This fall, hot new fashions are walking the runways in New York, London, Milan, Paris—and Ronkonkoma, a small town in central Long Island. There on Tuesday night, The America First Warehouse played host to a first-of-its-kind event—and fever dream—dubbed the America First Patriotic Fashion Showcase, featuring MAGA-inspired artists and fashion designers from across the country.
Merchandise—and messaging—on display at the America First Warehouse.
Mabel Kabani & Wren Woodson
It was surely the hottest ticket on any conservative fashionista’s calendar.
Roughly 200 Long Islanders gathered in the warehouse space, which also hosts Trump watch parties and events. (Many are regulars at the venue.) Among those in attendance, one particularly hot rumor was that Don Jr and Kimberly Guilfoyle might make an appearance. Don’t get your hopes up, it was fake news—and perhaps not surprising given the flurry of ominous reporting on their relationship from The Daily Mail in recent days.
At the vendor tables throughout the warehouse, an array of bedazzled hats, pins and even makeup were on sale. The founder of MAGA Red Beauty, for example, explained that his lipstick has been designed to match the exact shade of Trump’s prototypical MAGA hat. “Some women are too afraid to wear their MAGA hats or their shirts, but they can always wear the red,” he said. The brand’s website calls it “lipstick with a purpose.”
From left: MAGA Red Beauty offered lipsticks to match one’s pro-Trump ensemble; designer Deborah Yanna sold those ensembles.
Mabel Kabani & Wren Woodson
Racks of sequin jackets in reds, whites and blues may have caused some to suffer temporary blindness, but isn’t fashion supposed to be eye-catching? Make America Sparkle Again designer Deborah Yanna traveled here from Iowa after her styles caused a frenzy at the Republican National Convention. Yanna originally made these jackets just for herself, she told the Daily Beast, but added that her sales—at $400 a piece—are now through the roof. Each jacket comes embellished with, as expected, a classic Trump catch phrase. There’s “Fight, Fight, Fight,” “45/47,” and for the real fans, “Let Me Get My Shoes.”
Floating through the crowd wearing a mermaid-style gown painted with Trump’s face was artist Lena Ruseva, who also goes by “MAGA-Langelo.” Her specialty is putting Trump’s face on different famous characters, like Hercules and the Wizard of Oz; her website sells murals for up to $7,000. Trump owns three of her paintings, Ruseva claimed.
Artist Lena Rusova, who dared to pair her Trump ballgown with a MAGA baseball cap. Throw formal dress codes to the wind!
Mabel Kabani & Wren Woodson
A runway revolution
Sat front row—on an assortment of artfully-mismatched chairs and sofas—for the actual fashion show was a lineup of state politicians, Trump organizers and niche celebrities. (And your roving reporters, who snagged their seats for $50 a ticket, which also included a drink ticket and some charcuterie.) After a rousing rendition of the national anthem sung by Grammy-winner Daniel Erbe, the show’s emcee, Cindy Grosz, took to the stage. Grosz, a conservative writer, radio host and former GOP congressional primary candidate, promised that the night’s main event would be about “fashion, not politics,” before the show opened with a collection of crystal-covered elephant clutches, a nod to the Republican Party symbol.
The stage was set for a fashion show like few other.
Mabel Kabani & Wren Woodson
Martha Byrne walks the America First Patriotic Fashion Showcase runway in a red leather jacket with hand-painted Trump detailing.
Mabel Kabani & Wren Woodson
As the World Turns star Martha Byrne (pictured above) modeled a leather jacket featuring Trump’s raised fist, referencing the widely-shared image—now a MAGA rallying cry—taken shortly after an assassination attempt on the former president in July. Before the show, Byrne told The New York Post she thought it would be “a wonderful way to support creativity.”
A “Swifties for Trump” jacket, meanwhile, elicited boos from the audience. Haters gonna hate! Speaking of haters, a dusty pink jumpsuit emblazoned with the slogan “Kill the Messenger” and an image of a bullet-riddled TV screen featured prominently in the show. We tried not to take it personally…
Looks on the runway spanned “couture” to casual.
Mabel Kabani & Wren Woodson
Mabel Kabani & Wren Woodson
Modeling her own work, designer Sara Brady arguably stole the show. (Stealing the show is good, stealing an election is bad.) Her elegant ball gowns featured overt pro-Trump messaging, because sometimes a fashion statement is a political statement. Look, let’s just say nothing about the evening was subtle, and really, who would have wanted it any other way!?
And it wasn’t just women having all the fun! Male models showed off a variety of looks, from golf-leisure to a hand-painted bomber jacket reimagining Trump as a powerful cyborg. A bare chest under a gaudy, embellished suit jacket also proved to be the hot MAGA menswear trend. Who knew!
Not saying that someone here is regretting the life choices that led them to this moment. But not not saying that either.
Mabel Kabani & Wren Woodson
During intermissions, Billboard-charting artist Lovari serenaded the crowd with his song “Keep it Movin’ (Cancel ‘Cancel Culture’)” and, well, kept it movin’ despite technical difficulties. Showgoers were also treated to a brief comedy routine and a viewing of Pat Boone’s new music video for a track titled “Where Did America Go?” which moved at least one attendee to tears.
Fashion showgoers were also treated to performances by Billboard-charting singer Lovari. Go figure, Nicky Jam was not available.
Mabel Kabani & Wren Woodson
For the grand finale, models returned to the stage en masse waving little American flags to raucous applause. But don’t despair, it wasn’t quite the end; Grosz then prepared the crowd for a segment on Newsmax. Don’t kill that messenger, we’re going live!
(Actually, we left at this point.)