Click for more looks from TILLYandWILLIAM Spring/Summer 2014.

The summery southwestern desert theme of the TILLYandWILLIAM Spring/Summer 2014 show could not have been more appropriate for Wednesday’s sweltering NYC heat wave.  Although the show’s outdoor location at Pier 79 in the blazing sun sent attendees searching for shade and slurping down countless waters, the collection itself was a hit.

TILLYandWILLIAM is an up and coming NYC-based designer that just made its debut at NYFW last season. The clothes are unique in their versatility and androgyny, allowing wearers the opportunity to wear a single garment in several ways and even for both genders. TILLYandWILLIAM incorporated this innovative design concept into its show itself, doubling as a runway show and a dance performance. Models did not merely walk down the catwalk; they twirled, leaped and danced with grace. The show was split into two “movement segments,” in which the models changed their clothes from one functional piece to another: a maxi-dress becomes a mini-dress, a cape becomes a hooded top.   The dance a stunning way to highlight the fluidity of the clothes and showed how the clothes truly transform.

Designers Jessica Lapidos and Thomas Barranca were inspired this season by a summer road trip, with the fabrics displaying landscapes of rocky desert and geometric patterns of dreamy watercolor-like muted colors. The collection drew upon inspiration from traditional Native American and South American designs of colorful stripes and shapes. The looks were very cohesive, with the models wearing headbands atop their messily teased hairstyles, made from the same fabric as their outfits. Their faces were adorned with paint in the colors of their clothes: pale pinks, purples, blues; dusty reds, oranges and yellows.  TILLYandWILLIAM delivered an ethereal, free and dreamy show that tied fashion and dance together into a true show of the arts.

Alyssa Santiago is a contributing writer. Email her at [email protected].