As DEI initiatives face rollback during the Trump 2.0 era, any brand or company that may have benefited from them and prevails is a sign of hope. Women are among the many minorities who could use that extra support; thus, recognizing their efforts is in order. Two female-led brands, Kallmeyer and Kate Barton, ended NYFW on an inspiring note.
 

Kallmeyer

 
“The Kallmeyer woman doesn’t demand attention; she introduces herself,” said Daniela Kallmeyer, speaking to FashionNetwork.com backstage pre-show at the Bortolami Gallery in Tribeca. Judging by the brand’s growing momentum since its founding in 2012, plenty of women are eager to meet her.
 
The New York season was nothing if not about simple, easy-to-digest clothes made from rich fabrics, rooted in tailoring with a feminine side (to wit, Veronica Leoni at Calvin Klein, Frances Howie at Fforme, Brandon Maxwell, and TWP subscribe in one way or another). It’s been at the core of who Kallmeyer is since day one.

 
“The Kallmeyer is like every woman; this collection is where you see the breadth of this happening. We have the casual quintessential ties for the past five years, the boxy blazers, and new tailoring silhouettes mixed with new techniques. For the last few seasons, we have been developing more drapey and gestural silhouettes,” she explained.

For that, she focused on a word for the season: “Sublime” (show notes included this definition: ‘lofty, grand, or exalted in thought, expression, or manner. b.: of outstanding spiritual, intellectual, or moral worth. c.: tending to inspire awe usually because of elevated quality’ as its design beacon.
 
“You’ll see the word expressed in the sound the show makes, the feeling, and the models’ walk. The world is full of chaos, and I wanted to create a moment where we could slow down and focus on the craft because we still want to honor art,” she continued.

The sparse art gallery show space with sheer panels hanging from the ceiling set the stage for pianist Marta Sanchez to put the show to live music, creating the serene ambiance that aided in the gentle mood expressed by the clothes.
 
For tailored day styles, the mood was expressed through pieces like a sleeveless jacket draped loosely and buttoned slightly askew, paired with wide-leg trousers. A brown cotton poplin shirt, unbuttoned to the waist, was styled with relaxed trousers and a soft plaid sash belt.

Another look featured a boxy houndstooth check jacket, buttoned only at the collar, with a coordinating shawl slung over one shoulder. A standout shawl moment came in woven leather fringe, sweeping across the collarbone and adding a louche attitude to a black suit.
 
The designer further developed the looser, drapery mood with some occasion pieces. A high-slit skirt that cocooned around the leg like an upside-down Calla Lily was romantic versus vulgar, a cascading draped collar was featured on several tops, and a bias-cut slinky long dress bared one shoulder without being overly asymmetrical. Two great pieces of outerwear, a belted bathrobe coat and a smart leather trench worn by actress Sarita Choudhury, fit the retail hit button.

 
Added details like leather fringe phone cases and custom-made loafers by Portuguese shoe brand Calçado Penha (APICCAPS) and Fiametta, a queer-woman-founded, ethical fine jewelry brand, added subtle bling.

“There are really bold pieces that are strong and know who they are but also have a kindness and softness to them,” Kallmeyer furthered, adding, “The matriarchs of my family inspired the way I think about dressing, who I am in the world and how I enter the room. I wanted the body to be the canvas for the clothes; you, as the wearer, are the inspiration for the pieces; the pieces are not telling you who to be, just a way to more yourself.”
 

Kate Barton

 
The latest NYFW showcased several new approaches—one of them being that a runway isn’t the only way to introduce a collection. Like several young designers, Kate Barton pivoted away from the runway this season to host press one-on-one in a showroom. Rather than allocating precious funds to a full-scale show, Barton enlisted friends like Winnie Harlow, Dee Hilfiger, WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick, and ballerina Violetta Komyshan to star in her fall campaign, highlighting its practicality. This approach was also seen at Jonathan Cohen—could it be an emerging marketing trend?

 
This was on display as Barton—whose signatures include a patented sculpting technique that helped create her signature ‘breastplate’ detail, drape garments using one seam for less waste, and bonded fabrics with liquid shine—walked the press through her new collection, which aims to show its versatility.

 
“For fall, I wanted to bring big ideas into a more accessible way, like the things I want to wear every day but still feel unique and interesting,” Barton explained. While her spring show shown last fall veered on occasion dressing and skewed towards a younger, more experimental crowd, fall offered everyday items such as a grey cashmere sweater with a signature ‘gathered’ detail, a cotton tailored shirt with the same technique and a riff on a classic pinstripe suit with barrel arm and leg effects. Jersey dressing was also added to the mix.

 
That didn’t mean Barton abandoned her going out pieces. To add to her liquid-effect fabric repertoire, she added sequin items that, as seen on Hilfiger, are easily day-to-night items. Robe-à-l’anglaise-inspired dresses took one of Barton’s ideas from last season and furthered it to a more demonstrative effect.

 
Giving her client wearable items didn’t mean she skipped on the more avant-garde ideas; a patched leather Moto featured her silver dagger details, now made with bonded leather. Another look used the shiny metallic-like material on a skimpy bandeau and flirty miniskirt look that appeared in a windswept position.
 
Peppered throughout were simple knits with trompe l’oeil heat transfer designs that harken back to other details in the collection, such as the moto jacket. It’s a smart move for more entry-level items in the advanced contemporary collection. Some pieces will be available online as Barton’s collection debuted on Amazon Fashion. It’s a clever tie-up for a young designer needing financing—ditto the Goldfish deal—as it could help foster buys from the online behemoth’s new partners, Neiman Marcus and Saks.