Leblanc Studios

Leblanc Studios' Angelo Beato and Yamil Arbaje made their New York Fashion Week debut at The Standard, High Line. The pair are split between New York City and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, collaborating on their debut collection over WhatsApp in a stunning feature of Latin identity and social hierarchies.

A model walks for Leblanc Studios' Autumn/Winter 2025 Collection for the brand's New York Fashion Week debut in February. Photo by Paolo Lanzi and made available by No Kill Magazine. © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.

A salted runway. Scripted monologues. Deconstructed clothes. These were just a few of the details present in Leblanc Studios' New York Fashion Week debut collection 'Other People's Money,' a deep dive into the ever-changing social and economic landscapes of hierarchical societies. And while the theme might seem unconventional, the brand has a rich history playing with narratives exploring similar motifs, not one to shy away from calling out the double standards of a feudal state.

Leblanc Studios was born in 2014 from the minds of Angelo Beato and Yamil Arbaje in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Beato and Arbaje's goal is to create a wardrobe that uplifts youth across the Global South, deconstructing masculine and feminine entities through plays on historical narratives and traditional youth cultures. The brand was the first Dominican brand to resonate with the country's youth, embedding itself within Latin American youth and the complex identities that encompass the community. Inclusivity lies at the heart of the brand's aesthetic, presenting a carefully constructed space for adolescents to lose themselves in their love for culture, art, and authenticity.

Angelo Beato and Yamil Arbaje stand backstage at The Standard, High Line in New York City before their New York Fashion Week debut. The duo started Leblanc Studios in 2014 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Via IG @leblancstudios. © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.

Leblanc Studios is a study in duality—a brand that rejects postcard-perfect tropes in unearthing the unsavory aspects of the Caribbean's past, present, and future while maintaining the allure of the region's beauty. Beato and Arbaje strip away the cliché of Caribbean and Latin American identity, replacing them with something sharper, more intricate, and unapologetically real. The region's political and social complexities clash, embracing the history's rawness rather than romanticizing its surface. Each piece carries the weight of a deeper portrait, one that uses bold colors and fabric choices to chip at conventional styling that flatters rather than defies. It's a quiet rebellion, carefully stripping away the layers to reveal the realities of the region's darkest secrets with raw yet elegant elements.

Therefore, it's only fitting that the pair's debut collection takes a stab at the power structures that support the upper echelons of fashion society on the backs of the vulnerable. Leblanc Studios' Autumn/Winter 2025 Collection is a subtle reminder of the Global South's history with the poor working conditions associated with the fashion industry. Latin American immigrants have long endured the dangerous workforce of textile manufacturing subjected to the hands of American conglomerates that would do anything for a profit. The image is a haunting ghost reflected in the clothing that walks down the salt-encrusted runway, some of which feature patches from revolutionary activist group La Federación de Mujeres Cubanas.

Models walk a salt-encrusted runway at Leblanc Studios' New York Fashion Week debut in February. Photos by Paolo Lanzi and made available via Vogue. © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.

The collection speaks to a time of prominent revolution in the 1970s, one filled with union uprisings and political demonstrations. The pieces embraced Latin American identity through renditions of classic style staples from the 60s and 70s. Classic silhouettes like flared pants and dagger collars are heavily featured in the collection, complemented by newsboy caps and distressed suits. It's a luxurious play on industrial workwear, using fine cuts and unfinished hems to form an abstract presentation of the unspoken conversation of manipulation in the industry.

Layering was a key aspect of this transformative collection, with brighter reds, yellow, and blue strategically hidden under button-ups and sweaters. There's something refreshing about seeing the technique featured in every look, keeping consistency with a hint of the unexpected. A suit jacket over a crew neck over a button-up over a turtleneck shouldn't work, yet Leblanc Studios makes it work with just enough left to leave us wondering how each layer is impeccably structured over one another. Muted colors of browns and grays synonymous with industrial factories clash with mustard, garnet, and navy in reference to the growing defiance of laborers.

Models walk a salt encrusted runway at LEBLANCSTUDIOS’ New York Fashion Week debut in February. Photos by Paolo Lanzi and made available via Vogue. © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.

Beato and Arbaje are successful, bringing tangibility to an otherwise conceptual collection hinting at a political narrative. The duo questions our perception of the Global South and challenges us to think beyond the surface of history's Machiavellian portrayal of the region's culture. It’s subtle, yet distinct. It’s provocative, yet tasteful. It's Leblanc Studios at its finest.