Marta Del Rio designs capsule collection inspired by a KITCHEN appliance

In early December Pantone declared the 2023 Color of the Year to be Viva Magenta, a red shade promoting joy and optimism.

On Thursday February 9th, American home appliance brand, KitchenAid, kicked off New York Fashion Week with an invite-only event to announce their Color of the Year, Hibiscus, a vivid fuchsia with a matte finish.

The celebratory event debuted a capsule collection of seven one-of-a-kind, avant-garde designs inspired by kitchen appliances featuring the trendy shade by creative consultant, designer and stylist, Marta Del Rio.

On Thursday February 9th, American home appliance brand, KitchenAid, kicked off New York Fashion Week with an invite-only event to announce their Color of the Year, Hibiscus, a vivid fuchsia with a matte finish

The celebratory NYFW kickoff event was in collaboration with Marta Del Rio and five guest designers

It’s no surprise the brand tapped Marta to collaborate with, as she is the woman behind some of Lady Gaga’s most memorable ensembles.

She has also worked with Billie Eilish, Dove Cameron, and Paris Hilton.

Kicking off NYFW, the presentation took place on Thursday, February 9th at IRON23 and featured Marta’s designs inspired by the Artisan Stand Mixer and K400 Blender.

 In addition to full looks created by designers Jackson Wiederhoeft, Tara Babylon, Tia Adeola, Bach Mai, and Man Made Skins.

Designers were inspired by KitchenAid’s appliances

Notable attendees at the exclusive event were Amber Wang, Catherine Li, Grace Duah, Indi Star, Kat Nova and Sophie Sumner.

Dressed in ensembles featuring the color of the evening, guests watched models strut their stuff while enjoying music by international sound designer Alex Chapman.

Designers Jackson Wiederhoeft, Tara Babylon, Tia Adeola, Bach Mai, and Man Made Skins created a full look inspired by the color

 I’ve designed a capsule collection that merges industrial and organic references, with nods to the iconic lines and curves of the appliances that everyone knows coupled with classical fashion silhouettes,’ said Marta Del Rio

‘It was a pleasure to be able to invite five New York-based fashion labels to expand this core collection; each of their custom editions for this project showcases their design hallmarks and celebrates the KitchenAid Color of the Year, Hibiscus’

‘I’ve designed a capsule collection that merges industrial and organic references, with nods to the iconic lines and curves of the appliances that everyone knows coupled with classical fashion silhouettes,’ said Marta. 

‘It was a pleasure to be able to invite five New York-based fashion labels to expand this core collection; each of their custom editions for this project showcases their design hallmarks and celebrates the KitchenAid Color of the Year, Hibiscus.’

‘It was a pleasure to be able to invite five New York-based fashion labels to expand this core collection; each of their custom editions for this project showcases their design hallmarks and celebrates the KitchenAid Color of the Year, Hibiscus’

British-Iraqi designer and performance artist based, Tara Babylon, was one of the five incredible talents to create a piece for the presentation

British-Iraqi designer and performance artist based, Tara Babylon, was one of the five incredible talents to create a piece for the presentation.

‘When researching vintage kitchen imagery the prominent pictures were of women in aprons,’ she exclusively told Daily Mail.

‘I really wanted to dress a woman in an empowering yet functional outfit. This was the start of my idea to a beautiful dress that enhances the figure with functional textiles.

‘Pairing the hibiscus color swatch with fabrics during research, was also a deciding factor to what the final garment would look like. I love how fun and vibrant the color is.’

Notable attendees include Amber Wang, Catherine Li, Grace Duah, Indi Star, Kat Nova, Sophie Sumner

 Dressed in ensembles featuring the color of the evening, guests watched models strut their stuff while enjoying music by international sound designer Alex Chapman

The New York-based designer said she turned to modern day baking tools for her textile inspiration. 

‘The silicone baking mat and silicone oven glove were the front runners for modern day things used in baking today. 

‘This was the reason to use silicone as a heat resistant hibiscus flower on the dress. I paired this textile choice with my safety-pin metal embellishment and elastic weave technique,’ she said.

Adding: ‘Finally I chose an easy wipe material choice of PVU. The use of safety-pin hardware as an embellishment really ties in with the silver metal logo on the Kitchen Aid appliances.’

 ‘I was inspired to use a lot of stainless steel hardware like rings, buckles, and branding monograms in my designs to contrast the softness of the materials,’ said Vesper Han

Vesper Han, designer at ManMadeSkins, had a different approach.

‘I love the appliances’ perfect proportions of the color’s vibrancy and the metal’s hardness. 

‘I was inspired to use a lot of stainless steel hardware like rings, buckles, and branding monograms in my designs to contrast the softness of the materials,’ Vesper said.

To highlight the vibrancy and intensity of the shade, Vesper manipulated shape and proportions. 

‘I want to fully express the color using dramatic, structural silhouettes and intricate details that mimic the hibiscus flower’s shape and movements. 

‘Being able to play around in different shades and tones of this color gave lots of dimensions to my designs and made them come fully alive.’