I New York’s “cool kids” are gathered outside in 28 degree weather for the Seven Crash fashion show. Seven Crash is a Chinese streetwear brand and this show is its New York Fashion Week debut. As the line grows and grows, so do the moans and complaints of the crowd. It is cold, and some of us have been waiting for over 45 minutes. Once we are granted entry, the crowd is led into a psychedelic cave-space, complete with purple lighting and geometric designs projected onto the floor. Each guest is presented with a black tote bag of goodies placed on their seat and as it goes from 9:00, to 9:15, to 9:30, the anticipation grows.
The collective style of those in attendance is hardly cohesive but they are all unified by a certain “cool.” Some are wearing Raf Simons t-shirts, others holographic bucket hats, and there is one denim patchwork jacket in the crowd that I keep eyeing. The collection has been given the futuristic name “Quantus,” meaning “how great” in Latin. Suffice it to say, we begin to catch on to the theme of the show.
Around 9:40 the lights dim, the geometric projections on the floor begin to spiral, electronic music starts to play, and in perfect formation come 5 glowing astronauts out of the darkness. Each one steps forward and then turns to head back. This marks the beginning of the show.
What follows is an inspired line complete with protective, hazmat inspired coats, silver puffer jackets, radioactive yellow knits, and (my personal favorite) virtual reality sunglasses. The designers are being realistic about this imaginary future and if nothing is done about the worsening effects on our environment, we might end with an Earth that is inhospitable. Many have theorized that humanity will only take action when it is too late, and the designers of Seven Crash warp us into that very moment and show us that humankind will forever be “cool-y” adapting to whatever situation it puts itself in.
Furthermore, the clothes in the “Quantus” line reach new heights with their innovative use of sustainable and cutting-edge fabrics like “Freeflex,” which is a comfortable stretchy fiber, and “Haptex leather”, a synthetic leather that uses no organic solvent.
The models march down the smoky runway in these new fabrics wearing the newest industrial-chic fashions from the future and there was many a moment when I coveted the pieces
being presented. The “Quantus” collection really is great and presents a vision of what streetwear could be and hopefully will be, before it’s too late.
Review by George Kacharava
photos by Curtis Xin Pan
