With a shift in the NYFW structure, designers thought of new ways to root their collections in our contemporary moment, celebrate cultures, and look towards a possible future.

This Black History Month, learn about Ann Lowe, the African-American designer behind Manhattan's elite fashion of the mid-20th century.

From ancient armor to contemporary sartorial statement, the juxtaposition of the breastplate’s innate masculinity melded with an exaggeration of the female form has captured the curiosity of fashion’s most prolific creatives.