Elena Velez’s Wasteland Heroines

February 16, 2023

Hailing from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and focused on “romanticized abstractions of Middle America”, designer Elena Velez continues to examine American subcultures through favored archetypes of “wasteland heroines” from the Midwest over the typical and tired depiction of “the glamorous American woman." For Elena Velez’s latest fashion show this week, titled “YR003: HOWS MY DRIVING?,” the 2022’s Emerging Designer of the Year Award winner referenced “agrarian brutalism, puritanical cults, and disorderly anabaptist youths."

Elena held the show around the corner from her studio in Greenpoint, bringing the fashion set from the stereotypical venues often visited during fashion week. Refreshingly anti-traditional, Elena had Tei Shi, Eartheater, Siiickbrain and Mia Carucci walk the runway. Transforming the usual runway into performance art through theatrical, emotive model walks, and generally making bold, hyper-stylized statements with her shows, Elena brings something interesting and meaningful to NYFW and the CDFA — dismissing elitism and perfectionism, and making room for what else exists outside coastal, major metropolitan life.

Text by Audry Hiaoui
Photos by Matthew Weinberger

Fashion

Out of the Blue: FENTY X PUMA

January 18, 2025

When Rihanna and Puma team up you know that the finished product is going to be something that is sleek, fashion-forward, and undoubtedly sought after by every downtown it-girl. office tapped into the city’s coolest in an exclusive editorial on how we’d rock the Avanti LS. Reimagining the bold sneaker and juxtaposing it against Brooklyn’s city scape, we play into warm furs and striking fishnets all set against the newly iconic bright blue of the shoe. Check out our collaboration below to see for yourself.

Photography Eric Chakeen
Styling Cassie Jekanoski
Talent Alvina Bokhari, Daneyh, Fia, Sofia Garcia-Peña
Creative Direction Mitchell Connell
Hair Skye Melena
Makeup Cassandra Lee
Fashion Assistant Claire Wiseman
Creative Producer Liv Solomon
Production Assistant Rea Brayshaw

Fashion

GUCCI SS25: Where the Light Finds Us

January 17, 2025

There is a dreamlike limbo between movement and stillness, between light and shadow. This precise yet indefinable space is what GUCCI’s new Spring/Summer 2025 campaign Where the Light Finds Us explores. It tells the story of two souls meeting in a suspended moment, exchanging fragments of emotions and subtle gestures in an interplay of light and shadow, offering a glimpse into the essence of the collection. Challenging the boundaries between simplicity and complexity, the new collection features lightweight fabrics intertwined with structured silhouettes and unexpected touches of color that blur the line between the real and the imaginary. Where the Light Finds Us invites us to inhabit this liminal space: a poetic expression of connection and transformation.

Creative Director Sabato De Sarno
Art Director Riccardo Zanola
Photographer and Director Xavier Dolan
Stylist Francesca Burns
Make Up Aaron de Mey
Hair Jawara

Fashion

FENTY x PUMA Launches the Avanti LS with Ghetto Gastro

January 17, 2025

Rihanna’s FENTY x PUMA collaboration takes center stage with the launch of the highly anticipated Avanti LS sneaker. To mark the debut of this limited-edition silhouette, PUMA invited guests to an unforgettable culinary experience in the kitchen at WSA, blending creativity and playfulness in true FENTY fashion.

Hosted by the visionary Ghetto Gastro team and designed by renowned artist Gab Bois, the event featured a menu inspired by the sleek design and striking blue colorway of the Avanti LS. Guests indulged in an innovative array of dishes, including Bluefin Tuna, Wavy Waffles, Bajan Cutterz, Caviar Coupes, Shrooms and Goons, Blueberry Haze Bon Bons, and more.

This one-of-a-kind celebration perfectly embodied the bold spirit of the FENTY x PUMA partnership, where fashion meets fearless self-expression.