Saint Sintra Fall 2022: A Carefully Constructed Fantasy
“I love all things magical, sparkly — the more fantastical, the more real it is to me.”
Image Courtesy: Saint Sintra
Following Saint Sintra’s technicolored NYFW spring 2022 debut, designer Sintra Martins is focusing her label on becoming “a sustainable, long term business and design house” this season. The 25-year-old visionary was met with tremendous anticipation and support for her ready-to-wear fall/winter collection’s offsite show.
Presented at The Palace, a New York City night club, Saint Sintra’s fall 2022 show was nothing short of breathtaking. Showcasing an extensive selection of textures, Martins honed in on her tailoring while staying true to her romantic silhouettes and beloved bows.
Image Courtesy: Saint Sintra
Image Courtesy: Saint Sintra
A Parsons School of Design graduate — who previously interned with the likes of Thom Browne and Wiederhoeft — Martins has staked her claim with style.
Image Courtesy: Serichai Traipoom/ W Magazine
She is a favorite among several high-profile figures such as Kim Petras and the Clermont twins, who were seen front row at Martins’ first runway. Having just two shows and three collections under her label’s belt hasn’t stopped Saint Sintra from styling the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, Sydney Sweeney, Willow Smith and Emma Chamberlain, just to name a few.
Image Courtesy: @saintsintra on Instagram
Image Courtesy: @saintsintra on Instagram
Image Courtesy: @saintsintra on Instagram
Martins’ work has been omnipresent within Gen Z culture, with a wave of editorial and celebrity style placements lusting after the hyper-pop, eclectic, twee look brought to life through her previous collections.
She’s far from satisfied, though, as she used her sophomore show to make a statement.
Image Courtesy: Saint Sintra
Sustainability, and the battle for its synergy with fashion, was undoubtedly a standout of this collection. Martins has spoken of the climb to becoming a reliable label with an environmentally friendly conscience. No longer interested in custom-made orders, the independent brand is focusing on everyday wear that will sit well and long with its consumers.
Image Courtesy: Saint Sintra
Contextualizing the sustainability conflict, models illuminated the runway with shoes that were wound with wire, crumpled paper and receipts. Opting for more neutral tones, the detailed tailoring and array of textures seamed together moments of thoughtfulness and optimism as the models walked at a staggered pace.
Image Courtesy: Saint Sintra
Image Courtesy: @double3xposure on Instagram
The show’s environment allowed the fantasy to come to life, with a glitter disco ball looming from the ceiling of the night lounge and mirrors casing the room. Shades of indigo and crimson permitted Martins’ dream-like magic to take over. The music was illusive and full of exaggerated shimmer, entrancing the audience with a sense of nostalgia evident and dripping from the collection.
Masculine touches had more pull this time, as a spectrum of suited looks graced the tiled runway. Shifting from the zip-up style of the 2000’s reminiscence seen in the previous collection, Saint Sintra seems to be moving past the Y2K digital look. Designing “romantic pieces inspired by nostalgia,” the 2022 collection combined codes of delicacy, detail and distinctiveness.
Image Courtesy: Saint Sinta
Closing the show was the “onion bride.” Beautifully silhouetted, with allusions of glamor and waste, the look re-imagined toilet paper, adorning the commodity with loose white fabric trailing behind the model’s hands and feet.
Image Courtesy: Saint Sintra
Sintra Martins might have pruned her range of colors, but she undoubtedly broadened the vision behind her brand. The designer has been characterized as “aggressive femininity that transcends gender.” Opting for a palatable playness, Martins’ collection offers a reconstructed view of gender expression.
Remaining both fantastical and accessible, Saint Sintra lived up to the anticipation with material magic.
Image Courtesy: Strike UF
Strike Out,
Writer: Grace Benneyworth
Editor: AJ Bafer
Graphics: Lari Aguiar
Gainesville
