The fashion certainly warranted applause, but the standing ovation came when five young girls strutted down the runway and posed in designer Ericka Castañeda’s sophisticated, yet youthful, dresses and coats.

The ‘Emerging Designers’ show included collections by Emily Daccarett, Tia Pion, Dana Jackson, Adriana Carolina, AÙMA, Ericka Castañeda, Crystian Amir, and Claire Henkel.  Several of the designers featured sequins, embroidery and fringe accents in their collections.

Pion’s collection, “Chromatical Era,” was all about the people, literally.  Though the designer only sent four looks down the runway, her whimsical “people print” outfits and brightly colored canvas sneakers set her apart from the deep greens and blacks that dominated the runway.  The last look, a comfortable French vanilla shirt-dress paired with green suede oxford flats and beige socks, featured an original print of women in bikinis with trendy bobs sitting and laying in various poses.  Her line is also eco-friendly, incorporating shorts and skirts made out of vintage home goods like tablecloths.

Norwegian clothing label, AÙMA, presented the only menswear pieces of the show, highlighting comfort and functionality with each outfit.  The slate grey, navy and black color palate brought out the clean lines of each vest and jacket, bringing modern architecture to life and giving it a crisp movement.  Contemporary with a tinge of metropolitan edge, the women’s pieces were more androgynous, complete with midnight blue crewneck sweatshirts, loosely-fitted ash grey vests, and black textured wedges.

There were also a few older fashion trends that reemerged in the collections. Emily Daccarett proudly showcased the socks-with-heels look and Crystian Amir put her flair into the overalls dress, using tulle and 3-D hand sewn flowers to reinvent the old classic.

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