Hood By Air Pushes the Envelope at New York Fashion Week

Fashion industry veterans often complain of the repetition they see at many runway shows. Such complaints could not be applied to Hood By Air’s spring 2017 show, part of New York Fashion Week 2016, which pushed the envelope with a number of innovative designs, including a two-sided cowboy boot, equipped with pointy toes on both ends.

The experimental designs of Shayne Oliver, Hood By Air’s 28-year old creator, meshed perfectly with such modern pieces as an off-the-shoulder top.

“I’m doing things for youth on a large scale,” Oliver told the Associated Press. “My inspiration comes from youth culture and sort of a need to evolve things via the youth.”

The deconstruction-inspired designs that have become Hood By Air’s staple were the highlight of the show, which was attended by such celebrities as Naomi Campbell Jaden Smith, Whoopi Goldberg, Rick Ross and Jussie Smollett.

The Hood by Air show also featured sliced jeans with zippers on the front, as well as t-shirts embroiled with the words “Wrench” and “Hustler.”

The spring 17’ show was held in collaboration with adult video-sharing site PornHub. The partnership was evident in some of the hairstyles worn by the models and other aspects of the show.

Launched in 2006, Hood By Air has risen in popularity, aided by the support of rapper A$AP Rocky, an earlier supporter of the brand, and more recently, Rihanna, who performed at the 2016 MTV Video music Awards last month in a Hood By Air piece.

Photos from the NYFW Hood By Air show are below.