The Phonetic Collection

The Phonetic Collection is a playful lesson in how to engage with fashion. It guides the wearer on how to decode its references, learn its language, and be ready to talk Fashion during this NYFW. Designed by Megan O’Cain, the collection transforms recognizable fashion silhouettes and iconic design houses by featuring phonetic spellings of the designers' names, exaggerated proportions, and a distinctly Duolingo sense of humor.

Inspired by the way a new language can make the familiar feel unfamiliar again, iconic fashion references are translated and reconstructed throughout the collection. Design details find new homes to grow and expand in unexpected but simultaneously referential ways. Classic tailoring, sportswear, and accessories are disrupted by playful typography, a primarily monochrome palette, and Megan O'Cain's signature curved silhouettes.

At its core, The Phonetic Collection celebrates the imperfect process of learning something new, turning Fashion Week into something you don’t need to already understand to be a part of. Because fashion, like language, is meant to be learned, played with, and made your own.