In a society that demands noise, black lets us choose stillness. It offers a canvas for identity, a stage for self-creation. It asks, “Who are you when the color falls away?”
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Before my last show began, the runway dimmed … not into absence, but into brilliance. A full blackout collection swept forward, sculptural and unapologetic, proving that black isn’t a void. It’s a presence. It’s power. It’s the quiet whisper that somehow silences every room.
For me, Ethan Mundt, otherwise known as Utica Queen, black isn’t about hiding. It’s about revealing. The silhouettes became armor and poetry all at once — tailored lines sliced the air, matte velvets absorbed the light and glints of crystal burst like constellations. Each look spoke to the artistry of queer resilience — the way we shimmer when the world grows heavy, the way we turn darkness into theater.
We’ve heard it before: cerulean once ruled, cascading down the fashion ladder from editorial decree to department store bargains. But in this new era, black does not trickle. Black commands. It transcends trend because it speaks in a language older than fashion, that of ritual, rebellion and reinvention.
In a society that demands noise, black lets us choose stillness. It offers a canvas for identity, a stage for self-creation. It asks, “Who are you when the color falls away?” The answer, as always, is luminous. And somewhere in the halls of Runway, one can almost hear it, the faintest knowing murmur of “that’s all."
Styling and headpiece: Utica. Photo: Eric Richard Magnussen.
Sketch Design: Ethan Mundt aka Utica Queen
