New York Fashion Week ended in a big way with the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week’s Art Hearts Fashion show, which was presented by the AIDS Healthcare foundation and featured seven collections. Overall, the collections were sensational.

Before the show, singer Kendall Schmidt from Big Time Rush said that he was excited for the show. “I was backstage earlier and I saw a lot of colors that I’m into which are like greens, seafoam and neutral colors,” Schmidt said.

Mister Triple X: This collection, titled, “All X in Wonderland,” brought the audience to the edge of their seats, craning their necks to see more. As each model came out onto the runway, they radiated punk coolness. The men had suit jackets that were patterned to be reminiscent of tattoos, and many of them had furry fox tails swinging from their hips. The girls’ looks featured many chains and printed fabrics. Mister Triple X stayed true to his aesthetic and incorporated many leather straps that almost looked like bondage. One such strap was placed upon a model’s head and attached to chains that dangled from her head, yet looked like a cool necklace. At the end of the show, the audience was amused when all of the models came back out wearing black bunny ear masks, as a reference to Triple X’s bunny logo.

Walter Mendez: Each model walked in shimmering, flowing dresses that combined sheer panels with dazzling reflective fabrics, making each one a show stopper. Any of the dresses in this collection could easily double as a trendy wedding dress or a red carpet dress. The dresses were tightly fitting that in some cases–such as when a model came out in a gold sparkling dress–the dress looked as though it had been painted directly onto the skin. Yet, even with the form fitting silhouettes, each dress looked effortless as a result of the flowy skirts or sleeves. Mendez’s blocking of sheer versus solid fabrics was intriguing as well, such as a chevron alternating sheer and solid pattern running along some models’ upper thighs.

House of Li Jon: Li Jon embraced the avant-garde by creating a fabric textile using tiny interwoven chains. Artist Lia Mira once again reinvented chainmail and combined the interesting fabric choice with an exceptional talent for color blocking to create to-die-for outfits. One dress in particular created the illusion of floating geometric panels by combining white and black chainmail, creating a surprisingly sheer look. Another look which drew loud cheers from the crowds was a white chainmail skirt and a loose fitting top which sparkled in such a way that it looked like diamonds. The collection featured various colors of chainmail that looked wearable for all sorts of occasions.

House of Byfield: Fashion Week is usually dominated by women’s wear so it was refreshing to see this collection that featured more male looks than female looks. The designer seemed to have set out in this collection to reinvent the classic business suit and make it fresh again–which he succeeded in doing. The men’s back pockets featured eye-grabbing designs and the suits themselves were made of various funky patterned materials that would seemingly clash but meshed surprisingly well in a suit. It didn’t look clownish at all, despite being paired with chic flower-patterned business shoes. Boxy and medium sized purses accompanies most of the outfits.

Hallie Sara: Hallie Sara’s smaller collection lacked nothing in its sophistication and taste level, as it featured some leather and a lot of fur in its designs. The outfits looked warm, with some of them having a villain vibe evocative of Cruella deVille. While the collection looked cuddly, it unfortunately did not feel innovative enough when shown with the other collections. Sara showed some originality in making a fur scarf, but overall, her collection featured neutral colors in classic silhouettes that made it feel more like last year’s Nordstrom rack rather than a fashion week show.

Mimi Tran: One could see clearly Mimi Tran’s hollywood glamour influence in her collection, which was embellished with all sorts of shiny beaded fabrics, sequined fabrics and decals. The collection was overall pretty good, but Tran did not use the glitz as effectively as Mendez or Jon. In particular, Tran adorned two of the outfits with beaded red-orange flowers and went overboard. The model who was otherwise in a sheer dress, looked as though there was coral growing on her body. Tran redeemed herself at the end of the show however with her last two looks being strong. An adorable gray fur dress paired with high black boots preceded an even more lovely wedding gown. The wedding gown was a fierce last look and was sheer with just the right amount of glossy flower decals.

MTCostello: The Costellos stole the show with their risky and original collection. The collection opened up eerily as a voiceover talking about the bayou came on and a model staggered out covered by a sheer brown afghan. The model then took off the afghan to reveal an ultra-tight, revealing green romper outfit that featured extra-sheer circles around her backside. The rest of the looks that came out were made of fabrics that resembled reptilian skin, swamp plants or dried, glimmering mud. It was a flawless combination of nature and fashion. Some of the models even had leafy headbands woven into their hair. The standout look was a menswear one that consisted of a brown, lustrous blanket draped over his shoulders and nothing else. Nothing. The model did hold a golden ornamental cup over himself, but before he walked off, he let the blanket fall smoothly off his shoulders to reveal a completely bare butt. Needless to say, the crowd went as wild as this collection felt.

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