September 16, 2025 |
Rachel Scott made a compelling, poetic runway collection that honoured her roots. Throughout spring and into the end of summer the islands that make up the Caribbean celebrate Carnival. In Trinidad it’s Playing Mas where one dons an elaborate costume, joins a masquerade or mas band to dance in the streets. For those in Jamaica, Bacchanal is a festival filled with food and music, especially reggae, danchell and socca. And then there’s J’Ouvert, a pre-dawn celebration that kicks things off and occurs across the diaspora. These acts of joy serve as the basis for Rachel Scott’s Diotima runway debut.
Scott’s become the force to watch in American fashion from winning a CFDA emerging designer award in 2023 to taking home the big womenswear prize in 2024. And this fashion week she was pulling double duty as she also consulted on Proenza Schouler’s presentation a season before her formal debut as creative director.
Even with all of this on her shoulders Scott delivered what was one of her strongest collections yet. Taking Carnival where beauty, sensuality and joy are acts of power and resistation, she transforms the rich colours like magnetic and fluorescent seen at these events and clashes them with hues like grey, black and white. The designer also looked to Trindadian artist Peter Marshall who is known for his work creating large scale Mas spectacles as well as reimagining characters seen in these celebrations.
That translates taking the “Bad-Behavior” sailors, a satirical character that mocked American sailors, and using details inherent to the costume in everything from paillette trimmed coats to bias tunics with thread peplums. Another well known Carnival personality Baby Doll is like its name, a tribute to femininity complete with parasols and ruffles. In Scott’s hands this turns into sleek button ups and macrame skirts. Dame Lorraine, a figure that skewers rich French plantation owners and is recognisable by her padded bust and posterior becomes softer with lightweight petticoats and feather-like detailing. And of course what would Carnival be without the recognisable cage bra, interpreted as a bust framing waistcoat or morning coat. Even the beauty looks draw from J’Ouvert with splashes of white dashed across the cheekbones, hair and hands. As for the accessories Scott teamed with Nike on knee high sneakers as well as takes on the court shoe, thong sandal and mules all embellished with her signature paillettes.
For a runway debut Scott offered a fresh, modern and poetic tribute to her heritage that feels rooted into the present and also universally appealing. It’ll be exciting to see what she envisions in the upcoming seasons be it for Diotima or Proenza Schouler.
Photography courtesy of Diotima.
