We meet the American fashion designers putting the country’s style scene centre stage, taken from Wallpaper* August 2023 – a celebration of creative stars of all stripes across the USA.
Alongside a series of images by New York and London-based photographer Davey Adésida, the designers behind Commission, Willy Chavarria, Bode, Christopher John Rogers and Area tell us what it’s like to be a designer living and working in America today.
American fashion designers putting the country’s style scene centre stage
Commission
Formed in 2018, Dylan Cao and Jin Kay’s Commission has built a cult following for its gently subversive collections that riff on corporate attire, 1990s sportswear and vintage Americana. The label presented its tenth collection this year, a play on the New York archetypes spotted around its Times Square studio.
‘American fashion is an ever-changing concept as it’s been historically shaped by the many cultures and subcultures arriving from elsewhere’ – Dylan Cao and Jin Kay, Commission
Bode
The work of Emily Adams Bode Aujla celebrates intimate American stories, forging a design language that is rooted in a history of familial craft. The latest addition to Bode’s growing empire is womenswear, traversing eras in its inspiration and combining homespun technique with moments of embellishment and glamour.
‘At the foundation of Bode are American themes: preservation of craft, the domestic space, and emotion’ – Emily Adams Bode Aujla, Bode
Area
Founded by Piotrek Panszczyk and Beckett Fogg in 2014, New York label Area is known for its poppy 1980s-tinged motifs. The duo’s designs have become a popular choice for celebrities seeking outré attire – from Michelle Obama to Beyoncé – with their most recent collection featuring surrealist designs evoking bananas and watermelons.
‘American fashion is less about the institution and more representative of the opportunity, the people here, and their culture’ – Piotrek Panszczyk and Beckett Fogg, Area
Christopher John Rogers
Born and raised in Baton Rouge, and a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design, Rogers is perhaps best known for outfitting US vice president Kamala Harris in a violet tailored coat and matching dress for her 2021 inauguration. Such vivid swathes of colour have become a signature of the designer, who deals in bold, feminine silhouettes that he hopes encourage the wearer to ‘take up space’.
‘I feel like my individuality as a designer, and my focus on that, feels ostensibly American’ – Christopher John Rogers
Willy Chavarria
The son of a Mexican immigrant, the California-born Chavarria worked for an array of US fashion brands before starting his eponymous label in 2015. He has since become one of New York Fashion Week’s most distinct voices, marrying the voluminous forms of streetwear with the austerity and elegance of ecclesiastical dress.
‘American fashion has guts. New York is a tough place, and to make a brand here means blood, sweat and tears’ – Willy Chavarria
Models: Angelina Artemeva at The Lions, Hazem Aly at The Society. Casting: Svea Casting Hair: Anton Alexander using Fekkai. Make-up: Alex Levy. Photography assistant: Daren Thomas.
A version of this article features in the August 2023 ‘Made in America’ issue of Wallpaper*, on sale 6 July, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today
