Cucculelli Shaheen Draws Celestial Inspiration for Autumn/Winter 2024 at NYFW

New York City-based luxury designer couture brand Cucculelli Shaheen presented their Autumn/Winter 2024 collection titled “Veritas” at New York Fashion Week. Set against the dramatic backdrop of the New York Supreme Court building architecture, the collection drew style inspiration from mythology, celestial constellations, and gilded textiles for a sensual and ethereal presentation of diverse yet cohesive bridal and eveningwear wardrobe styles.

New York City-based designer brand Cucculelli Shaheen, led by married partners Anthony Cucculelli and Anna Rose Shaheen, debuted its Autumn/Winter 2024 collection at New York Fashion Week on Feburary 10, 2024. The duo chose to set the most recent showcase against the dramatic soaring backdrop of the New York Supreme Court for a stunning immersive experience that took guests’ breath away. Models elegantly circled the cavernous space in a round walk pattern, crossing paths at the centre amidst the quiet lens snaps from the camera pit shutters. This stately courthouse setting seemed more than appropriate for a fashion collection entitled “Veritas,” literally meaning “truth” in Latin as well as an apt name for the Goddess of Truth, with a seasonal tagline stating “truth always burning.” 

The collection was celestially-inspired, a theme we have seen from Cucculelli Shaheen in the past as a classic trademark of the brand. The designers brought constellations to life, drawing inspiration from mythology and the night sky and translating them into stellar embellishments, sequin patterning, gilded lace, dotted gems on sheer textiles, cascading silver appliqués like fallen stars, and Latin linguistic touches. 

Though these linguistic and heavenly references were rather on-the-nose throughout each look, the collection felt extremely cohesive with the ability to cater to a wide range of audiences. For a more youthful and playful take on eveningwear compared to some prior seasons, we saw more daring sheer garments and the use of models’ exposed skin in design contrast to darker tones in fabrics. Some necklines plunged and hemlines soared, a fresh element from designers Cucculelli and Shaheen, feeling catered to a more youthful audience or trendy soiree. The duo seemed to have fun with layers this season, following runway trends around the world from recent years that have so wholly captivated the fashion crowd’s hearts of late. Gauzy transparent tulle layers floated over slinky body-conscious silk underlayers, and ethereal embellishments like hatching and dotted gems on sheer mesh draped across skintight bodysuit cuts reminiscent of the “sans-pants” trends we’ve seen recently rising unanimously on designer mood boards, from Miu Miu in Paris to Area in New York to Cucculelli Shaheen here. 

Despite a few boldly trending options on offer, Cucculelli and Shaheen also included looks for a modern sophisticate at any age, which we’ve come to expect from the two as a signature client offering across all seventeen of their collections to date. Perhaps drawing upon their history of a stint in Florence, Italy, Cucculelli and Shaheen often present full-length gowns with beautiful embellishments and stately cuts. This season did not disappoint in this regard, debuting more conservative yet equally eye-catching styles including mid-length skirts, modern bridal-worthy gowns, floor-grazing hemlines, opaque pant sets, and multiple long overcoats. 

The magic of Cucculelli Shaheen pieces often lies in the styling – with such a cohesive collection centred around a palpable thematic story and with recurring design elements, many of these pieces from various looks could easily be shuffled to mix-and-match for a myriad of stylish occasions fit across multiple clientele profiles and needs. 

Cucculelli Shaheen again remains true to their decisive brand identity and strong apparel offering within the womenswear luxury couture space this season with the Autumn/Winter 2024 “Veritas” collection, and it seems the design duo has certainly found their place within the bustling industry. The show was met with rousing applause at its end, and attendees excitedly chattered amongst themselves with each new runway look that emerged around the Supreme Court rotunda. From luxury bridal shoppe owners, to urban socialites, to discerning fashion buyers, the established NYC-based Cucculelli Shaheen brand continues to excite fashion lovers and remain noteworthily identifiable in a loud sea of voices – which is no small feat at New York Fashion Week. We look forward to seeing these latest designs grace the red carpet, ballroom hall, bridal aisle, and beyond: bringing a piece of assured truth in one’s own identity and an air of celestial mythology down to earth with each wear.

Cucculelli Shaheen was founded in 2016 in New York City by Anthony Cucculelli and Anna Rose Shaheen, who are partners in both life and design. The couple met whilst working in the city, and built their designer partnership further during a time focused on design work in Italy. Combined, the design duo has worked with household name brands such as Burberry, Oscar de la Renta, Roberto Cavalli, and Emilio Pucci during their career tenures. The Cucculelli Shaheen brand aims to be the “synthesis of lush embroidery, effortless silhouette, and subversive edge.” The brand often looks to classical art and music, mythology, and the city it breathes in as its airs of inspiration to draw upon. 

Cucculelli Shaheen has dressed a diverse range of luxury clientele including established names in music, social media, the arts and entertainment, and high society. The brand is often published and has carved a name for itself in New York as a worthy piece of both Fashion Week and the fashion scene for its luxury embellishment, whimsical design stories, “downtown couture,” and classic eveningwear styles. 

CREDITS

_{Writer: Laur Weeks @laur.weeks}

_{Photographer: Charles Barnes @charles.l.barnes}

_{Designer: Cucculelli Shaheen @cucculellishaheen}

_{PR: Purple PR @purplepr}

_{Hair: Clay Nielsen @thisisclay using Aveda products}

_{Makeup: Moani Lee @moanilee using Kjaer Weis products}

_{Gems: Gemfields @gemfields}

_{Nails: Pattie Yankee @pattieyankee using Pattie Yankee products}

_{Shoes: Black Suede Studio @blacksuedestudio}