Around the world, Americans are known for being, well, a bit much. But is that always such a bad thing? According to designer Conner Ives, it doesn’t have to be. “Passion and flamboyance are my most inherently American traits,” read the show notes of Ives’ first-ever NYFW show, titled Across the Pond, and held on September 12 at The Grill, a Manhattan steakhouse known for its see-and-be-seen status. “Flamboyance!” the designer continued. “The flamboyance of a homecoming… The flamboyance of thinking your homecoming means something, as only an American would.”

If it wasn’t already obvious, the young American designer’s SS27 collection sees him drawing inspiration from his original base, New York, and his recent home in London, where he studied at Central Saint Martins and eventually became a well-known name in British fashion circles. Since he graduated in 2020, he has built a cult-like following through his explosive blend of colours, textures and shapes.

On the runway, tactile fabrics flowed, with electric pink boas, fur-trimmed smoking jackets and slinky violet chiffon all appearing throughout. There was a vaguely tropical feel to the collection, too, thanks to plenty of floral embroidering, animal prints and vibrant hues. Perhaps the most exciting piece, though, was a coral graphic tee reading, ‘Bring back shame’. As the creator of the viral ‘Protect the Dolls’ t-shirt – which raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for a trans rights charity – Ives has never been one to mince his words, and this new design was no exception. 

A self-titled tale of two cities, Across the Pond was a meditation on the places which have shaped the designer, on the ways he has changed and the ways he has remained the same. As the show notes put it, Ives is still, through it all,  “a flamboyant kid who loves to put on a good show.” 

Scroll through the gallery at the top of the page for the SS27 collection