YONY SERVES SPRING/SUMMER 2024 COLLECTION
Los Angles-based menswear brand YONY got a jump-start on New York Fashion Week by braving last week’s heat wave with a sporty presentation at Town Tennis Club on East 56th Street on Thursday, September 7th. Playing into a signature tennis motif — key inspiration for the ready-to-wear line — YONY showed a combination of sportswear and performance-wear pieces.
Models wore contrast stripe sets, basket weave separates, Supima cotton chinos, and canvas workman shirts. Summer knits included classic tennis sweaters and cardigans. Original details including hand-painted tennis scenes and a contrast stitched portrait of designer Johnny Schwartz’s father “holding court,” added a personal touch to the designs.
“I started YONY with a creative foundation rooted in the styling of the era that my dad grew up in – 1950s Brooklyn. As with every season, it must reference ideas and thoughts close to my heart. Beginning with Spring/Summer 2021, I introduced the “YONY Racquet Club” motif. The “club” that I am building will emulate the Saturdays I spent watching my dad and his buddies play tennis, drink Coke, and shoot the shit. This season, Spring/Summer 2024, strengthens the relationship the brand has with tennis, why the sport should be cooler than it is, and finally, the authentic connection I personally have with the game. Today the sport is tossed around as a visual aid for brands to acknowledge and abandon. I want to share my love for tennis by creating products and telling a genuine story that enhances the sport and the fashion associated with it,” says Schwartz, YONY’s founder and designer.
Throughout the presentation — and also dressed in the Spring/Summer 2024 collection — tennis athletes put on mini matches for guests to watch, US Open style, while sipping the cocktails and iced teas.
YONY’s mission is to shift menswear to a more sophisticated look while creating the most transparent and ethical supply chain possible. The clothing represents a refined take on Americana that is inspired by the 1950s and modernizes a look that is long lost. Whenever possible, YONY’s fabrics are sustainable and produced in the United States from start to finish. The brand works closely with their vendors for materials sourced abroad to ensure that their fabrics are made in their country of origin from A to Z.
