on se sent étrangement connectés ? Ou alors, c’est peut-être juste parce que le marché de la seconde main a explosé, facilitant l'accès à ces pièces vintage.
Je n’en sais rien, et d’ailleurs vous non plus. Mais une chose est sûre : vous feriez mieux de monter à bord du train Y2K avant qu’il ne quitte la gare. J’ai entendu dire qu’il ne repassait que tous les 20 ans.
September — NYFW SS 25 TAC
“
Trends or Tribute: Fashion's Obsession with Nostalgia and the Return of the Y2K Dream”
By Gloria Mbile
After taking over runways and flooding our Instagram feeds, Y2K fashion has now taken to the streets. A quick glance around, and you'll spot someone rocking low-rise jeans with a baby tee and a pair of wedge sneakers straight out of Isabel Marant’s catalog.
In the quest to channel Bella Hadid’s effortless vibe, even those who once mocked the early 2000s fashion have no choice but to join the bandwagon. Fashion houses like Miu Miu and Blumarine have jumped in too, rolling out collections featuring all the Y2K essentials—microskirts, butterfly motifs, bedazzled accessories, and rhinestone-encrusted belts. The return of these nostalgic pieces reminds us that this era was all about maximalism and playful excess.
But it’s not just about fashion trends. Gen Z owes a huge chunk of its cultural references to the 2000s. You can’t scroll through TikTok without stumbling upon a compilation of iconic pop culture moments—like Kim Kardashian snapping a selfie while her sister heads to jail. Beyond romanticizing an era we barely remember, we’ve been blessed with the comeback of brands like Juicy Couture, giving us all a chance to live our Paris Hilton fantasy, or at least give it a try. And of course, adding to that some PinkPantheress playing in our ears just to set the mood.
Maybe it’s the pandemic that hit our dear planet in 2020 that has us retreating to Y2K as an escape? Or maybe it’s because it’s a time we almost experienced, and we feel a weird sense of connection to it. Or, it could just be because thrifting boomed, making those Y2K pieces easier to access.
I don’t have the answer, and frankly, neither do you. But one thing’s for sure: you better hop on the Y2K train before it leaves the station. Apparently, it only comes around every 20 years.
September —24 TAC
“
The Art of the Rewear: How Sustainable Fashion is the New Sexy”
By Willa Kramer
As we revel in the afterglow of this fall’s New York Fashion Week, one thing is decidedly, shiningly certain: sustainability makes haute couture HOT. From Collina Strada to Kamal Haasan’s House of Khaddar to Coach, sustainability and secondhand style is the new playground of fashion—and we can’t look away.
With the rise of fast-fashion brands, producing billions of garments—many never worn—and millions of tons of textile waste year after year, what the fashion industry so desperately needs, what the world so desperately needs, is a revolution. We can see hints of it in the Spring-Summer 2025 collections that debuted in NYC last week: a turning point in Christian Siriano’s textile-waste-turned-elegant-garment; a statement in performance-artist Justin Hutchinson’s 8-foot-tall “fashion zombie,” assembled as a representation of the industry’s massive amounts of waste. When the clothing dump in Chile’s Atacama Desert is burned into our brains in all its tens of thousands of tons of horror, watching the fashion industry take steps towards the CFDA-set deadline of net-zero carbon emissions by 2025 feels a lot like hope.
At eBay’s Endless Runway, hosted in collaboration with the CFDA and British Fashion Council and curated and dressed by Wisdom Kaye, the pre-loved is love. Catwalks are streamed live and entirely shoppable, encouraging viewers to buy in (literally) to the movement that is secondhand fashion. The focus here, in the vintage silhouettes and old-made-new-again street style looks, is on authenticity, on the ways we learn to live and love again through the things we wear. Isn’t there something about watching Kaye’s models glide mesmerizingly around eBay’s circular runway, their ensembles genuine embodiments of what it is to give something a second chance, that makes you want to take them back? (By them, of course, I mean low-rise jeans and suede jackets, to be found in thrift stores, on the RealReal, or—if you’re really on a budget—in the back of your mom or grandma’s closet.)
Kamal Haasan’s ‘Sutura’ collection, too, played with dissolving the boundaries between sustainability and the high-end fashion of NYFW, platforming eco-friendly textiles with deep roots in India’s culture and craftsmanship. Haasan’s color schemes, borrowed directly from the world around us, pair with his daring and creative silhouettes in just the right way to make us want more, to crave more of this combination of powerful, captivating art and sustainability. Similarly, Collina Strada’s SS25 collection takes the earth as both inspiration and reason, hosted in New York’s Marble Cemetery and featuring just the right amount of playfulness to make the eco-friendly fun while also grounding it in the stakes of the situation. We are told to “touch grass,” but we come away wanting to run our fingers through the climate-conscious fabric that clings and drapes like a gauzy dream. Hot, right?
It is undeniably sexy to care about the planet and our role in the climate crisis. Coach got that right in their show, with their worn-in pieces and retro curations. Watching it back, Vevers’ stylings feel both timeless and quintessentially of the moment—blazers and skirts are paired with loose t-shirts featuring pen scribbles and beading, silky slips with upcycled leather jackets and bags studded with pins. It’s carefree while also demonstrating concern for the planet, playful while reflecting the all-too-real anxieties held by the younger generations from whom Coach seems to have drawn inspiration. These are clothes that demand use, that show the proof of it on their surface, and that ask the question staring down the whole of the fashion industry: who are these pieces for, how will they be shopped and worn and valued, if the world continues to collapse around us? It’s getting hot in here—it seems a much better approach to face the reality of the situation than to continue to dismiss and offload its consequences.
To be fair, it’s always going to be easier to slip off a pair of jeans that have been lived in, loved, stained on the back pocket and torn at the knee, than it ever will be to struggle out of the plastic-feeling polyester-blend jeans offered (and over-produced) by the likes of Shein. Sustainable fashion offers us a future, and there’s a whole lot of love, lust, and play to be found in that.
September —24 TAC
“Les Adore went to New York Fashion Week, and a thousand people came: here’s what they wore.”
By Willa Kramer
Last Sunday, Les Adore Productions supported production for a pop-up event in collaboration with Kismet Reserve and Ssqrd, featuring vintage watches, ethical fashion, and an hours-long parade of stunning looks, styled and showcased by those who paid the pop-up a visit. Looking back on it now, their collective lookbook reflects aspirations towards timelessness with impactful touches of authenticity.
mIsMatch
For many, a combination of the late-summer NYC weather and current trends brought out stylings that lean into the mismatched, juxtaposing worn-in leathers against lace and business casual against edgier pieces and accessories.
Prints
As is well known by now, we are in an era of fashion heralded by leopard prints, worn in every imaginable way. At this event—as with our very own logo here at The Argent Club—the circumstances were no different.
All the Color and all the Fabric
It’d be far easier to point out the colors not seen at the event, rather than the colors that were. Mostly, though, it was a combination of rich, vibrant shades and earth tones—occasionally paired together in the same ensemble. Fabrics, too, were widely variant, although cottons and linens were favored, as were other lighter, draping materials, likely due to the infamous summer heat in the city.
Accessories Accessories Accessories
At a moment in fashion when simpler, classic silhouettes are favored, life and play are brought into the mix via creative and personal accessorization. Whether it be a set of sunglasses, a stack of jewelry (often featuring mixed metals), or a pair of thrifted leather boots, those who attended the event were styled to the nines, and it looked a dream.
Photos by @k8.ravenscroft, @visualsbyyann, @prabhsphotos, and Zoe Curewitz
September —24 TAC
“Why No One’s Doing It Like Sabrina Carpenter”
By Giselle Acosta
Nobody’s doing it like Sabrina Carpenter. That’s not a statement—it's a fact. Henceforth, 2024 will be known as 0 ASC (After Sabrina Carpenter), as it is this year that the five feet flat blonde made her grand debut on the world stage. She was helped, no doubt, by her unforgettable style.
Though she’s been in the industry for almost ten years at this point, Carpenter only broke into the mainstream after refining her trademark style, “Sabrinacore.” Despite seeming inimitable, if you put on your Bayonetta glasses and squint really hard, you’ll find it can be reduced to a simple mathematical equation:
Sabrinacore = Barbie + vintage + cheeky
Her style’s vintage quality makes her look timeless and memorable. In other words, she dresses like a trendsetter, not a trend follower. Her vintage influence is subtle, but definitely there. You can see it in the ’60s babydoll nighties that are now emblematic of her Short ‘n’ Sweet era. Even before that, her fifties-esque headscarves and one-piece swimsuits in her “Espresso” Music Video were part of what made that video so iconic.
The cheekiness of her style is a bit harder to pin down. Carpenter has sex appeal like most female pop stars, but she makes herself attractive in a specific way. It’s flirtatious, self-assured, and uniquely witty. When the two other addends–Barbie and vintage–are given the Sabrina Carpenter treatment, you get iconically cheeky staples like her just-a-bit-too-short miniskirts and decolletage-bearing heart cutout corsets.
Still, like all well-dressed people, Sabrina Carpenter doesn’t exist in a vacuum. The framing of her outfits in her music videos add the last few sparkles to her Sabrinacore halo. In her “Taste” behind the scenes video–characterically titled “Taste (Me Too)”–Carpenter smugly says, “In the Sabrina Carpenter Cinematic Universe, women never die. Men unfortunately suffer most of the loss.”
That statement holds true for her last four hit singles. In their Music Videos’s, Sabrina dances around in showstopping outfits while men get run over, thrown out of boats, disemboweled with a chainsaw, you name it. Her figure-hugging two piece gingham set? Flawless. Her trademark blonde locks? Nary a strand out of place. Try to think of any other pop star who can pull off those looks amid bloodshed, and I bet you can’t. It’s best to leave that one to Her Vengeful Highness, Sabrina Carpenter.
1. https://www.instagram.com/p/C_GnWdJyJTf/?igsh=MW4ycG1ob3hmcmNq
2.https://footwearnews.com/fashion/celebrity-style/sabrina-carpenter-lollapalooza-barbie-pink-platform-boots-1203500072/
3.https://x.com/SCANews_/status/1815875519449116924?mx=2
4.https://www.reddit.com/r/popculturechat/comments/189c842/fashion_highlight_sabrina_carpenter_is_her_custom/
5. https://www.instagram.com/p/C_ElTquy_4P/?igsh=cHBmcjIxMGN5NmQ0
2.https://footwearnews.com/fashion/celebrity-style/sabrina-carpenter-lollapalooza-barbie-pink-platform-boots-1203500072/
3.https://x.com/SCANews_/status/1815875519449116924?mx=2
4.https://www.reddit.com/r/popculturechat/comments/189c842/fashion_highlight_sabrina_carpenter_is_her_custom/
5. https://www.instagram.com/p/C_ElTquy_4P/?igsh=cHBmcjIxMGN5NmQ0
FRAME to FRAMES
By Caroline ChoiThere is nothing more frustrating than waiting 30 minutes in a sweaty smelly crowd to see The Mona Lisa, then to muscle to the front and realize that you can’t see a thing because A) the elitist fuckwads at the Louvre have created a 10 foot radius around the glass and B) you have astigmatism.
Before you ask, the last few times I’ve been to the optometrist, I’ve been informed that I have 20/20 vision. That’s right. There’s nothing wrong with my eyes except for the fact that my corneas have “irregular curvature”. For that reason, I have never had an excuse to actually wear glasses.
In fact, I’ve watched countless roommates bemoan their contact lens cases and bottles of solution, celebrated fulfilling one of the few astronaut requirements (though now debunked), and definitely made fun of a few chunky glasses in elementary school.
So now as I struggle to make out Mona’s smirk, I wonder: would I be a fraud for wearing frames? Does Harvard Health Insurance cover optometry? And most importantly – can glasses be fashionable?
As with most fashion assignments, I began by rewatching The Devil Wears Prada. Et voila! Front and center, Gisele Bündchen enters the Vogue office wearing thin square frames and looking slinky as fuck. That freeze frame of her, looking over her shoulder, mouth slightly ajar, wearing a chunky necklace and an ear cuff, took over TikTok earlier this year as the epitome of an “office siren”.
I did some more digging on “office sirens” and found those pap photos of Bella Hadid in those Bayonetta glasses. Who knew recovering from Lyme Disease could look that good?? Then there’s also the sexy librarian outfit from Billie’s music video, Jennie in Gentle Monster, Matilda Djerf, and our Lord and Savior Tyler the Creator in every single type of eyeglasses possible.
I remember talking to one anonymous editor at Teen Vogue who scoffed at the “clackers” from the Vogue offices who shared bathrooms and kitchens with them. They’re always wearing stilettos, leather bags, and Miu Miu reading glasses, she said. Always primping in the mirrors! (I paraphrase.) Now that we Gen-Zers are joining the workforce – god willing, may I find a job!! – it makes sense that we’d look for ways to make it fun.
Which is all to say, for those who struggle to make out the gilding on the picture frame, buy some frames for your face.
https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/gisele-bundchen-devil-wears-prada
https://www.reddit.com/r/tylerthecreator/comments/w0qtc0/does_anybody_know_what_sunglasses_tyler_is/