The Tamesis
A mood board at Snow’s Bowery store features a collage of timeless power suits from the 1980s and ’90s. They come from an era when layered suits and three-piece suits were dominant, but Gao, who spends most of her time in the store, knows her customers don’t dress that way anymore. Therefore, she gives them some modern advice.
Outerwear and tailoring have been a staple of Gao’s collections for the past nine years—perhaps influenced by the navy pinstripe jacket Rihanna wore from her Parsons graduation collection. (Photos of stars wearing the garments are proudly displayed on the store walls.) For fall 2026, key warm-weather pieces include a cloud-soft plush coat in a mulberry collar and shearling-fur satin lining (more sustainable than plastic alternatives). Jenna Ortega is already a famous fan.
In the reference image, a plaid blazer underneath a casual outer layer caught the designer’s attention while flipping through old magazines, but today’s snow-clad girl is more likely to pair a structured wool coat with a printed cardigan or mandarin collar T-shirt for added practicality.
For one-off jackets, there were sharp styles with clipped, almost hourglass structures that recalled blazers once worn by Karen Mulder and Janet Jackson. Gao’s idea is that customers can pair them with their own jeans for a relaxed feel, or with the line’s custom trousers for a more elegant feel. “People always say my cuts make them look more reliable at work,” the designer laughs.
Gao also wanted to make the elegant drape of a bygone daywear era feel intuitive and effortless, so he designed gray and cream wool coats with built-in blanket scarves, as well as pants with asymmetrical overlays and simple little miniskirts that tied at the waist.
To celebrate the unveiling of the collection, the designer is preparing to open her store doors, inviting friends of the brand and local customers to come try out pieces and have their own lookbook-style photos taken by photographers. As a thank you for their support, everyone will receive one of her popular hybrid accessories of knitted hoodies, hats, balaclavas, and bonnets—a godsend during this unbearably cold New York winter. “My focus is on combining fashion with function,” she says.
