DESTROYER OF WORLDS DESTROYED OUR WORLD. And replaced it with a post-patriotic parody of Pop, Pastiche, and Patent Leather. Launched 2022 by designer Cole Durkee, Destroyer of Worlds is hot on the press with their debut NYFW collection, titled Dark Forest. The brand is known for their ingenious use of discarded and deadstock leathers, but this season took reconstruction to a new planet - literally. Cole tells our editors that the collection’s concept is based on a series called The Remembrance of Earth’s Past. It’s your classic sci-fi tale –  aliens invade earth, there’s a subsect of humans who side with the alien invaders. Cole imagines the fallout of extraterrestrial invasion with a cheeky twist: “Who would team up with those aliens? Celebrities.” What follows is an irreverent and intoxicating critique of fame, currency, and American over consumerism.




The runway opens on a spotlit talk show studio set. Our host takes a seat at the live streaming desk, and a dooming audio plays: “THIS IS THE LAST MESSAGE TO ALL PEOPLE ON THIS PLANET. THIS WORLD IS LOST. SO BE SURE TO LEAVE THIS WORLD THE FASTEST WAY YOU CAN. GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE.”

Models stroll out in otherworldly riffs off of recognizable classics. Troll dolls appear as purses. I <3 NY baseball hats worn low over the face (with cutouts over the eyes for an added coolness factor) make a mockery of American nationalism, narcissism and nonchalance. Voluptuous cone bra dresses, Polly Pocket-ish pumps, and prosthetic face pieces speak to a sense of the Plastic, the Botoxed, the Barbied.



High concept worldbuilding can detract from high quality clothes making. But Destroyer of Worlds proves it’s possible to manage to pull off both – it is Durkee’s knack for construction that makes the show one of the most memorable this season. His signature woven leathers appear in buttery v-cut trousers, voluptuous cone bras, and witty trompe l’oeils. Tufted furs punctuate the collection in Fanta toned fluorescent tiers. Durkee’s fabrication chops shine in a black and white patent mini dress. The outerwear is particularly out of this world; an oversize serpentine puffer coat gives us the Michelin Man on Ozempic, which we didn’t know we needed but it’s sickening and sexy as hell.



The styling feeds into the show’s overall dystopia and exaggeration. Sobered cowboy boots and massive silver platforms breed the Alien with the Americana. Cartoonish wigs and teased out beehives deliver the vibe of “pompadour Elvis.” Electric blue eyeshadow, huge beauty marks, and Amy Winehouse-adjacent eyeliner tap into what Lead MUA Bunny Lampert calls the “Futurama” aesthetic that inspired the looks. It’s about “celebrities and impersonators playing off of each other.” It’s “90s Pam Anderson styling herself on the red carpet.” It’s also “deconstructed American flag but made it bloody” - distorted star and stripe chrome face paint steers into the heavy symbolism of Hollywood stars and prison bars. It’s playful, kitchy, gloriously camp. Like a Vaquera-Moschino lovechild.



To set the cherry on top of this already fabulous cake (or maybe Coca Cola), the audio track mixes 80s synth beats with game show themes and slow, dissonant pulsing… all layered over with ironic soundbites from Kim and Kanye, Dolly Parton, and Kamala Harris’ meme-iest quotes. DJ BABES tells us about the intention behind the sound:

“We wanted eerie, we wanted spacey, we wanted dreamy, a bit chaotic as well. [Cole] sent me a bunch of audio clips from celebrity interviews. We wanted audio moments that you could pick up, but would be scratchy and chaotic and lean into the dystopian celebrity moment that we’re trying to create.”

It is undeniably refreshing to see an explicitly ‘staged’ runway show that satirizes fashion’s emphasis on sensationalism, influence, and entertainment value. It is a relief to see a collection that does not skimp out on quality design. It is even more joyful to see an emerging designer surrounded by a genuine community of care and a queer artist with a supportive family structure. We meet Cole’s mother – The Creator of Worlds, one might say – after the show. She gushes and beams with pride at her son’s work. She wants a Destroyer of Worlds tramp stamp. And honestly? So do we.





SHOW CREDITS
Designer: Cole Durkee @destroyerofworlds.online

Lead Makeup: Bunny Lampert @dogstarmom

Makeup Assists: Nikki Latourette @duchessdoesitall,

Atinka Anderson @tinkcolorful

Lead Hair: Nathan Juergensen @nathanjuergensen

Hair Assists: Genevieve Collerton @genevieve.pc, Ania Lisikiewicz @ania.lisz, BABES @jason_v_babes

SFX Artist: Haydin Lazarus @perfect_buddytx Dressers: Elisia @elisiastar, Marina @marinacn

Music: BABES @jason_v_babes


Talent:

Stanton @spctron

Sele @selekaijones

Ibrahim @ibrahimwilliams

Sophia @sophia.donnell

Liam @|pdarcy

Nais @nais.gdg

Keeley @keeleystuff

JJ @jaronjordanfr

Riley @rileyhundleywoodell

Kole @trippytwunk

Dareth @tistbb

Zach @zachboussatta

Roxanne @roxanneschoenfeldt

Zay @rozaycartel

Sarah @sarahdaliaa

Masalene @queenmasalene

Kai @kaitothekingdom

Salama @salamaa.d

Bo @iio.ne

Chloe @chlo.ebell

Emily @emily.mcmanus_

Kaleb @koyotekaleb

Kylie @kylievanarsdale

Luis @common.fool

Karyl @kjsmyname


PR: And Such NYC @andsuch.nyc


Producer: Monbon @monbOn

Production Company: Ojeras @ojeras.pm

Assistant Producer: Bradley Duley @b_dley

Set Designer: Katie Bloom @katiekatbloom

Talent Coordinator: Tamara Tarwoe @yagrItam

Movement Director: Madison Wada @_homesick_4

Lighting Technician: Hesler Garcia @hesbtw

Production Assistant: Coleman @coleman.ex

Venue: Teatro LATEA @teatrolatea


Furs dyed by Nathan Juergensen @nathanjuergensen

Prints in collaboration with Dan Polyak @Danpolyak

Platforms in collaboration with Vasaris Balzekas @great_chairs