“I think it was my third fashion show,” Williams recalls of the group shows in London she participated in with the independent brand incubator Fashion East, “and a critic didn’t review my show. She wrote about all the other designers, but wouldn’t even write about mine.” The rationale? “Too girly.” A lot of industry insiders would see Williams’s hot pink striped knits or graphic tees at the time and tell her, “well, we don’t get it,” she remembers.
Back in the 2010s, it was the moment of neon-colored peplum tops, peep-toe heels, and chunky gemstone jewelry—all stylistic trends intended to make young women look older, or at least more like small business owners. Williams’s clothes were punkier, cuter, more aggressive. Not everybody got it—but the cool girls certainly did.
“I think it was my third fashion show,” Williams recalls of the group shows in London she participated in with the independent brand incubator Fashion East, “and a critic didn’t review my show. She wrote about all the other designers, but wouldn’t even write about mine.” The rationale? “Too girly.” A lot of industry insiders would see Williams’s hot pink striped knits or graphic tees at the time and tell her, “well, we don’t get it,” she remembers.
Back in the 2010s, it was the moment of neon-colored peplum tops, peep-toe heels, and chunky gemstone jewelry—all stylistic trends intended to make young women look older, or at least more like small business owners. Williams’s clothes were punkier, cuter, more aggressive. Not everybody got it—but the cool girls certainly did.