This presentation had a palette of red, white, and black and spanned from elevated streetwear all the way to red carpet looks during Awards Season. When asked about where the inspiration from his show came from, he shared, "I further explored my obsession of mixing Streetwear with Avant Garde designs. Striking, feminine and bold shapes paired with a variety of coats, edgy tops, form fitting and dramatic gowns. I continued to define what “Street Garde'' is by staying true to my aesthetic and testing new ideas. I wanted the collection to feel strong, effortlessly sexy, masculine, and feminine at the same time. The collection showcases the Bishme Cromartie woman who is ready for change, constantly on the go and loves to stand out, no matter where she is. This season we are entering the Batrix." @bishme_cromartie PHOTOGRAPHY | PG 104 - 108 Paul Farkas | LAURENCE BASSE We ended our NYFW FW24 shows the evening of Feb 13th with Project Runway alum, Laurence Basse who was a finalist in both Season 15 as well Season 20 for Project Runway All-Stars. We have been a long time fan of her mastery of leatherwork and in seeing her first solo show at The Paramount Building in Times Square, we were thrilled to be able to talk to her in detail about how she got into the industry, her namesake line, her NYFW show, and what we can expect from her as she continues to push the envelope of her brand. ATHLEISURE MAG: It is such a pleasure to be able to talk with you as I’ve been a fan of your work and aesthetic! LAURENCE BASSE: Thank you so much, thank you! I really appreciate you having me. AM: Of course! I have been a fan of yours since I first saw you on Season 15 of Project Runway, and just your artistry, the way
you work with leather, your style, and attitude – everything about you is definitely Black Girl Magic. LB: Oh I’m trying, I’m trying. AM: Oh no, you are not trying, you are doing! So you got your start in the industry as a model. You have modeled with BENNETTON, Jean Paul Gautier, and you have been in French Elle as well as Cosmopolitan. You did this for 15 years, what was the moment that you realized you wanted to be a fashion designer. LB: Well I mean, this is the narrative in the streets, but really, I went to fashion school in Paris before I was even modeling. I started fashion school when I was 17 years old. So from 17 – 22, I was in fashion school and I started modeling when I was in Paris I think 3 years into fashion school. It was just there and I thought, “why not?” I used that to then move to the US and it became a 15 year off and on. AM: Where did you go to school? LB: I went to school, my first one was in Normandy called Elisa Lemonnier and then I went to another school in Paris, an art school by the same name at the 12 Arrondissement. AM: When I first saw you in Season 15 of Project Runway, I was just blown away by what you did throughout that season. What drew you to compete on the show? LB: You know, let’s just say that I never casted for the show. I never did. I quit modeling, I was in LA, I was bartending, and I had my studio, but I was like, ok, since I didn’t do the designing the way that they are saying which is you get out of school and you go work for a brand, and I didn’t do that. I was modeling, traveling, and living my best life. So at this point, I was 35, I had started