The Council of Aspiring American Fashion Designers yet again unveiled various emerging brands during New York Fashion Week.  CAAFD welcomed six thoroughly screened, approved and selected brands from around the globe representing their country of residence or origin. Among the newly selected and returning brands were:  Moon Chang, A Humming Way, Farida Temraz’s Temraza, María Sonia, Yufash and Phoenix Ba. Collectively the brands showcased their spring/summer 20 collections after each other. Individually, the brands exquisitely showcased their unique work of art and passion, exhibiting mix of bright colors, elegance, flare, couture,  and some edgy. With a fully packed, standing room only, six designers showcased at one sitting. Fashion professionals and celebrities among the audience waited patiently as each brand took their turn to grace the runway.   

Egyptian designer Farida Temraz opens the show,  presented her couture brand 'Temraza' with flare and elegance. Though the designer has made quite a name for herself in the red carpet circuit in the previous two-three years, this was Farida Temraz's first being listed on the official fashion week schedule as part of CAAFD newly selected Designer and she did not disappoint. With a total of 24 pieces, the collection consisted of evening gowns, cocktail dresses, and bridal couture. The color palette picked by the designer was mostly pastel with the occasional electric blue and white seen in a couple of pieces. Temraza's common thread was the floral element which Farida Temraz used in almost all her pieces, giving them a refined and elegant touch. She presented with two bridal options - a trumpet gown with a halter illusion neckline with off-shoulder sleeves and a ball gown with ruffled sleeves completed with a veil. The gowns provided with a wonderful contrast between the modern and the traditional.

Phoenix Ba Spring/Summer 20 Floral Motifs Collection Exhibited Majesty. The Toronto based designer presented 15 pieces in her collection and showed surface textile techniques in her collection. Her opening piece was a double-breasted dress with floral motifs on warm tones. The collection consisted of evening wear with A-line and sheath gowns. There were also a couple of skirts, a pair of pants with a tube frill top along with a floral jumpsuit. She incorporated the floral theme throughout the collection as each piece had intricate floral work in it. A lot of different materials were used like mesh and tassels in a couple of pieces. Phoenix Ba's love for hair accessories was also on display as each model walked with floral hair bands or other floral hair accessories matching their outfits. Her finale piece saw a model in a peplum top and pleated skirt walking down the runway. 

Paraguayan Fashion Designer Maria Sonia Shines Bright with Colorful Silhouettes  - Her Spring/Summer 20 brings ‘hope’ to the mood and climate of the world. Think of Spring and every bright color that comes with it. And that is exactly what you will find on the runway for the Maria Sonia Showcasing at the NYFW. The CAAFD approved designer presented a collection of 15 pieces. The colorful collection has been inspired by the designer's roots and the scenario was quite different from what you generally expect at a fashion show's runway. The models walked boldly, freely on the runway, lifting their trains and showing them to the audience. It was a rhythmic dance as the model twirled around to fully show their outfits. Maria Sonia wanted to focus on the evolution and empowerment of women and on the runway, she did just that. Her collection was bright and playful. It consisted mostly of gowns and cocktail dresses. Though the silhouettes were mostly structured, there was a sense of free flow in Maria Sonia's pieces. It was topped off with the floral head fans which could be spotted on all the models. Overall, it was fun and vibrant. Looked like spring had finally arrived! 

Yufash Spring/Summer 20 showcased unisex collection. The designer exhibited a mix of casual, dressy and evening wears with simplicity in mind.  We saw men with t-shirts with bold shining prints and the ladies with glowing evening wears with technology influenced prints. The kind that when the light goes off you become the attention of the room as though you weren’t already noticed. Using various colors from dull to the brightest you can find on the color spectrum, Yufash brand executed elegance with minimalism. The long blue dress and the orange finale dress were few of our favorites.  The designer, Kadri Klampe is an Estonian-born, founder and designer who created Yufash as a unique and forward-thinking brand made for the confident and powerful women of the world, with all garments fabricated exclusively in England. Founded in 2015, Klampe and Yufash have since experience skyrocketing popularity, including having designs featured on the hit television series Scream Queens. Yufash is one of the few designers chosen as part of the CAAFD’s incubate/nurturing program, returning for her second seasonal showcase after her previous career-defining CAAFD showcases. 

A Humming Way Spring/Summer 20 Collection Met with Warmth and Excitement During CAAFD NYFW.  An Indian brand inspired by the old world regalia of the state of Rajasthan in India. With the support of CAAFD, this was the first time that the designer brand was showcasing their collection at the New York Fashion Week. The collection was titled "Matsutake," and represented the mushroom's characteristics of adaptability with utmost brilliance. Matsutake is also known to spread a feeling of hope and that is what Sweta Agarwal tried to emit through her showcasing. The collection had 14 pieces in total. It had a mix of cocktail dresses, gowns and jumpsuits all in a palette of soft pink, browns, gray and white. The collection had a lot of mirrors work to trace the roots from which the designer label began. A humming Way's entire collection was soothing and quite welcoming. 

Moon Chang, the brand to close the show, presented their Spring/Summer 20 Collection leaving audiences in Awe. Her Collection was titled, "Hybrid Beauty." It showed Moon Chang's personal journey during the time she was going through PTSD. The mood was set with the haunting yet musical music being played in the background. The models make-up was done in a way to make their eyes look swollen. She presents a collection of 11 pieces with the focus color being black. Moon Chang described how she survived the death situation with the words "Being Cute." In her collection, she incorporates cuteness with the use of ribbons, ruffles, and flowers. The cute elements with her oversized dresses created a contrast of cuteness in ugly places which is what the designer wanted to show through her collection. Moon Chang, as one of CAAFD favorite brands never disappointed. Her presentation were met me one word sentence, “WOW”.

FASHIONADO