New York Fashion Week was the perfect venue to showcase the vast amount of diversity in the fashion industry. The brand that made diversity its label was Eckhaus Latta. The Eckhaus Latta spring 2018 show took place on Sept. 9, 2017 in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Once again, designers Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta showcased an extravagant collection. I would describe the entire collection as formal, polished wear but with a touch of casual street wear. A good chunk of the collection consisted of neutral wide shoulder baggy suits, blazers and pencil skirts perfect for office wear. The show eventually progressed into a range of vibrant colors and lavish patterns. The crisp and neat look of the outfits allured people and definitely made them a must have statement piece. Overall, I noticed that the Eckhaus Latta spring 2018 collection expressed a variety of pieces that were accommodating to different personalities and styles.
The Eckhaus Latta collection not only focused on diversity in clothing but also in the casting of models. This isn’t the first time that Eckhaus and Latta featured models of various races, sizes, ages and gender. It was interesting to see that some people out on the runway weren’t professional models. Several were friends and family members. But what caught everyone’s attention was Maia Ruth Lee, an 8 month pregnant model. She was unquestionably the highlight of the show when she walked out on the runway wearing a lavender snap front dress with the midsection snaps open to reveal her baby bump. It was unprecedented to design maternity wear that puts the baby bump on full display. The collection deviated from society’s expectation of how a pregnant woman is supposed to dress. Praise goes out to the designers for showing a new look towards maternity wear on the mainstream runway.
Another impressive idea that was incorporated on the runway was the use of clay masks. Eckhaus Latta collection revolved around the message of accepting our identity and being comfortable in our own skin, which is why they promoted natural beauty. The clay represented an important part of skincare routine that enhances our natural skin. Instead of focusing on vibrant and bold makeup, the models confidently flaunted their bare face with smears of clay. There were also some models with wet clay in their hair, which created a slick back look. The use of clay went well with the pure look of the show. Even though the use of clay was minimal, it was definitely impactful.
The main message of the Eckhaus Latta collection was to present clothing that was inclusive and embraced everyone’s differences. The designers wanted people to look at the clothing and feel a connection to them. By creating a wide array of designs, Eckhaus and Latta wanted to appeal to everyone and make people consider pieces from the collection that they would want to wear. Their theme successfully reflected their underlying message and gave a whole new meaning to diversity in the fashion industry.
