Tucked in the heart of Wall Street lies a kaleidoscope of bright hues and unapologetic innovation at IMPACT’s annual New York Fashion Week showcase. Founded by designer Lizzy Gee in 2020, the platform strives to uplift eco-friendly and diverse voices, showcasing collections that aren’t afraid to make fashion political.

With performances by electronic artist Princess Nostalgia and New York-based creator Eli Levi as guest host, IMPACT’s 2026 show made no amends to its commitment: featuring six defiant designers with 100% animal-free collections. Beginning the evening by denouncing corporate brands that use greenwashing as a marketing scheme, Levi critiqued the prevalent use of harmful materials in the fashion industry. 

“Mother Nature doesn’t make microplastics,” Levi said at the Feb. 14 event. “That’s not sustainability. That’s thoughts and prayers.”

Tatiana Alexandra

The show opened with Tatiana Alexandra, a Latina designer who grew up in a religious community where men wore suits to dictate power. Inspired by men’s tailoring and patterns from her hometown, her collection reinterprets these concepts against a female silhouette through a playful, upcycled lens that quietly pushed traditional boundaries of male clothing. 

Alexandra’s first look included a tan, fitted dress with a set of oversized bows adorning the side. It was followed up by a whimsical dress with a bodice made entirely of recycled ties and a short, silky skirt. Her third and final look included a fuzzy green sweater with various buttons left open, paired with a skirt designed from different bras and undergarments sewn into its hem. The collection felt bold and empowering on the female models dominating the runway, as the designer questioned traditional, gendered clothing by transforming hallmarks of men’s fashion into something feminine and chic.

SDN Brooklyn

Next, SDN Brooklyn took the stage, declaring designer Marcus Hicks’ work as “subverting the status quo.” The collection embraced impracticality through oversized elements, with hoodies doubling as ominous cloaks and baseball caps sitting a few inches higher on the head than normal. Each model wore a pair of bird-like “Mondo Shades,” some of which were decorated with skull charms. 

Most notably, the collection was blatantly political, with tops featuring the phrases “FUCK ICE” or “Deny, Defend, Depose” and gun-related imagery sewn onto over-the-shoulder bags and long robes. The fashion brand highlighted its commitment to social good, noting that a portion of its sales supports environmental or humanitarian charities.

XO Form

Inspired by the connection between intimacy and otherness, XO Form continued the show with a series of flashy streetwear pieces. Kitschy fishnet tights, denim patchwork sets and eye-catching layered tulle defined the collection, emphasizing a youthfully vibrant vision. One outfit featured a reworked ballerina-esque leotard and tutu in black and hot pink with intricate stitching on the front half and a gem-encrusted back. Alongside XO Form’s flamboyant approach and fashion direction, the brand creates all their pieces by hand, noting its commitment to ethical innovation.

Paradox Vested Relics

Perhaps the most innovative collection of the night, Paradox Vested Relics explores the paradox of excess: creating works of art from unwanted materials. For this collection, that meant an array of mismatched sets, graphic tees paired with clashing fabrics and unassumingly standard flip flops. 

Besides its taste for classy contradiction, PVR also utilized the full extent of creative free will by using objects as signature elements of their pieces. One model wore a deflated sex doll as a tie, while another incorporated dozens of flower bouquets into his matching black formal set, a fan-favorite look of the night.  

Tillium

Playing off the concept of transformability, Brooklyn-based Tillium’s clothing featured a lineup of stark, striped outfits that can seamlessly fit into daily life. The outfits prominently featured experimental sashes or vests worn over loose-fitting robes or dresses. With a collection more casual than those of the other designers featured, Tillium spotlighted the androgynous evolution of fashion, featuring nonconformist harem pants and bold cutouts worn by models of any gender identity.

Lizzy Gee

Rounding out the night with IMPACT’s founder and president, Lizzy Gee introduced her “Bloom In Spite Pt. 2” collection, a gender-free anthology inspired by florals and bursting warm shades. In her “Belladonna Bridal Gown,” a shining sheer veil was paired with an untraditional wedding dress, dyed pink around its chest, skirt accent and single sleeve. Other outfits featured rich pinks, oranges and purples, highlighting Gee’s vision of falling in love with life. 

Arguably the most stylistically cohesive collection of the night, “Bloom In Spite Pt. 2” perfectly ended the show with a flowery flair, shining bright even in the midst of New York’s uniquely intense winter.

In its sixth year at NYFW, IMPACT provides an expressive space for environmentally friendly designers of all experiences and identities to share their work with hundreds. Co-lead Chelsea Agawa of Fashion Revolution USA, an organization advocating for ethical business practices and clean production, emphasized the need for such spaces. 

“Sustainability is not a burden to place on designers,” Agawa proclaimed during a mid-show speech. “It is an invitation.”