We’re talking catwalk.
New York Fashion Week kicked off Friday with a bang — or rather, a bark.
Audiences screamed over the Collina Strada Fall 2023 show, which entertained and stunned onlookers as the designer fashioned models with animal prosthetics to match the ethereal ensembles.
The collection, titled ‘Please Don’t Eat My Friends’, represents the latest designs from the eco-friendly fashion house. It’s also dividing the internet, with some critics of the keyboard calling it “weird” and a “nightmare.”
Instead of tumbling down the catwalk, the misshapen models crawled, poked and prodded their way past rows of bewildered onlookers. From reptilian to pure avian, the models displayed elongated ear pieces, teal beaks, reptilian masks and pig snouts, some purring or barking as they moved.
The wild look transformed Soho’s THC NYC, an immersive cannabis experience, into a curated Animal Kingdom. Some models even brought props to match their couture — with one carrying a barrel of hay and another carrying Hillary Taymour’s Pomeranian, Powwie.
One model was seen wearing a reptilian-like full head prosthetic, along with white sneakers with mesh feet painted on them. A checkered green trench coat and moss-colored layered pieces completed the outfit.
Another flashed a pink mouse-like snout and clutched a pink and green blouse, matching the color scheme of the net dress and their pink hair.
The show also featured transgender model Aaron Rose Philip, who suffers from cerebral palsy. She became the first black, transgender model with a disability to be signed to a major modeling agency — Elite Model Management, early in her career.
In a 2021 interview with Vogue, the 21-year-old model, who used a wheelchair on the runway at the Collina Strada show, said her runway debut with Moschino for the Spring 2022 collection was the biggest achievement of her career at the time.
At Collina Strada, Taymour closed the show by slipping on a pair of her own pointy prosthetic ears and a graphic animal T-shirt.
When asked about the divisive look, reps for the brand referred The Post to a press release about the collection. Collina Strada says it seeks to celebrate “primal truths”, trying to “honor both our inner show pony, who is playful and likes to ruffle feathers, and our inner horse who is reliable, durable and strangely practical”.
In an Instagram post, Taymour called the presentation “her dream day,” while sharing some up-close-and-personal shots of the models with their prosthetics.
Commenting on the post, people agreed the look “kills” and defended the edgy designer for her unique vision.
“Obsessed,” one user wrote.
“Wild!” exclaimed another.
“Amazing thoughts on a fashion show,” said a third. “I just loved it.”
Collina Strada’s plans were also talked about on TikTok, with some viewers at home expressing dismay and disbelief.
“Is this real,” one user wondered after watching a clip of the show.
“These shows are getting weird,” said another.
“A hard no for me,” said one user.
“You couldn’t pay me enough to ever want me to be the model that has to do that,” hit one disgruntled viewer.
Meanwhile, on Twitter, one user thought“What the hell is going on collina strada?”
“Weirdly like this,” one fan responded in the thread.
“This is a camp,” announced one user.
“Dress up lord of the rings but dress the elves like this,” added another, along with the heart-eyes emoji.
“Fur, but make it fashionable,” said another.
“This is my worst nightmare,” barked one horrified user.
“Cats 2,” quipped another.