Rhode Island School of Design

Feb 22, 2023

Students at Afterpay and Colin LoCascio host workshop duringNYFW FW23. Image via Afterpay Afterpay launched its fourth season as principal partner of NYFW with afocus on the future of our industry and a student-centered event held inthe Xperience Center of Spring Studios. Afterpay with IMG invited NYCfashion students from a selection of local schools to participate in alive, interactive workshop with young designer Colin LoCascio known for hiship Gen Z clientele. Students from Fashion Institute of Technology, High School of FashionIndustries, and Parsons School of Design were invited to reimagine thefashion industry by creating a sustainable look using deadstock fabric fromLoCascio’s upcoming Spring/Summer 2023 line. These next gen designersrecreated LoCascio’s signature floral appliques, the final results of whichwould be added to a LoCascio original design to be put on display at theAfterpay Xperience. Said Afterpay in a statement, “Ultimately, we want toshowcase the beauty, innovation, and opportunities in sustainable fashionwhile nurturing and amplifying the next generation of designers.” While NYFW shows were being held in other parts of Spring Studios, theXperience Center space was closed off to allow the young designers tointeract organically and naturally without distractions. Fashionuinitedspoke to LoCascio just before he began the workshop, and 3 days before hewas due to show his highly anticipated runway collection, about why hewanted to be involved in the event. Afterpay and Colin LoCascio host student workshop during NYFWFW23. Image via Afterpay Vision of inclusivity for future at Afterpay NYFW workshop “When Afterpay and IMG reached out and explained their initiative andthat their goal behind their work in New York Fashion Week was about makingit more inclusive and opening it up, it felt like a really beautifulmarriage,” said Lo Cascio who made several mentions of size inclusivityduring our chat, and who believes that only through partnerships like thisand integrating technology in fashion will the industry really makeimprovements. “I grew up in Queens and I’ve always ran parallel to New York FashionWeek but was never involved in it,” said LoCascio who says he has beenoverwhelmed by editors requesting invites to his first show and buyers’emails. After graduating from Rhode Island School of Design LoCascio workedon runway designs at Marc Jacobs and at a few other brands but it was asDesign Director of the Kardashian sisters’ line Kendall + Kylie, a job heheld for close to 3 years, that he gained the most practical knowledge thathe now pours into his own brand. “It’s more mass market but while there I really understood production,fit and how a business operates,” said LoCascio. “They don’t play around,they are businesswomen.” Given the nature of the event we asked LoCascio if he had any advice foryoung people who want to enter the fashion industry and he was pretty clearon one point: “It’s pretty cliché but really stay true to yourself. Onsocial media there’s so much temptation to compare yourself––I do it toowith other designers when I see a show online––but it’s important toremember that your vision, creativity, individuality is what is going toset you apart.” He reveals that all the pieces that have received the most press or havebeen pulled by his growing roster of celebrity clients such as Cardi B,Miley Cyrus or Bella Hadid have been ones that were entirely unique,designed from his personal point of view, without reference to anyone elseand that couldn’t be found anywhere else. “Don’t try to conform,” he said.“I know this is tough at the beginning because there’s a lot of rejectionbut in my case that’s what landed me in New York Fashion Week.” And with that we left him to join his co-host Rossi who was playfullytwirling, wearing a Lo Cascio velvet puffa jacket scattered with bigsequined daisies while a roomful of students wielding scissors at paperpatterns of flowers awaited the designer’s instruction.