Amari Carter Took NYFW Guests to Sunday Service for Its Debut Presentation

When it’s New York Fashion Week, most showgoers don’t have the luxury of waking up and heading to church for Sunday service. (Unless you’re lucky enough to have a rare stretch of free time, to which I say, “Amen.”) Instead, we put on our best dress, chug a cup of coffee and pray the delayed subway doesn’t put us behind schedule

So it was quite a surprise to walk into Amari Carter’s debut NYFW presentation at The Standard Hotel and be greeted by the sounds of a gospel choir singing. For Spring 2027, the designer drew inspiration from her childhood days attending church with her grandmother. The resulting lineup takes the idea of “Sunday best” dressing and subverts it through sexier silhouettes.

“I took the church [style], and reversed it and put my spin on it,” Carter told Fashionista backstage ahead of the presentation. “Growing up, I had to be conservative — seen but not heard. These pieces are my ‘woe is me’ moment.”

As part of her design process, Carter pushed herself to play around with tailoring and softened suiting. Take, for example, a soft pink skirt suit that hugs the body, and a matching white cropped blazer top and mini skirt. One of Carter’s favorite pieces is an open-back, halter-neck apron blazer.

“I hope this [debut] introduces our details, the minor, intricate tailoring I’m introducing now and my vibe,” she said.

Ahead, see every look from Amari Carter’s Spring 2027 collection.