In collaboration with this month’s Pride activations at Four Seasons Downtown New York, the hotel will be bringing in six new LGBTQIA+ designers to The Edit at the Third Floor Spa, as well as two familiar names, to the hotel’s coveted lineup – eyewear favorite Coco & Breezy and artist Robbie Quinn will be featuring copies of his iconic fashion book Street Unicorns: Bold Expressionists of Style. Also, in partnership with Quinn, the famed New York City street-style photographer worked on a custom photoshoot for the latest pop-up featuring the designers for June’s edit on The Art of Living. Four Seasons Downtown New York Lifestyle Creative Director, Monica Domantay, says of the latest collection, “We have an amazing line up of designers and artists to spotlight during Pride Month this year and know our guests will enjoy experiencing our transformed retail space at The Edit.”
ANTARA
This CBD skincare line was born after a life-changing car accident left founder Cord Coen with severe physical and brain injuries. Suffering from chronic pain and debilitating migraines that doctors claimed were incurable, Coen packed his bags and traveled to India, where he spent a year working on his health. Undertaking an extreme regime of yoga, massage, breathing, meditation, and internal herbal treatments, he was finally able to heal his pain. With all that he had learned, he set forth on a mission to help others by creating powerful potions to truly transform the way people feel and function, thus Antara was created. Tapping into the transformative benefits of CBD, each product from the brand delivers on the highest standards for purity, potency, and transparency. Featuring a range of products that include; oils, balms, tinctures, and particularly indulgent bath soak, these products are created using state-of-the-art distilling methods to create some of the most high-quality full-spectrum CBD skincare on the market.
AKNVAS
After working for some of today’s leading luxury labels, such as Oscar de la Renta, Ninna Ricci, and Christian Dior, Danish-born designer and founder Christian Juul Nielsen was able to hone his craft and launch Aknvas in 2019. Designed to move seamlessly between desk and dinner, this luxurious women’s and menswear line is all about ease of wear with flattering silhouettes, innovative knits, and elevated palettes. Designed and predominantly made in New York City, the collection focuses on well-constructed clothing for discerning fashion lovers. Inspired by his Danish roots and New York sensibility and by artists such as Olafur Eliasson and Helen Frankenthaler, the collection features bright pops of color, bold prints, and exquisitely draped sculptural fabrications – most pieces have a decidedly unisex aesthetic and can be worn interchangeably among genders.
BENJAMIN SAULNIER
As an artist living and working in New York City, Benjamin Saulnier is a self-described “Aesthetic Interpreter” spanning several mediums. Taking inspiration from vintage fashion sketches, he embraces watercolor illustration as a template through which he explores relationships between color, identity, composition, and self. His work has been exhibited at the Leslie Lohman Museum of Art as well as galleries such as Dodomu Gallery, Location Gallery, Ortuzar Projects, Bortolami, and more.
MELKE
Growing up, founder Emma Gage was raised on the philosophy “easier isn’t, necessarily, better.” Taking this idea to heart when creating the genderfluid and sustainable fashion label Melke, Gage has created a whimsical collection of bold, eclectic pieces for fashion lovers. Refusing to allow extremely high standards for sustainability to get in the way of her unapologetically exuberant vision, she creates seriously unhinged luxury collectibles with unrestrained love for the planet and its people. From pieces like her exquisite Wildflower Coat to her charmingly playful Sunny Side Up Tank, Gage makes fashion fun – encouraging people who wear each item to showcase their identity.
PRIVATE POLICY
Founded on the idea of rebellious style and bringing a fierce free spirit to the world, creative directors Haoran Li and Siying Qu curated Private Policy. Designed and modeled after newspaper outlets, each collection centers around a social topic, such as bringing awareness to enslaved fishermen in the SS17 collection or uncovering the dark side of American big pharma in FW20. This year’s most recent theme channels the idea of exploring a harmonious future between nature and metropolitan lifestyles. With sustainability as the constant pursuit, the duo believes fashion is their outlet to express diversity, build community and inspire meaningful conversations.
TERRY SINGH
Designer Terry Singh has been creating waves ever since he launched his namesake label. His approach shows that fashion can be a means of breaking down barriers between cultures and promoting inclusivity while also providing a platform for personal expression and identity. By creating gender-inclusive designs such as his New Suit silhouette, Singh shares the importance of valuing and preserving cultural heritage, incorporating elements of his Indian ancestry into his clothing line. With the desire to share that fashion can be a powerful tool for self-expression and for sharing our inner world with others. By creating garments that reflect personal evolution and unique experiences, we can inspire others to do the same and promote a sense of freedom and empowerment.
