The word camp is essential vocabulary for the queer community and almost anyone who believes in the importance of EXTRA. The word “camp” is thought to have originated from a French-derived word that means "to pose in an exaggerated fashion."
The way I feel the word or action ‘camp’ is used, especially in my generation, is to describe something of extreme exaggeration or spontaneity, but in the best and largest way. CAMP in queer dialect is a way in which we express our admiration of one’s fashion, style, attitude, personality, etc. Being called camp or described as “campy” is nothing less than a compliment. Knowing this information, I’m sure you can draw your own conclusions on how and why Lady Gaga is justifiably a perfect example of ‘Camp’ and what camp culture represents.
Lady Gaga is a queer icon and is inevitably recognized by millions of people worldwide. Yes, her music is very fun and lyrically beautiful. Still, she has gained most of her recognition for defying the limits of stage presence, show quality, and iconic fashion statements never seen or worn by anyone before.
Gaga’s ability to push boundaries has paved the way for creativity for hundreds to thousands of other artists and people in general. Gaga is unafraid of difference and if anything embraces it. A community such as the LGBTQ+ that was established on our people being labeled “different” and “not normal”, we thrive in someone such as Gaga. We have found comfort in her developed chaos and why she had adopted the name of MOTHER. She gave us the approval that we needed to be the extravagant, spontaneous, “campy” people we know we all want to be.
In the early stages of Gaga’s career, she really used the ideologies of ‘CAMP’ to her advantage to help build her success. She adopted camp culture to help create some of the most iconic songs, music videos, stage performances, and fashion styles. In Gaga’s probably most well-known music video, Telephone ft. Beyonce, she showcases some of the most legendary and most unique outfits that the music industry had seen at that time. From the diet coke cans as curlers in her hair, to a bodysuit made entirely of yellow yielded caution tape, to sunglasses made from lit cigarettes, she built the foundation of what it meant for an artist to showcase ‘CAMP’.
Gaga found this loophole in fashion that everyone knew existed, but never actually acted upon it to highlight one’s creative abilities. She used items that could have been seen as trash or disposable and converted them into top-tier fashion in a way that presented extravagance. This is quite literally what “camp” is.
The ability to use what you have and artistically create something new, upscale, extra, different, weird is “camp” and camp culture. Lady Gaga knew what she was doing and did it well. Now, our society cannot think of “camp” or being “campy” without thinking of Gaga, the queen of camp herself.
It’s one thing to see some of the hottest events of the year with fresh eyes and new navigation, but when you're a vet, you're graced with a new title and a new sense of what’s in fashion. Whether it’s your first or your last, knowing what’s hot is an important skill many vets have come to master, that's why we spoke with those on the up and up, finding the gems of this year's NYFW.
Fashion Journalist and Content Creator, Chloé Solnicki, shares her experience from her second NYFW. Chloé attended nine shows, among them Melke, Alvin Valler, Alexis Bittar, but the Cucculelli Shaheen runway show stood out to her the most. “Cucculelli definitely caught my heart with this collection, definitely something more than memorable,” says Solnicki. “I didn’t know the brand before the event but I have to admit that I fell in love with all the designs, as well as the show. They found the perfect bridge and managed to combine feminine high fashion dresses with a punk touch, doing their runway show in a music house with a live rock band playing,” Solnicki Continued.
Chloé Solnicki at Cucculelli Shaheen runway show
LEFT: Solnicki at Melke Presentation. RIGHT: Chloé Solnicki in between shows
Photographer Liuna Fekravar graduated from Harvard in 2023, but Boston's fashion scene is much different from NYC; that didn't stop her stride, attending some of the hottest shows like Lauren Altman, the Time to be Happy Gallery in Lower Manhattan, and One Night In Bangkok at Ideal Glass Studios in Soho. ”My favorite show was Frederick Anderson’s Fall 2025 Ready to Wear runway show at the Edition Hotel,” she commented, “The show took place at the Paradise Club at the Edition Hotel and was romantically curated with velvet floor-length curtains, an almost mist-like smoke, and opened by opera singer (and Grammy Winner) J’Nai Bridges,” added Fekravar. “From a photography perspective, I loved the juxtaposition and found myself able to take more creative runway photos than usual.”
Frederick Anderson’s runway show.
Anna Delvey walking for One Night in Bangkok fashion presentation.
That’s not the only show that caught her attention though, “I have long been an advocate for a focus on sustainability in fashion, and it was incredible to see a collection that personifies this so well,” Fekravar said about Lauren Altman. “She transforms into one-of-a-kind wearable pieces of art,” she continued, “I had the opportunity to shoot BTS as well as (the) runway at her show, which allowed me to really focus in on her artistic craft and the incredible detail behind each one of her pieces.”
Pictures by Liuna Fekravar for Lauren Altman NYFW AW 25/26
We also caught up with Michelle Paradis who’s work (or camera) you mightve seen taking stunning pictures all through the week.
On the streets of NYC, Paradis captures the beautiful chaos of NYFW
Paradis attended Runway shows at the 1896, and enjoyed all the show had to offer, “Backstage is where the magic truly happens, and it's always my favorite part. The atmosphere is electric and chaotic, with models slipping into their outfits, waiting to be styled, often taking hours to prepare for the grand finale. In those spontaneous moments, anything can happen, and capturing that energy is exciting.”
Backstage captured by Michelle Paradis
Backstage captured by Michelle Paradis
Backstage captured by Michelle Paradis
Backstage captured by Michelle Paradis
In the show, Twiggy Moore and Evan Walker showcased their collections alongside other various talented designers, and in Paradis eyes, they’re designers you should keep an eye out for.
“Twiggy Moore and Evan Walker are the rising stars of this Fashion Week,” said Paradis. “Twiggy and Evan pushing are the boundaries, refreshing what fashion can be for this new generation,” she added
Twiggy Moore designs backstage NYFW ‘25
“Stepping into their world felt like entering a whimsical realm reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland-theatrical and unconventional with Twiggy's textured silhouettes and the utilitarian and earthy vibes of Evan Walker that perfectly capture the rebellious contrast of these designers,” Paradis stated.
To many, New York Fashion Week is the best week of the year…unless you live in New York and don’t work in fashion—that is. The casting call girls, guys, and everyone in between flood the streets, demanding that their $8 matchas be made faster, their jeans be lower rise, and their names be on every list for every afters. Don’t get me wrong—I have many model and designer friends who are lovely and talented, but it’s safe to say NYFW isn’t what it used to be. It’s become a week with less emphasis on art, fashion, and talent, and more emphasis on lists, afters, follower count, content creation, and exclusivity. It’s become clouded by the clouted (and worse—by those wishing they were).
At the forefront of its social-climbing is an amalgamation of influencers, socialites, and fauxialites (clout-chasing, aspiring socialites that have not yet made it high enough on the ladder as a social climber to earn the label “socialite”). To the aforementioned, nothing is exciting if it’s all-inviting; Exclusivity is hotter than it’s ever been. Every party (even at clubs you frequent every other week of the year) is only as tempting as it is elite—letting spiritually-vapid fauxialites masquerade as the beau monde. Fashion week is an invitation for everything to be pricier, streets to be more crowded, and lines to be longer (I’m referring to two types of lines—those that are stood in and those that are snorted). I’m no stranger to chaos and I’m certainly not averse to it, but this was different from the type of chaos I’m familiar with, but then again “familiar chaos” is somewhat of an oxymoron in itself.
Most NYFW events I went out of my way to avoid (apologies for my unconcealed misanthropy), but the event I was looking forward to most was the Alt NY Fashion Gala at Le Bain. I was hosting another party at Home Sweet Home on Chrystie Street, and my hosting duties required me to stay there until 2:30 AM, but once I was off the clock, I rushed over to catch the end of the party at Le Bain.
Me on an elevated surface at the first party shot by Mason Kidd @masonkiddphotography
Candids a stranger took then airdropped me of me changing into my sneakers so I could run through the streets to catch the train to Le Bain
ALT NY Fashion Gala at Le Bain
I know it was a good party when I walk in late and immediately see my friends straddling and locking lips with the very men who broke their hearts that they vowed to never speak to again. I play the ostrich momentarily and pretend to turn a blind eye because now is not the time for confrontation; Now is the time for partying. I’ll knock some sense into them later, but right now we dance.
I’ve been to Le Bain—a nightclub inside The Standard Hotel in the Meatpacking District—many times, but I believe this is the first time I've been there when it was snowing. You’d think that would be insignificant, as nightclubs are inside after all, right? However, anyone who’s ever been to Le Bain is familiar with not only the picturesque view of the Manhattan skyline that its presence on the top floor of the hotel invites, but also with the entrance to the rooftop. I don’t typically like the snow. I was born and raised in the Northeast, so it never excited me. The first snow of the season only made me sad—knowing it would only end up gray on the sidewalk in a day or two and was a sign of a long, dreary Winter that was to come, but there was something about stepping out onto this rooftop and seeing the ground covered with pillowy snow that just felt so calming.
It was so serene—one of those moments that you can already anticipate missing in the future.
The party was produced by Matt Weinberger (photographer) and Orson (DJ)—two names to keep at the center of your NYC nightlife Rolodex. It had an impressive lineup of DJs including Guillaume Berg, Picture Plane, Wave.89, Quiet Girls, and Orson himself, and featured the work of various indie fashion designers including but not limited to Bella Pietro, Emerson Isa, By Liv Handmade, and Drink More Water.
When I arrived at the door, it helped that I was able to cut the entire line and tell the bouncer I was on the VIP list. The regular line wrapped around the door, as this party had over thirteen hundred RSVPs, and in this freezing cold, there was no way I was waiting in it.
“Are you one of the models?” The bouncer asked me at the door. I told him I was not and that I was probably listed under either “press” or “close friends”, but this was one of several times that night I would be asked this, which was probably enough sustenance for my ego until the next NYFW. He found my name on the list and I headed up the elevator to the top floor of The Standard.
Immediately I was welcomed by the very chaos I anticipated. So much smoke clouded the inside of the club that I could barely see who it was that was hugging me and greeting me with enthusiasm upon my entry. There was club music so loud that I could not just hear it but almost feel it moving through my veins, and of course—bright flashes in a dark room of photographers taking photos of influencers, socialites, and fauxialites—with a percentage of well-respected artists among them. I looked around the room and one thing was for certain — ‘heroin chic’ is back (but this time it’s less chic—it’s almost ‘heroin sleaze’).
I found Matt and greeted him, let him snap a few photos of me, and then joined the rest of the crowd to dance.
Only Ali RQ of DJ duo Quiet Girls could make a platform above a pool shake with Katy Perry’s classic “Teenage Dream”—the DJ duo’s DJ set was far from eponymous, as it was anything but quiet when they were behind the decks.
After a while of dancing, all the cocktails I’d previously consumed caught up with me and begrudgingly, I left to use the bathroom. While in line for the bathroom, I saw myself in the corner on one of the posters on the wall from a different party I had attended there months prior and was pleasantly surprised.
The poster with my face in the top right corner of the photo by Mark “The Cobrasnake” Hunter
After going to the bathroom, I danced some more, socialized some more, and eventually, the music came to an end and we were all herded out of the club. This was maybe the first time the 4 am end time actually meant 4 am. I headed up to the roof once more before heading out. I was shocked to see what were probably influencers posing for pictures wearing chapless pants in February outside in the snow.
I stopped in a donut shop on the way out because it was the only thing that was open while I waited for my train and it was freezing. A random man, who flirted with me relentlessly, bought me two donuts of my choice and one coffee of his. I ate one of the donuts and gave the second to a homeless person, along with the coffee—as it may have been coffee time for the random man in the donut shop who bought it for me and wished me a good morning, but I still had glitter on my eyes, my dead grandmother’s Manolo Blahniks on my feet, and a blood alcohol content even higher than my heels. The party itself was fun, but I’m glad this week is in the rear. As I waited for my train and reflected on the party and New York Fashion Week in all its glory, I decided I was petitioning to reclaim the word “socialite” and abolish the resurgence of methadone clinic chic.
Written by Lucy Geldziler
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