The Tamesis
While the fur renaissance is busy reaching its final form on the New York runways, Showpony has opted for a less traditional textile to add a touch of funky texture. Hair, specifically, courtesy of avant-garde hairstylist Evanie Frausto and more than a decade of excess supplies that have accumulated in the studio of his new brand. “I’ve always been the kind of person who hates even throwing away food, so I thought, ‘I’m going to use this one day,'” he said. For his first fashion show, a new style of hair styling finally came to fruition.
Frausto is no stranger to the disruptive side of the hair industry. The stylist, known for working with clients such as Rosalía Carpenter and Sabrina Carpenter, often tests how much hair can fit on a person’s head. However, he discovered that there was a limit, and for him, that was snoring. “I’m an Aquarius. I’m bored,” he said. “I started looking for ways to make little pieces of clothing to create these really crazy lengths or shapes, using other parts of the body to create this illusion.”
Under Showpony’s leadership, hair and clothing were no longer designed as two separate entities, but merged into one. From head to toe, many of the looks on the runway felt like one continuous piece, including a belted, dyed downtown Cousin It. He calls the outfit a “human bob,” and one look at the shift crop top and miniskirt and it’s easy to see why.
EvotoPhoto: Huy Luong
The hairstylist-turned-designer counts experimental DJ horsegiirL as a muse. Before reaching out, Frausto had already designed the voluminous skirt he wanted her to wear. Thankfully, after working with her on a project before, she was happy to debut it at New York Fashion Week. “I feel very powerful wearing this dress, and it’s an exciting feeling to walk slowly and be in the moment,” she said. “I love this collection and using hair as a material makes so much sense!” (“She’s flirting with me!” one guest said after making eye contact with her prosthetic nose through the iPhone lens as she walked.)
Not everything is so conceptual. Latex garters and lace-up corsets reminded viewers that this was, after all, a fashion show and not a hair fair, although Frausto admitted that his look was perhaps “not the most comfortable thing to go to the grocery store with.” Creatively, the exhibition is a respite for Frausto, who has long been eager to expand his portfolio and find special uses for his abundant supplies. For those of us in the audience, it’s a welcome reminder that there’s more to fashion than polite structured blazers.
