Sydney Wekstein Exposes Her Heart For World of my Own
Sydney via instagram, @sa1ntgrace
Sydney Wekstein, the designer and creative director of World Of My Own (WOMO) arrived on the morning of her SS25 fashion show having just freshly bleached her eyebrows on the Uber ride over. She wore a sheer lace bodysuit and jeans so baggy they hardly stayed up, with StarFace stickers on her face and iridescent under-eye masks.
With a large coffee in hand, she instantly filled the role of spiritual guide and best friend, prancing around the venue, sharing in excitement and doling out words of encouragement. Quirky and adorable, Wekstein exudes a lightness and optimism that is infectious. Commanding with the presence of a well-seasoned leader but continuing to exude a sweetness that is often lost in the throws of childhood, Sydney Wekstein is a true rarity.
Wekstein dreamed up World of My Own when she was only sixteen, and in the last five years, has created a fashion collective filled with young creatives and recognized across New York City. She tells me that since she was three years old, the Long Island native knew she wanted to live in ‘The Big Apple’ after seeing Sesame Street on Broadway and thinking to herself, “this is my place.” Wekstein, now 21, attends Parsons School of Design and has built the world of her own that she once dreamed of.
As a brand, WOMO seamlessly blends the effortlessly cool LES-girl aesthetic with a whimsical fantasy world. Wearing the clothes feels like stumbling into a serene meadow in the middle of a grungy city. Her designs are bold yet feminine and playful, often in delicate colors like sweet pinks, cornflower blues, light greys, and soft neutrals.
Wekstein is the embodiment of WOMO’s duality: she is at once a tiny, pixie-like bleached blonde with a beaming smile, and an idiosyncratic rebel with arms full of sticker tattoos and a lip ring. She has her head in the clouds but her feet planted firmly on the ground.
Sydney by Hayley Bruner
She is also someone who feels things intensely. She tends to lead with her heart instead of her brain.
“I do everything on intuition. That's how I make my decisions. I'm not a logical person,” Wekstein says of herself. “I'm bad with uncertainty. I like to know what's happening,” she explains.
A big fan of manifestation, she believes “you can speak your reality.” Above all, Wekstein is a lover, and she can’t help but show it. The collection, titled Cœur Exposé (exposed heart in French,) celebrates the vulnerability of falling in love and the sharing of intimacy.
“It's a direct reflection of my inner world, of what it's like to fall in love with somebody and, like, fall in love with yourself at the same time,” she said. “I think I'm exposing my heart every single day to my friends, my family, my pets, and obviously to my loved one.”
Cœur Exposé is based on her experience while studying abroad in Paris last year and doing long-distance with her boyfriend, who was in London. Their love letters became the ethos of the show, and were immortalized in a screen-printed runway covered in their words to one another in cursive. Other ephemera like old family photographs and hand-written notes, which were a large part of the social media launch of this collection, add to the feeling of a romantic nostalgia and encouragement for love to be thrown around and shared.
Photos by Hayley Bruner
The theme of this show is, fundamentally, what it feels like to be exposed– all the good and the bad. Many of the garments are made from sheer fabrics like organza to capture this vulnerability, and freed nipples and exposed underwear (provided by Siren Basics). The collection celebrated the ecstasy and trepidation of baring it all to another person.
“Being naked is such a vulnerable thing, right? I think a lot of the girls are exposed,” says Wekstein. “They're not wearing bras, actually I don't think anyone's wearing a bra! I'm literally wearing one right now,” she says, looking down at herself with surprise. “Which is so funny because I haven't worn one in years.”
Artistically, Wekstein and her team of seamstresses show creative prowess and expertise, constructing beautiful, meaningful garments. Intention was consistent through the craft: a thulian pink felt skirt was designed to resemble the ribcage, a sea-shell embellished shrug that referenced the birth of Venus. Puffy sleeves, bubble hems, and captivating weave textures reinforce the joy and innocence of girlhood, something that World of My Own often plays with.
Photos by Thandi Roe, @thandiroe
Wekstein also praises French culture as an inspiration.
“I love the French language, and French music definitely influenced me. A lot of the soundtrack from the show is from when I was abroad,” she explains.
There are clear vintage European influences in the looks, from 1960s shift silhouettes and mod playsuits to a charming French New Wave sensuality. Sheer knee-high socks were paired with open-toed wedges, ballet flats, and kitten heels and harkened back to a time of Jane Birkin strolling down the Champs Élysées and Twiggy swinging in mid-century London. The jewelry for the show, designed by Pearl Baker, features geometric earrings with hammered silver that could have been worn by fashion icons Jackie O or Diana Ross.
Photos by Thandi Roe, @thandiroe
The 1960s were a time of innovation in fashion, where designs were bold and rejected societal norms of modesty and conformity. Wekstein follows in this tradition, seeking to create a community that embraces authenticity, acceptance, and self-expression. From the get-go, World Of My Own was a rejection of the stereotypical fashion industry.
“Fashion is all threaded on insecurity, exclusivity, what you look like. I've never been into, like, the coldness of the fashion industry. That's just not what we’re about here,” she tells me. “I don't want to make anyone feel small.”
One of the major aspects of World Of My Own is the community it has given both Wekstein and those who work with her.
“I think it's all about kindness and openness,” she states. “Community has been such a thing for me since I was little. I lived in a small town where there weren't many artists or open-minded individuals. So having community in somewhere like New York is so important to me, and building it with WOMO, I think it’s just like talking about our experience, having shared experiences, and just being open with one another and inviting each other in and sharing meals together and listening, you know, just creating memories.”
Photos by Hayley Bruner
Team dinner parties, picnics, and mandatory self-addressed letters (to show yourself some love according to Wekstein) instantly cultivate an environment of inclusivity and sensitivity – both of which are often missing in traditional fashion spaces. It’s important for Wekstein to provide a safe space for everybody and every body. Regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ability, or body size, she works to keep inclusivity at the forefront of her brand.
“The fashion industry is just run by a bunch of old dudes! Mostly all white guys. And I think this space is so different from that, and I'm really grateful to create something that is small but so wonderful,” she gushes.
These foundational pieces of WOMO also reinforce the creative process as something communal instead of individual. Wekstein stresses that every project takes a village, and even though it is her story she’s telling, everyone has contributed so much to make this what it is. “I don’t want to do this alone,” she says. “Everyone in this fucking community is so inspiring to me. Everyone has such beautiful ideas and such amazing style and uniqueness about them. We're all different parts of each other. We all collect things from each other. We’re all reflections of each other. We're all inspiring each other constantly.”
World of My Own is about much more than fashion. “The clothes are a means to an end,” Wekstein shares during our show-day team meeting. I was at first surprised to hear that, but now I understand that what she means is that WOMO uses fashion as a tool for connection. It is about art, but it is also about the human experience, and fulfilling human needs like love, friendship, sharing, and, like an exposed heart, intimacy.
“This is what humans are meant to do,” Wekstein shares. “Like, connect and be kind to one another, right? I think in the time of the world that we're in right now, it's so negative and so dreary and so dark and so hateful that it's like, I've always wanted to create a corner of the world that isn't.”
Photos by Coral Day @coraldayy
So, with another successful collection under her belt, what’s next for Sydney Wekstein?
It seems that she can only keep growing. “I want to create something that's, you know, profitable, because that's the only way we can exist in this world. But I want to create lives for people,” Wekstein says. She hopes to eventually be able to properly hire and pay her employees, something that is really difficult for a small collective like WOMO. “If I can help other people's quality of life be better through this, I want to do it.”
It’s also possible that WOMO goes intercontinental, as Wekstein desires to eventually leave New York. When I ask her where she’ll go, she says, “Paris. France. Europe. I would love to just take everyone I love and move to Europe. Like, let's go, guys! It's glamorous and beautiful and real.” But, don’t be surprised if Wekstein pivots from fashion entirely. “I think in five years, hopefully, I'll conquer the fashion world, make what I need to make,” she says, “and then hopefully be a therapist or something. Or work with animals.”
While her goals may transcend fashion, Wekstein definitely isn't finished yet. I know we’re all looking forward to what world she dreams up next.
SHOW CREDITS
Designer & Creative Director: Sydney Wekstein @sydneysydsydne
PR Director & Creative Consultant: Ifeoluwa Ibraheem @ifeibraheem
Producer & Set Designer: Nikki Fina @nikkifinaa
Stylist: Courtney Francisco @quitethenotion
Shoe Maker & Designer: Madison Gaworski @madzerrs
Jewelry Designer: Pearl Baker @_pbnoj
Milliner: Sideara @sideara @shopsideara
Sculptures: @mariamosier_
Show notes: @janethefarmer
Intimates: @sirenbasics
Makeup: @appledoll
Lead MUA: Cassandra Lee @cvsee
Lead Hair Stylists: Dakota Mack @5taaar & Haniyyah Dixon @haniyyahdixon
Nail Artist: @kaylasnails
Movement Direction: Camille Steele @sistersteele
Music: Lucy Goodman @lucygoodman4
Sound: a party @apartybyaparty
Venue: Brooklyn Photo Studios @bkphotostudios
Food: El Zason @elzasonnyc1
Head of Production Design: Eszter Bognar @b.eszt
PR Coordinator: Annika Behal @realannikabehal
PR Assistant: Sigi Shure @sigaaalitttttt
Lead PA 1: Callie Boehm @photofunk
Lead PA 2: Hayley Bruner @hayl3yraya
Designer Assistant: Noa Lev @noaalevv
Sewing team: @angel.without.a.halo_ @n.atalierosetto @nozzi.e @lindynunally @neyhartaylor