– Zara Korutz
Bushwick, it’s where the cool kids go to play.
New York’s Downtown underground art scene of the early 1980s moved to Brooklyn, Bushwick, to be exact. Located off the L train on Wyckoff Ave is the nightclub House of Yes, evocative of the Mudd Club—a cultural creative space where fashion, art, and music converge to transform conformist social norms through artistic expression and individual freedom.
House of Yes was the venue for KRATER’s fashion show, produced and co-founded by Giselle Manzano and Bryan Kasenic. KRATER promotes itself as a movement dedicated to transforming culture by fostering creativity, inclusivity, and community. Held twice a year during New York Fashion Week, KRATER offers a cost-free platform for emerging designers and artists, particularly those from underrepresented communities, promoting artistic economic empowerment.
The multi-designer fashion show included sustainable New York brands Kurrizmatic, Hauseisen, and Sarah Wondrak and Columbian brands Papel de Punto and La Bloom Clothing. The fashion collective showcased deconstruction, fiber art, knitwear, and cultural diversity that challenges the perception of body politics. Worthy of note were the runway performances of dance, film, and live music.
In between fashion runway segments, show host and multi-platform artist Marz entertained the audience with witty banter deserving of a Commie Award. The hip crowd, looking like modern-day beatnik poets and artists, filled the room and harmoniously snapped their fingers with delight, giving conspicuous approval to the show’s “good vibes.” Cultural rebellion and political activism permeated the air. Yes, Bushwick is the epicenter of the “quiet cool,” where you don’t have to prove anything to anyone!
Select Images from the show ©Masuf Ahmed
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