And left us with a thoughtful approach to fashion, friendship, and familiarity.
One of my fondest memories of childhood was sitting around the table at dinner parties watching the adults talk. After they finished a few glasses of wine, my two sisters and I could convince them all to watch our charmingly juvenile fashion show produced and modeled by us, naturally. This is essentially what Eckhaus Latta SS25 was — except, even with the grownups in the spotlight, they were just as willing to succumb to the evening’s surprise theatrics.
A few days before the show, Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta asked their friends, guests, and show invitees to select their favorite Eckhaus Latta pieces to wear to their fashion week event. When guests arrived at the Tribeca gallery space turned cocktail-and-dinner party, they expected a show. Instead, there were two long rectangular tables with a thin walkway running between them. Soon after the first dinner course began, actress and comedian Kate Berlant grabbed a microphone and announced that the show had started. “If it’s not clear, I hope it’s clear now. Many of you are going to walk… it is not a dinner, it’s a fashion show. It is a dinner, but it is also a fashion show.”
As music pounded, attendees began to summon their courage to strut, some more reluctantly than others. Julia Hobbs of British Vogue took to the runway, along with Liana Satenstein of Neverworns, Steff Yotka of SSENSE, Samuel Hine of GQ, Dara of Interview Magazine, our new political princess Ella Emhoff, and even actress Jemima Kirke. While some of these figures may be used to the spotlight, many were not, especially the journalists and writers, some of which were lovingly dragged out of their seats. It was an intimate setting, with around 75 guests, who all cheered and applauded for each other as they pushed out of their comfort zones to show off not only their Eckaus Latta pieces but also themselves. Beka Gvishiani of Style Not Com sat next to Lynn Yaeger but both stayed stuck to their seats along with critic Cathy Horyn (she’s been there, done that for Balenciaga).
The new Eckhaus Latta SS25 collection was more or less on display that night, but it wasn’t the focus of the event. This New York Fashion Week has felt different from the last. Much more lively and focused, with plenty of star power and interesting debuts mixed in. The surprise runway distracted from the collection itself, but not many people seemed to mind, myself included, because this Fashion Week has had a newfound energy of fun that, frankly, I’m excited to feel again. That being said, the SS25 garments were predictable for the brand, but nothing that customers won’t eagerly eat up.
There is a range of knits, from chunky crewnecks to ribbed cropped cardigans in stunning neutrals. Others are loosely woven to be almost translucent in whites and creams as oversized tops and slinky skirts. My favorite knitwear is, of course, the classic asymmetrical vertical striped tops in dark blues and greens, but a few in tasteful tangerine and taupe, too. Baggy carpenter jeans come in browns, blacks, and greens. Beautiful parachute denim trousers with a matching puff-sleeve jacket and ruched sleeves are stunning for any customer who wants a dramatic but understated set. There are pops of butter yellow in the form of a knit maxi dress and scarlet drawstring pants, also knitted, and styled with a red shoulder bag (no top needed). A few pairs of shoes look like socks that have been stretched over heels, while classic leather mules and square-toe leather work boots are casual and match almost everything in the collection. The line finishes off with pure whites as cutout button-up shirts, billowing skirts, and pleated tops. I would sum it up as soft, techy workwear in silhouettes that vary from slim to strong.
The collection may not have pushed the brand out of its comfort zone, but the Fashion Week dinner-turned-runway-turned-dinner certainly did. Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta “closed” the show by doing separate struts, leaving the guests with something to giggle about for the rest of the evening. I don’t think the spectacle was meant to distract from the clothes. I think it was a successful attempt to reconnect with the people who make the brand great — its founders, models, writers, creatives, and consumers. It felt personal and silly, and, in the end, I think that if you make your guests laugh — even if it’s a bit uncomfortable at first — you’ve accomplished something great. 🌀 7.2
Jane Lewis is HALOSCOPE's Runway Editor based in New York City. She grew up on farms in Southern California but now she always matches her shoes to her bag.