Swiss designer Yannik Zamboni conquers New York
New York Fashion Week is one of the most glamorous events in the world – a mix of high fashion, celebrity and exciting streetwear. This year Swiss designer Yannik Zamboni was there for the second time.
New York Fashion Week takes place twice a year, in February and September. This year 70 of the industry’s most creative minds came to the Big Apple from September 8-13 to present the latest trends and designs of the coming season.
Designers from all over the world have been travelling to New York to show off their clothes since 1943. The New York event is one of the “Big Four”, alongside fashion shows in London, Paris and Milan. Over 100,000 visitors were expected at all shows in Manhattan this year.
Swiss designer Yannik Zamboni was there to promote his work at this year’s show. He was present for the second time with his new “DNA” collection. Like all the Basel native’s collections, this one carries a socio-political message. “I think it’s incredibly important to not just make beautiful clothes, but clothes that convey a message,” he said.
The message of his latest collection is visible on the label: “Do not wash if you have just experienced a sexual assault.”
The knitting that Zamboni uses for his works comes from a feminist cooperative in Madagascar. But the designer adds his personal touch to each piece. This was also very important for Zamboni for New York Fashion Week.
The 37-year-old Swiss said the New York show presented a great opportunity: “Winners of reality shows are not taken seriously by the fashion world. I have the urge to prove that I am a real designer.”
He achieved his breakthrough in the reality TV series Making the Cut, where former top model Heidi Klum rated the work of up-and-coming fashion designers.
His creations don’t just get top marks from Klum; he also rates highly with Swiss model Manuela Frey, who says he makes “cuts that are sexy and not every designer has them”. This is something that is needed today, said the 26-year-old ahead of her New York appearance in a white Zamboni dress. His designs are dominated by the colour white, true to his label “maison blanche”, which he founded three years ago.
In compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.