admin Very few people saw the Who Decides War collection, but it’s one of the most talked about shows of the season—for all the wrong reasons. The chaos began at the door. The physical access to the site was inadequate, there was at least one brawl, and there were also rumors that someone had a weapon. Eventually the floors were put on lockdown, and the NYPD got involved. “We were the ones who called the police,” said Téla D’Amore at a run-through today. “I just don’t really know where lines got crossed…it’s so cool to have this audience and have these people that are diehard, but never in our lives have we perpetuated that kind of behavior.” Ev Bravado tweeted an apology a day later, “So sorry NYC—the venue for our fashion show last night was not equipped for our turnout,” and noted that “things happen” in the planning of a show. But safety shouldn’t be an issue for showgoers, though to be fair, this wasn’t the first show location that has felt like a fire trap.
Bravado’s tweet also included the line: “It’s our time.” He’s not wrong; none of this series of unfortunate events would have occurred if Who Decides War, CFDA /Vogue finalists this year, didn’t inspire such ardor among celebrities and the “kids” alike. One of the ways to look at the situation is to say that Bravado and D’Amore are sort of victims of their own success. The symbol of the brand is an arched stained glass window, and the rubble having settled, the situation provides a glimpse into a changing landscape.
Like their mentor Virgil Abloh, Bravado and D’Amore, are broadening the reach of fashion by speaking to audiences who have long been overlooked. Asked what the Who Decides War draw was, Bravado answered: “Well, I think we’re relatable. If you see the people who pull up to our pop-up shops, or to the show trying to get in, they look like us. And I feel the way that fashion is now—I can’t speak to going to shows in the ’90s or the 2000s—but it’s the new hip-hop in a sense. (Our fans) see all of these celebs going to the shows and their favorite influencers, and they’re like, ‘I want to be in the room with them, I want to wear what they’re wearing, I want to be a part of this.’ It used to be if you know, you know. I’ve been on Instagram reading what my friends are saying and people are like, ‘It’s the new Rolling Loud. It’s a hip-hop festival that has all the top acts in hip-hop, and it’s crazy. The fashion purists are like, ‘This is not what it’s supposed to be, this used to be a thing where people cared and now it’s just a free-for-all.’ But these people do care. This is what’s going to propel and keep these businesses and the industry alive.”
