The NYFW show features models in lingerie, suits and hijabs – all on the same catwalk
Normally you wouldn't expect to see models wearing hijabs and models in lingerie under the same roof – let alone walking the same catwalk.
But they all put their best foot forward in one inclusive New York Fashion Week show, meant to celebrate all women.
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MEFeater Galentine's New York Fashion Week show brought together a diverse group of women to showcase their unique style, whether it's hijabi fashion or revealing lingerie.
Pop culture publication MEFeater Magazine brought visitors from far and wide to their third annual Galentine's F/W 2024 NYFW show on February 10, powered by hair care company Mielle Organics.
The Galentine's evening was “dedicated to celebrating female friendships and uplifting women,” according to the website.
Celebrity attendees included Mecole Hayes of Big Brother, P-Valley and actress Gail Bean, as well as musical performances from rapper KenTheMan and singer Jada Kingdom.
It started with an introduction by TV personality and Baddies reality star Janeisha John, who called it an evening of “women's empowerment on and off the catwalk.”
MEFeater's CEO and Forbes 30 under 30 nominee Gabrielle Amani Williams explained why it was important to highlight underrepresented talent.
After working in the fashion industry for ten years, she thought it was “crazy” and felt “disheartened” by seeing the mistreatment of up-and-coming talent, especially those of color.
“When I had a magazine and a platform, I wanted to create a high-fashion show that would welcome not only our community, but all shades,” she told The US Sun.
She realized early on that Fashion Week events were typically “male-dominated.”
There also weren't many women with premiere shows and not as many female fashion creatives competing on the same level as Marc Jacobs and Alexander Wang.
“I wanted to have a female-focused show that really highlighted female designers who might not even be able to afford their own show,” Amani said.
She admitted that producing a fashion show was “expensive” and “it felt in her pockets,” but knew it was all worth it to support others from “different backgrounds and walks of life.”
Shop women's pre-show designers
- Hoyang Poon
- Malachai Spivey
- Lulu James
- Alise Haliq
- Larry Chamblish
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The Galentines Event not only highlighted three talented women on the runway, but also in a pre-show “Shop Women” presentation that spotlighted five other designers as the cocktails flowed.
Chinese-American size-inclusive designer Hannah Poon from Hoyang Poon designs bold, see-through lingerie and bikini styles because she “doesn't like to wear clothes.”
The minimal fabric accentuates the figure of each woman with sizes from XS to XXL, which she felt was important to showcase during the Galentine's showcase.
Models wore them beforehand at the pre-show event as a way for women to “lean into their femininity” and “feel beautiful in their own skin.”
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While the audience was looking forward to an evening full of fashion, the models took to the stage.
RMA
The first catwalk show put 'incredible' Muslim hijabi designer Reema in the spotlight with her brand RMA Apparel, which was modest but sexy.
Navigating the industry as a Muslim hijabi was a challenge for her, so she decided to start her clothing brand RMA to fill a gap in the market in 2021.
“Reema is a hijabi designer who creates clothing for modest women who are Muslim and may not be able to wear all the high fashion in our space because it is not created with them in mind,” Amani said.
“We don't see many at NYFW, and we want to give her a huge platform.”
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Models – some wearing hijabs themselves, others not – wore form-fitting dresses and high-waisted trousers that subtly accentuated their figures but adhered to conservative dress standards with covered arms.
The outfits were mostly black with shades of gray, silver and olive green in them.
“My goal is to provide a space for women to express their fashion sense without revealing their skin,” says Reema in an interview with MEFeater.
The most revealing outfit was a black long-sleeved top and a long maxi skirt that exposed a bit of the model's stomach area.
NO Punch Bag
Next came the mother-daughter trio No punching bag and their “I AM WOMAN” collection, which boldly declared to the public, “I can do all things.”
“Since my mom is my co-founder and owner, I love their story,” said Gabrielle.
She admitted that she was biased when it came to putting their designs on the runway, not only because of their similar family circumstances, but also because of what they stood for.
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Since its founding in 2015, the brand has showcased collections that promote voices, mental health awareness, suicide prevention, gun violence, racism and domestic violence.
They ranged from avant-garde artistic displays to bold use of the colors red, black and purple with geometric shapes and patterns.
Janeisha John and rapper Chinese Kitty also appeared on the catwalk in low-cut and sheer black outfits that showed their buttocks.
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RU BY RUPAL
Finally, Indian designer Rupal Banerdree put on a show of gender expression with her latest collection for her brand Ru by Rupal.
Rupal Banerjee started her namesake brand in 2019, which combines the craft and textiles of South Asian culture with modern style.
A Galentine veteran, she returned to the MEFeater runway for a third time after being named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list last year.
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“Ru is doing something special for brown women in the Indian world. We don't see many high-end Indian designers. She is killing it,” said Gabrielle.
The inspiration for her recent collection came from the ease and monotony of many South Asians who, like her parents, chose desk jobs for a living.
The models wore smart, business-casual clothes and carried books and office supplies such as binders and lunch pails in their hands, with their hair in braided pigtails.
Gabrielle, CEO of MEFeater, said there was one thing she wanted attendees to say as they walked out.
“Oh shit. They did,” she joked.
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