Patricio Campello makes his New York Fashion Week debut, is crowned 2016’s Fashion Designer of the Year | kbnmart

New York Fashion Week kicks off on Friday, with designers showing off their spring and summer collections — both established brands like Tommy Hilfiger and newcomers like Mexican designer Patricio Campello.

Campello will make his New York Fashion Week debut on Saturday at the Public Hotel with a men’s line he says is inspired by Mexican volcanoes and how they can “modify space.”

“The brand’s styles are inspired by a suit my grandfather gave to my father when he turned 18, and this suit was given to me a few years ago,” Campello said in an interview.

He said negotiating his career as a self-taught designer was difficult without the benefit of another Mexican designer who had previous success, adding that he hopes his success will help those who come along.

“Mexico is a place full of talent, full of people who want to work, and I think no one grows alone,” Campillo said.

Campello has already attracted celebrity clients, and New York fashion and beauty writer Asia Melia Weir predicts he’ll get even more attention after his New York Fashion Week appearance.

“The right look can get you into a retail store, which is a big goal for a lot of these designers,” she said. “Or the right look can get you from an editor to the press, whether it’s putting you on the cover of a magazine or a feature article that can be really dynamic and really life-changing for these designers. So, it’s a big moment.”

This season there are approximately 60 designers on the official calendar, plus many off-calendar designers.

The most anticipated shows were Alaia and Off-White, Weir said. “They usually show in Paris, but this year they’re in New York, and they’re the hottest shows in the city this season,” she added.
She expected bold red and strong shoulders to be major themes for the collections.