Colin LoCascio continued to find inspiration from his family for his spring collection, looking specifically to a birthday present from his godfather when he was seven years old.
“My godfather had gifted me a fully stocked fish tank,” the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist said. “It inspired a curiosity in fish, underwater and the unknown and this mystery to it while also these super saturated fluorescent colors and textures and surfaces. So that was the jumping-off point for the collection.”
LoCascio coupled this inspiration with his affinity for Y2K nostalgia to create a diverse collection that further showed his skill in knitwear, denim and floral and sequined beading, the latter of which were some of the key pieces. LoCascio showcased an array of sequined styles, such as a purple beaded dress embellished with a three-dimensional dolphin, a short minidress with pink sequins and multicolored floral appliqué and a fringe-detailed patchwork-like dress.
The dresses showed LoCascio’s ability to take a Gen Z-oriented, Y2K aesthetic and make it feel elevated and not too trendy. The aesthetic was furthered by the knitwear separates, which were designed in bright yellow and turquoise and served as a balance to the bolder party dresses.
“There’s just something so rich about going back to your childhood with all of these memories, emotions and excitement and just being young and trying to inject it in the clothes,” he said. “I’m a very sentimental person and a lot of these kinds of memories inspire the feeling of the collection.”