The energy backstage at Grand Collection’s Spring/Summer 2025 show was laidback. Not in a nonchalant way, but in a way that felt like everyone was well rehearsed and had nothing to be nervous about. Models sipped Peronis and patiently waited to be pushed during their final walkthrough. This energy, and the lack of nerves, was a reflection of the collection and the culture that inspired it. Skate culture is notably free-spirited and non-conformist, filled with eclectic individuals unafraid of scraping knees or breaking bones, and with an influential style that is always practical.
For Grand Collection founder Ben Oleynik, this show was special: it highlighted the brand's first collaboration with New Balance. And for a brand that originated as a small skate-rooted menswear brand in New York, and a founder who's passionate about creating well-crafted sportswear with high-quality fabrics, the partnership is worth celebrating. "Brands that come from our world are often seen as less special or less important than traditional luxury houses, but hosting our own shows challenges that," he says.
Grand Collection
Grand Collection
Grand Collection
To the soundtrack of Pusha T’s "Call My Bluff," models, artists, and skaters galavanted through White Space Chelsea in sleek tracksuits, checkered, striped, and cheetah print bombers, and oversized button down shirts. Some looks reinvented the way skatewear is styled: a sweater vest over a hoodie, a black and white striped button down paired with a cardigan and leopard print shorts, and an oversized t-shirt over a striped button down shirt. The collection also included a collaborative New Balance sneaker, a tennis shoe originally from the ‘80s reimagined as a leather skate shoe. The lively crowd was filled with friends of the models beaming, celebrating, and bopping along to the music, all from different nooks of New York culture.
Grand Collection
Grand Collection
Grand Collection
Oleynik loves putting his friends on the runway, many of whom have a deep understanding of the style and are deeply rooted in the culture. This time, his show featured designer Kim Shui, rapper Lil Polo Tee, photographer Nolan Zangas, and skateboarders Dede Lovelace, Spencer Hamilton, and Diego Najera. This eclectic collective, representative of New York's downtown community (diverse, creative, and one-of-a-kind), joined forces to celebrate a culture so influential in fashion, yet so under represented. “You never see runway shows by brands that come from our world,” he says. “I love putting my friends who never walk shows in a runway show context. I love seeing our designs in a runway show context. It forces people to look at what we’re doing in a different way."
