Romeo Hunte brings street glam to New York Fashion Week

There’s streetwear and there’s traditional glamour, and rarely, if ever have the twain met. Designer Romeo Hunte decided two meet the two in holy matrimony at New York Fashion Week this season. His latest collection was an homage to the fashion trends of the early to mid-1900’s. The womenswear was done with a bit of menswear inspiration in mind.

“I always start off with menswear,” Hunte said to FashionUnited. “For women’s I feminized those pieces to be very powerful, yet feminine. This season we did a lot of velvet, satin, denim, fox, and mink. Each look is designed to be a bang, so people have to really keep their eyes on the details. For me it always comes down to detail, and that’s what makes a collection special. I love cinched waists, draw strings, oversized coats, and structured shoulders.”

Hunte started off designing a very streetwear collection, but then when he started designing the women’s pieces he really wanted to dress the girl up a bit, thus came his concept of “street glam.” The girls he was designed for he considered more elevated and mature now, resulting in him using details like fringe, more pops of color, and a reinvention of his silhouettes.

For Hunte, one of the main goals for his business right now is going more global. The designer just did a show in Nigeria where he has developed a strong following. He opted to show his men’s and women’s together in New York because, “My men shop the women’s closer, and my women shop the men’s closet, so I thought why not put them together,” he said to FashionUnited.

The collection featured crystalized graphic sweaters and tops, satin poncho puffers, denim, trench coats, lambskin tie dye jackets, and biker jackets; staying true to his unique and trendy outwear ethos. Tassels, embellishments, fishnets, and a bright color palette complimented the unique designs.

With the line going into its sixth year, Hunte is continuing to evolve, and has found a way to give his customers something new, all while staying true to his brand DNA. His evolution continues, and given the applause at the end of his runway show, customers will continue to follow and shop this voyage.

photos: courtesy of Purple PR