Survival of the Illest

Photos by Brianna Capozzi. Creative Direction by Ferdinando Verderi of Johannes Leonardo. Styled by Haley Wollens.

Fashion

Ella Mae’s SS27 Debut Is A Pink-Clad Rebellion

September 16, 2026

Ella Mae made her NYFW debut with PEACE ON EARTH !!, a collection where rococo romance meets early-2000s maximalism. The Spring/Summer 2027 collection straddles the line between pretty and punk. Silk taffeta, ruffles, rebellious graphics, and feathers came together in a wardrobe fit for her hot girl army. Clearly, the Ella Mae girl is unapologetically feminine and bold.

Founded in Los Angeles in 2021, Ella Mae Jepsen's brand blends her background in quilting and apparel design with her passion for sustainability. Behind the collection’s candy-colored surface is Jepsen's deep love for protecting the earth and for making clothes by hand. Working with deadstock and natural fibers and experimenting with dyes made from materials like rust, botanicals, and food waste, Jepsen is becoming a defiant innovator in the fashion space. PEACE ON EARTH !! is a call to action wrapped up in a pretty pink bow. As Jepsen puts it: protect the earth, because it’s the only place you can buy lipstick.

Words by Blaise Stevens
Photography by Christian Geigel

Fashion

Across the Pond with Conner Ives

September 16, 2026

American designer Conner Ives made his New York Fashion Week debut for Spring/Summer 2027 with a homecoming collection called Across the Pond.

Across the Pond, Conner Ives’ SS27 collection, marked his return to the United States after nearly a decade of showing in London. The collection centred on the theme of “Flamboyance!”, described by Ives as the drama of coming home and the unique pride of being American. It also reflected his complicated relationship with his home country. Key looks included dishevelled, power-lunch-inspired Wall Street suits created in collaboration with Gieves & Hawkes, alongside statement T-shirts featuring the phrase “Bring Back Shame.” The runway featured Lila Moss, Iris Law, and Hari Nef, with Kim Cattrall in the front row.

Styling: Vanessa Reid
Hair: Claire Gretch for Kevin Murphy
Makeup: Aaron de Mey for MAC Cosmetics
Casting: Mischa Notcutt
Lighting: Faro
Production: La Mode en Images
PR: DLX NYC
Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Music by @_cajm and @intentionallycold

Passion and flamboyance are my most inherently American traits' - Conner Ives

Fashion

KEEN and Collina Strada Reimagine Outdoor Footwear for SS27

September 16, 2026

More than 400 guests traded the city for the Hudson Valley, boarding shuttles to Storm King for Collina Strada’s Spring/Summer 2027 show, staged among the sprawling fields and sculptures. Against the natural backdrop, the New York label’s signature cast of characters walked in styles from its latest collaboration with KEEN, bringing the footwear brand’s outdoor DNA into Collina Strada’s playful, punky world.

Following their initial partnership in February, KEEN and Collina Strada returned to the New York Fashion Week runway with a new collection that reimagines two of the footwear brand’s signature styles: the Newport and UNEEK. This time, open-air footwear takes center stage, with Hillary Taymour’s distinctive approach to design bringing unexpected details, feminine touches, and a sense of whimsy to familiar outdoor silhouettes.

“I’ve always been interested in the idea of taking something familiar and making it slightly strange,” Taymour says. “For SS27, I wanted the shoes to feel almost like they had been customized by a maximalist; charms on ballerinas, ruffles on sandals, little details that make them feel sentimental and a bit absurd. It’s about making dressing up feel fun again.”

Balancing the collection’s more expressive details is KEEN’s focus on comfort and durability, keeping the styles rooted in the practical qualities of outdoor footwear. The collaboration continues to blur the boundaries between performance and self-expression, bringing a new perspective to the way functional footwear fits into everyday dressing.

Text by Dylan Andrews
Photos by Karla Tomanelli

The show closed with a surprise live performance from Carly Rae Jepsen, while Barbie Ferreira was also seated front row rocking the new collaboration.