The excitement and anticipation were palpable as attendees gathered on the Public Hotel’s rooftop for the Marrisa Wilson New York Spring 2023 Runway Show. Since her New York Fashion Week Runway debut this past February, Wilson has been excitedly preparing for her second opportunity to showcase her beautiful pieces at New York Fashion Week (NYFW).
As the show began, the models strutted down the runway donning the new collection’s vibrant ensembles created by Wilson, with products and accessories by Oribe, Kevyn Aucoin, Commando, Doc Martens, Barton Perreira, Rebecca Allen and Bella Caetano finishing off the looks with perfect details. Clear beaded braids, gold cuff earrings and colorful smokey eyeshadow looks were among the trends carried throughout the looks for the show.
In the brand’s Spring 2023 Runway Collection, founder and creative director Marrisa Wilson set out to explore her Guyanese heritage by looking at her past as well as the generations that came before her. The collection is built around an expressive print story: the gestural palm prints, multihued brushstrokes and watercolor strokes are reminiscent of family boat rides down the Demerara River and long walks through the country’s lush rainforests and the sea walls that expand endlessly across Guyana’s coastline. It is in the details where the past is drawn— the utilitarian pockets and functional trimming an homage to the uniforms of the Women’s Army Corp that emerged in the post-colonial ‘70s; the tuck lace stitching is a tribute to her father’s memories of a childhood spent detangling fisherman nets; the sweater tipping and neckline is inspired by Guyana’s traditional cricket uniforms that remain beloved in the country today.
Just as with her first runway collection, the physical clothing collection was not the only thing launching. In conjunction with this runway show, Wilson also released her Genesis SuperRare Fashion Illustration Collection— a series of five hand-painted illustrations developed for the MW Spring ‘23 Runway Collection. The auction for the artwork in the series launched as the model walked down the runway wearing the physical representation of the style depicted within the illustrations themselves. Attendees were able to view the artwork and auction during the show by scanning the QR codes provided in each guest’s program. This is the first-ever collection of fashion illustrations released as a digital art series in conjunction with an NYFW runway show, a historic moment for fashion in Web3.
Combining the heritage of her past, the energy of the present and the technology of the future in her collection launches, Marrisa Wilson is a designer to be sure to watch for seasons to come.
Visit marrisawilsonny.com for more information.
