Independent designer Contessa Mills makes her NYFW debut with her second collection titled The Magician: 02. The New York based designer takes inspiration from the city and its it-girls to create mystical feminine collections. Also taking inspiration from tarot cards, this collection is inspired by the magician card, which represents power, creativity, and intellect. The collection intends to channel a feminine power representing a woman's agency to create her own reality. 

The collection has an inherent playfulness, calling to vintage 1920s circus and burlesque imagery in each look. The collection is sexy, classy, and tailored. The use of fabrics like satin, jacquard, and crepe adds to the vintage feel of the collection and creates a slickness that hugs the body. The looks also feature unique details like scalloped stitching, subtle sequins, and small satin bows, demonstrating tasteful attention to detail amongst simpler tailoring. Mills demonstrates an ethos that centers luxurious design with wearability, intending to create garments for women that can be worn and loved. 

Amongst the most notable looks is first a corset with complex stitching paired with knee-length shorts with clean slits across the thigh. This look is sexy and chic, reminiscent of vintage undergarments by hugging the body and accentuating the waist. Another notable look is a lustful take on a classic white button-down. The fitted off-the-shoulder mini dress, featured in short and long sleeves, takes what would normally be the collar and uses it for the sleeves, generating a modern and subversive look on a classic piece. The vintage inspiration behind the looks drives home the feeling of mysticism that Mills is trying to create, demonstrating a strong design identity in her second collection.