Ocean Savage Speaks: An Exclusive One-on-One from the NYFW Front Row

As Fashion Week sweeps through the city, few collections have sparked as much conversation as Ocean Savage’s Horsefly. The young British-born, New York-based designer sent out a collection that soared at the intersection of aerodynamic sportswear and streetwear luxury, a confident declaration that her label is not a fleeting moment but a force intent on reshaping the landscape.

From the opening look, Savage proved her unshakable eye for detail. Oversized T-shirts were reimagined with gathered necklines, transforming a staple into a statement. Shoulder-padded tops, sharply cut jackets, and fluid dresses balanced strength and ease. Menswear, too, impressed: wide-leg trousers and generous silhouettes felt perfectly tuned to the moment, offering effortless cool without losing polish.

Savage’s ingenuity shone in her reworking of trends. Large headscarves, a nod to retro styling, felt wholly her own, while twin stripes became a bold signature that elevated the line far beyond homage. By the finale, she had carved out a design language that was daring, original, and deeply assured.

Inclusivity pulsed through the show. A diverse cast of models, including one with a single arm, underscored the brand’s celebration of individuality. Sustainability added a modern edge, with deadstock fabrics reborn as striking, future-facing pieces. And then there were the dynamic press-on nails, Savage’s featured offering, a playful accessory that mirrored the collection’s spirit of bold self-expression.

Building a World, Not Just a Wardrobe

Days before the show, I spoke with Savage about her journey, her ethos, and the ecosystem she is building.

“I started sewing at 13,” she recalls, her voice calm and assured. “Before New York, I was around horses constantly. Horse riding was a huge part of my life.” That connection became the quiet backbone of Horsefly, named for the small but persistent insect that bites horses in summer. “A horsefly is tiny but impossible to ignore,” she says. “That’s how I see this collection. It is sharp and direct but grounded, rooted in British heritage with New York’s fiery energy layered over it.”

Savage considers this her second official season. She staged her first show in September 2024 and calls this new presentation “much bigger and more defined.” The collection is paired with a capsule of core pieces available immediately after the runway. “They are not basics, but basic statements,” she explains. “Seasonless and trendless. The DNA of the brand.”

The Anatomy of Audacity

Savage speaks about her work with the precision of a technician and the passion of an artist. The Horsefly collection uses heavyweight deadstock fabrics — wool, ponte, dense denim — sourced from New York vendors. Sustainability, she insists, is not a theme but a practice.

“I don’t have access yet to the most innovative fabrics,” she says, “but we do as much as possible to be sustainable, working seasonless, producing thoughtfully, using deadstock.”

She still sews much of the collection herself. “It gives the pieces life. Hours of my time are in them. I have had years to perfect my craft and I am still learning.”

Her commitment to detail is evident in the lace pieces, a technique she debuted on Linda Evangelista for V Magazine and revisited here with embroidery, Swarovski crystal embellishment, and intricate custom prints. “The closer you look, the more detail you see,” she says. Ostrich feathers are worked in to create a sense of movement. “They give the garments this atmosphere, like they are alive.”

Then there are the nails. “I always saw the brand as an ecosystem,” Savage says. “Not just clothing, but customization, accessories, objects.” She collaborated with a nail artist on black and white striped press-ons that echo the collection’s motifs, from lace overlays to branded graphics. They became one of the show’s breakout moments, snapped and shared across social media before the models had even cleared the runway.

That sense of play sits alongside discipline in her design process. “The storytelling part is often instinctive and chaotic,” she admits, “but it all connects under the idea of ceteris paribus, all other things being equal. I love that people will interpret the work in their own ways. That is the point.”

A Manifesto in Motion

Standouts from the runway included the much-buzzed-about “boy dress,” the clever interplay of textures, and an irreverent energy that kept the presentation alive. Savage’s cast radiated power and individuality, embodying the brand’s inclusive spirit.

“I want the audience to be whoever receives it,” she says. “People who are open to new ideas and drawn to the aesthetic. I love how some brands have that cult following. That is what I hope to build.”

When asked what success looks like, Savage does not mention sales or press hits. “Connection,” she says simply. “If people see it and it inspires them, even just to wear their clothes differently, then that is success. It is about connection, not control.”

Fashion’s Next Great

Savage did not just present a collection. She launched a manifesto, one where creativity, ethics, and audacity meet. With each season, she sharpens her voice, weaving inclusivity and fearlessness into clothes that demand attention.

This is not just another emerging label. It is a brand writing its own rules and inviting you to wear the manifesto. If Horsefly is any indication, Ocean Savage is not rising. She has already arrived.