“Where do we go from here?” ask Haoran Li and Siying Qu, the team behind genderless ready-to-wear brand Private Policy. Their Fall/Winter ‘24 collection preview kicked off New York Fashion Week on Thursday night, commencing the bi-annual festivities with a sci-fi spin on the Wild West, the new frontier. Manolos clipped amongst hay mounds as invitees scurried to seats, the anticipation of a new season’s dawn palpable in the pollinated air. The serpentine, hay-laden path that engulfed Ideal Glass studios allowed each look to be seen 4 times from various angles— and believe me, you want all the gazes you can get. Unmissable statements (a model’s visage covered entirely in silver) complemented bespoke craftsmanship (studded suede gloves, sequins offering an otherworldly sheen). M.A.C. collaborated with Private Policy to achieve a space-aged minimalism on models skin, causing them to appear almost as apparition, a potential glitch. An eerie, spoken word house remix of Missing Persons’ originally-boppy 1982 single “Destination Unknown” thumped as models wove in and out of a triangular, UFO-esque deliverance vessel, glowing green.
They seem to have been transported from a distant home planet, one in which the Final Frontier takes on a literal meaning. Earth descendence is weathered with ample Western boots in varied heights and hues, the occasional embellished cowboy hat, and plenty of supple leathers, denims, and silks in a neutral palette punctuated by metallics. The runway was sponsored by Coca-Cola, as evidenced by one model’s leather belt, buckled in silver by the beverage brand’s namesake. This touch quietly adds cheeky depth to the idea Li & Qu set forth with their latest collection: as we witness the dawn of Artificial Intelligence, a mirror of the 19th century’s uncharted territories, how do we define the intersection of fashion, technology, and discourse? Private Policy’s blend of classic ranchwear and delicate silhouettes, construction through breakthrough innovations like 3-D silicone textured surfaces, strikes a harmonious balance between the archetypal and the ingenious, assuaging any fears of the destination unknown.
