It’s only been a year since New York-based designer Tyrone Smith established his fashion label Musty, but the Boston-born creative isn’t shy about his industry observations. In new collection “The Trilogy”, Musty’s first release debuting with a runway show, the avant-garde brand is leaving no detail untouched, addressing issues of consumerism, race, and sustainability from the show’s invitations to its powerful closing looks.

Cloaked in all-black garments, the models of the September show walked a skyscraper-based runway—a Financial District location just steps from the New York Stock Exchange. A commentary on affordability and ethics in the fashion industry, the setting was just one of the brand’s callouts of a deeply complex creative world. With invitations imitating EBT cards, Smith involved a socio-economic narration in his collection, recognizing the systematic struggles of Black communities and artists alike.

The Trilogy, a 19-piece collection divided into three parts, alludes to Smith’s design past in its architectural structure and industrial themes with meaning infused in every garment. Closing the show with a look that speaks to an individual’s relationship to their clothing are Wax Trousers and Tailored coat, sculptured pieces that reveal themselves with wear. As wax falls off, the clothing emphasizes an ever-present fear of both capitalist and consumerist nature—the purchase of luxury items with an avoidance to use them, at risk of losing value with their imminent destruction.

Looking to a bigger picture without neglecting detail, Smith’s approach to meaningful fashion is as effective as it is successful, pushing his brand through its early days with the promise of a strong future. Whatever comes next for the emerging designer, VMAN certainly can’t wait to see.