Chromat's Diverse NYFW Cast is Ready to Escape

Like so many of us, Chromat's Becca McCharen-Tran is thinking about escape — not a dreamy, aesthetic escapism, but literally escaping from today's "spiraling" world. For Fall '18, the designer added bungee cords to her signature sportswear, taking shape as decoration on dresses, functional pockets, cinched waists and swimsuit straps. The colorful elastic cord also strapped flotation devices to looks at the end, nodding to survival in a playful, humorous way. McCharen-Tran is well-aware of the world's weight, but she's not willing to sacrifice her sunny disposition.

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Like with every season, Chromat's inclusive runway was loaded with diverse representations of women, notably inviting Viktoria Modesta, the pop star famous for her prosthetic leg, and Ericka Hart, the queer sex educator who's proudly open about her double mastectomy. It's important to McCharen-Tran that her models "feel powerful on the runway," the designer told PAPER, which is why the presentation always translates as more of a self-empowering celebration than anything vapid — a refreshing shift in the vicious gloss of Fashion Week.

Check out photos from Chromat's show by Andrew Boyle, below.