Seventies Needs Saving

There's no hesitation in saying that past fashion is trending now. Has the modern world run out of originality? With that, fast fashion brands are butchering what exactly past fashion was. We’ve seen brands like Shein, Fashion Nova, Nasty Gal, etc ruin then paint this tainted image of seventies fashion. They’ve taken away the thought behind the entirety of it all.

The seventies was an exploration and expression in fashion, women found themselves in styles of bell bottom pants, frayed jeans, midi skirts, maxi dresses, tie-dye, peasant blouses, prairie dresses, and ponchos threaded to the disco world. It was labeled the “polyester decade” because of its balanced sense between hippie and disco.

The seventies was when women first began dressing with free will, their wardrobes were not as inflicted by designers in NYC or Paris. This was so nonchalant and executed in a way of ease that had a beautiful meaning and effect. Tie-dye was seen in protests which became a symbol of freedom and courage, it was an easy outlet of creativity that in which today can seem tacky. Now with the empires of fast fashion brands, we are knocking off old culture in cheap ways.

Thrift stores hold any and all potential to attain this sense of freedom and independence that cultivated seventies fashion. It takes time and dedication to find such pieces but it’s attainable. Spots in Brooklyn like L train, Beacon’s closest, and Other Peoples’ Clothes and great places to start. There’s also a huge market online; like Poshmark or Facebook marketplace. In the long run, the quality of clothes back then is better than the quality of clothes now.

So with the rise of seventies fashion again we should take advantage of this popularity in thrifting and the reselling market online.

Written by Frank McHugh

Photography and Modeling by Frank McHugh

Small Boutique Fashion Week Review 2/11/23

Small Boutique was a perfect show. The venue was in a private loft (that I would kill to live in) near Union Square. The show had a very fashionable audience and a wine bar. The ambiance of the whole place was great and everyone was having a good time. The designers were all so different and that made the show super engaging. The models looked amazing and everyone's walks were unique to their own persona. They all looked confident and although you can’t smile on the runway, they were happy to be there. Every models energy filled the room with greatness and it made the entire experience that much better. When the models are having a good time, you’re having a good time.

The designers clothed featured sweats, swimsuits, camouflage, and more! Every piece was created with hard work and love. The designers were so proud of their models and of themselves. The work that they put into each article of clothing takes time and effort. All of the designs were super creative and amazing. You could tell that whatever the model was wearing was perfectly tailored to them.

The experience of Small Boutique felt like we were at a top designer show. I cannot wait to come back and see another! Thank you to SBFW for their hospitality and for being so kind. Until next season!

Written by Sofia Destefano

Photos by Mark Bluemle; From the 6:30pm show.

HiTechMODA 2/10/23 Show Review

The hiTechMODA show was something that introduced small designers to a big inclusive group of people. The show consisted of Camellia Couture, Kayzie Couture, LP Couture, Charjean Couture, Cody Chris Collection, Alegre de Pilipinas, Marc Defang NYC, NanaLola Couture, and more.

The outfits consisted of butterfly wings, wedding gowns, and everything else in between. The models also had a wide range with some being not more than five years old to full blown adults. The age group of the models that did their best were the 18-23 years olds. They were very professional, their walks looked confident and strong, and they had poise that professional models do. For the most part, the show was great, but a lot was not organized well.

Some of the models were off of their timing, the different designers were not consistent with their finales, models would definitely take their time getting their pictures taken, and at one point there was a line to have your photos taken as a finale. What was fun about the show, you could tell the audience was having a great time and they liked the difference in each piece of clothing from the designers.

One thing that makes highTechMODA very unique is the accompanying of live music. Ukrainian Violinist Assia Ahhatt, played during the show instead of the runway music coming from a speaker. Today, not many shows include live music. One of the biggest shows that included live music was the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show which has been canceled for a few years now.

A few special guests were Miss Arizona, Little Miss Arizona, Miss Great Lakes, Miss Illinois, Miss Rhode Island, and Miss Elite Cosmos North Carolina. Their gowns were beautiful and definitely a great addition to the show. The company is also promoted in London and Orlando, Florida.

HiTechMODA is a wonderful company that represents a lot of creative people that care about their work and how it is represented! We had a great time, and hope to see all these models and designers flourish in the future.

2/10/23 3pm Show

Photos by Mark Bluemle

2/10/23 7pm Show

Photos by Mark Bluemle

Written by Sofia Destefano