It’s day 2 of New York Fashion Week, and up next is an It-Girl favorite and a designer that stands firmly on the NYFW circuit, Dion Lee. Stylists, editors, and fashionistas—all head to toe in the Australian designer’s pieces, of course—replace the office workers that typically occupy the vacant top floor of a Hudson Yards skyscraper. Typically inspired by architectural shapes, the grittiness of the exposed concrete room further emphasized that theme, creating quite the ambiance for a Dion Lee show. The SS23 collection, however, nods to the opposite—the patterns in nature. Dion Lee presents SS23 Biomimicry.

Offering a fusion of traditional tailoring across recognizable corsets, Lee’s SS23 collection merges the brand’s traditional codes with hints of surprise elements—like motocross fashion and monstera leaves. If the show can be summed up in four words, it would be; Monstera, Moto, Anatomy, and Survival. 

In true Dion Lee fashion, the collection sees the brand’s signature cutouts and structured corsetry through expertly tailored cropped blazers, industrial denim, and motocross details. Sexy and fluid, Lee’s ruched mini dresses and cut-out tops offer versatility for both edgy daywear and chic evening wear. And, of course, a micro-mini skirt moment on the runway—proving the beloved, cult-following trend is not going away any time soon. 

Looking to a different part of nature, the collection also sees a Scuba capsule, a black, head-to-toe neoprene wetsuit, and a leather, neoprene bodysuit—perhaps a nod to the surf culture of his hometown Sydney. Open-toe boots in lime and black take the form of a monstera leaf in laser-cut leather. Motocross-inspired jacket and matching pants also take the runway, familiar to any Rosalía fan—she’s been touring and photographed in Lee’s moto-glam pieces for her world tour. 

Styled by frequent collaborator Patti Wilson, the SS23 collection was a sophisticated take on nature. Lee did this through a sensual and architectural lens, looking to establish a relationship between raw nature and the day-to-day things you see while living in the city.