Each New York Fashion Week season the delightful creations by Rachel Scott of Diotima are a highlight. Her designs evoke visceral feelings and with each presentation her fanbase of editors, stylists, fashion insiders and the like grows. For her latest presentation the designer and her team decided upon a massive space in a building located in the Financial District. Delicious drinks flowed, showgoers like Denee Benton, Ari Lennox, Ebony Obsidian and Jordyn Woods floated in the brand’s designs amongst a special crop of guests from the fashion industry.
If it’s possible for clothing to capture whimsy and power simultaneously that’s the summation of Scott’s latest collection. Central to Diotima’s Fall/Winter 2025 is the maternal figure, the matriarch. Show notes suggest the CFDA Award-winning designer decided to delve deeper into connotations associated with Black mothers, including one’s complexities, their sensuality and the ideal of intimacy. “For too long her story has been reduced and flattened,” the show notes explain.
To put it plainly Scott was able to paint a vivid picture of countless matriarchs, she put a call out to receive images. And her audience delivered just that. Rummaging through imagery of eras ranging from the present to the ‘80s, ‘70s, and ‘50s, the designer felt invigorated. The result of this research process led to a bountiful assortment of deconstructed attire in tones such as a deep maroon tone There were slick chemise tops, bloomers, oversized trousers with back pleats, and also high-shouldered blazers.
Staples also included a succinct satin evening cape and excellent crinkle chiffon dresses, these creations urge one to think about what our matriarch wears when she’s in her bedroom. Alternatively, Scott created looks based on what our figure would don when she’s out in the world: a Harris Tweed dress and a skirt–these are designed to not come across as ultra-structured. For evenings options range from expressive wool knit bombers to Diotima signatures, crochet and mesh knits also crafted in wool. There are also evening suits equipped with tuxedo stripes in mesh, crystal mesh capelets are a welcomed addition to the take on suits.
Wholly, the collection pays homage to the many women in our lives who have poured into each of us. The line is complex and for good reason, women including our aunties, our grandmothers, and countless others aren’t a monolith. This is perhaps what is most central to the FW25 collection, the idea of presence and power when one puts on clothing that truly embodies their innermost musings–this ideal is intrinsic to the brand Diotima.
