The Downtown Fashion Scene Sipped NFT-inis to Celebrate 10 Years of Eckhaus Latta

Notably not in Bushwick, design duo Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta continued the celebration of ten years of their eponymous brand, Eckhaus Latta, at The Standard East Village after their show in the Lower East Side. The crowd from the elevator through the lobby out to the Bowery sidewalk was full of downtown fashion mainstays, eager to take in the views from the penthouse, sip “NFT-inis,” and let go to the sounds of beloved DJs DOSS and Physical Therapy.

“We wanted to switch it up,” said Eckhaus of the decision to show at the old Essex Market in the Lower East Side, also home to their first brick-and-mortar store. “The Essex Street Market experience is really time-sensitive because it’s going to be ripped down and turned into luxury condominiums soon, so we had to have it happen before it was gone. New York is always changing.”

While the decade-old brand has earned recognition from the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Met’s Costume Institute, and the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, they are still referred to as an emerging brand. “We’re going to be emerging forever,” Eckhaus told Vogue. “We like doing our thing. We have our crew. We have people who enjoy us. We enjoy ourselves.”

The design duo exhibits a clear creative connection—finishing each other’s thoughts on what’s to come in the next decade. “We’re excited to be around for another ten years,” said Latta. “I think we’re feeling really grounded and ready to take another step forward. I’m down to see what happens after ‘emerging.’” 

The 10-year anniversary celebration was co-hosted by the new cryptocurrency Ponyo Impact, which collaborated with Eckhaus Latta on EL10, a series of 10 NFTs. “We have a coin!” Latta interjected. 

“With a coin! We’re having this party with a coin. The NFT we’re doing with them will benefit Bottomless Closet to help women who are of lesser means be able to get clothing for things like job interviews,” said Eckhaus, who, like many of us, is admittedly still grasping what exactly an NFT is. “It’s nice to be able to partake in that but also have it be charitable and not it just be about the game.”

The collection of NFTs includes 10 looks from 10 seasons of Eckhaus Latta illustrated by artist Leeseongil. The works embrace the brand’s inclusivity by featuring a figure with a range of hairstyles, skin tones, and hair and eye colors, designed by Lije Morgan.

As Eckhaus noted to Vogue’s Steff Yotka, the pair didn’t want to incorporate nostalgia into their collection, however, they did revive the cocktail created by friend of the brand, Arley Marks, that was served at the first Eckhaus Latta show. This time around, though, it was infused with Yola Mezcal.

Friends of the forever-emerging brand in attendance included Hari Nef, Paloma Elsesser, Evan Mock, Kelly Zutrau, Tyler Mitchell, Richie Shazam, Chloe Wise, and Patti Harrison.