Chromat

Chromat
IndustryFashion
FoundedNew York City, New York, U.S. (2010 (2010))
FounderBecca McCharen-Tran
Headquarters
New York City
,
U.S.
ProductsWomenswear, apparel, swimwear, lingerie, activewear, footwear
WebsiteOfficial website

Chromat is an American fashion label based in New York City. The label was formed by Becca McCharen-Tran in 2010. Drawing from Becca McCharen-Tran's background in architecture and urban design, Chromat focuses on empowering garments for all bodies. In early 2025, McCharen-Tran shared that the spring 2025 collection would be Chromat's last collection for the foreseeable future.

About

McCharen presenting the Spring-Summer 2018 Serenity Collection at New York Fashion Week

Chromat began in 2010 as an extension of McCharen-Tran's degree in architecture design at University of Virginia School of Architecture. It was originally a collaboration with fellow architecture student Emily Kappes. Chromat's structural language is the foundation of each garment: from the simplest bikini to the most complex 3D printed dress. Chromat swimwear, lingerie, and signature architectural cages are all designed in New York City.

Chromat has designed custom pieces for Beyoncé's Mrs. Carter Show World Tour, Super Bowl XLVII halftime show (2013), and performance at the 2014 MTV VMAs. Chromat garments have also been worn by Madonna on her 2012 MDNA World Tour, and in her "Girl Gone Wild" music video; by Nicki Minaj in her 2011 Femme Fatale Tour[citation needed] and Powerhouse 2014 performances; and by Iggy Azalea and Rita Ora's backup dancers at their 2014 Wireless Festival performance of "Black Widow." Chromat clothing and accessories appear in music videos including "Seekir" by Zola Jesus; "Wet" by Nicole Scherzinger; "King of Hearts" by Cassie; "Tear The House Up" by Hervé;[citation needed] and "Cool for the Summer" by Demi Lovato.

Celebrities who have been styled in Chromat clothing include FKA Twigs, Teyana Taylor, Amandla Stenberg, Tyra Banks, Zendaya, Taylor Swift, Gigi Hadid, Joseph Culp, Ellie Goulding, Ronda Rousey, Azealia Banks, Grimes, Hayley Williams, Ariana Grande, Sky Ferreira, Natalia Kills, Charli XCX, Kelly Rowland, Kanye West, and 50 Cent.[citation needed] Chromat has collaborated with Intel, Reebok, Misfit, and MAC Cosmetics.

Chromat's New York Fashion week collections include: Superstructures (Autumn/Winter 2013), Mathletes (Spring/Summer 2014), Bionic Bodies (Autumn/Winter 2014), Formula 15 (Spring/Summer 2015), Mindfiles (Autumn/Winter 2015), Momentum (Spring/Summer 2016), Lumina (Autumn/Winter 2016), Hyperwave (Spring/Summer 2017), Buoyancy (Autumn/Winter 2017), Serenity (Spring/Summer 2018), and Wavvy (Autumn/Winter 2018).

Chromat has been featured in magazine editorials and features, including Vogue Italia, Vogue Deutsch, Galore, V, Elle, Nylon, Vogue, Dazed, New York Magazine and Numéro.[citation needed] McCharen has been profiled by The New York Observer (2012), The Wall Street Journal (2013), and Out Magazine (2013), and was on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list of "People Who are Reinventing the World" in 2014. She was nominated for the RACKED Young Guns Award in 2013, was a finalist in the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund 2015, and was runner-up in the same contest in 2017. Chromat was awarded the Tumblr Fashion Honors in 2016.

References

  1. 1 2 "Couture Construction" (Winter 2009). University of Virginia Magazine. Accessed June 26, 2026; archived February 21, 2014.
  2. ↑ Valenti, Lauren. "Why the Anti-Chafing Thigh Bands on the Chromat Runway Are a Body-Positive Win" (September 8, 2017). Vogue. Accessed June 26, 2026.
  3. ↑ Kahn, Mattie. "Chromat Designer Becca McCharen: Diversity in Fashion Is a Choice" (March 28, 2016). Elle. Accessed June 26, 2026.
  4. ↑ Cooper, Leah Faye. "Spring 2025 Will Be Chromat’s Last Collection—At Least For Now" (April 17, 2025). Vogue. Accessed June 26, 2026.
  5. ↑ Martinez, Alexandra. "Plunging Into Bex McCharen’s Trans Queer Atlantic" (February 16, 2016). HyperAllergic. Accessed June 26, 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Chromat". Arcane. Accessed June 26, 2026.
  7. 1 2 Peterson, Jessie. "Chromat Only Had 4 Hours To Make Beyonce's VMA Performance Masks" (August 26, 2014). MTV News. Accessed November 14, 2014.
  8. ↑ Horowitz, Stephen J. "THE Q&A: How Chromat Brought Wild Style to Beyoncé's World (August 30, 2013). Myspace. Accessed November 10, 2014.[better source needed]
  9. ↑ "Chromat: Madonna's bondage bra of choice" (November 7, 2014). Billboard. Accessed June 26, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Nicki Minaj: Cage Bra, Gladiator Boots" (May 29, 2014). Steal Her Style. Accessed June 26, 2026.
  11. ↑ Kilkeary, Alanna Martine. "Demi Lovato's edgiest music video looks" (October 10, 2016). Billboard. Accessed June 26, 2026.
  12. 1 2 3 4 "Tom Tom 'Leans In' to Increase Female Entrepreneurship in Charlottesville, Allows Founders Summit Attendees to Send Complimentary Tickets to Women" (November 9, 2018). Charlottesville Tomorrow. Accessed June 26, 2026.
  13. ↑ Soo Hoo, Fawina. "Chromat Celebrates Diversity on the Fall 2015 Runway" (February 14, 2015). Fashionista. Accessed June 26, 2026.
  14. ↑ Cichowski, Heather. "CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Show Red Carpet Roundup" (October 26, 2017). Red Carpet Fashion Awards. Accessed June 26, 2026.
  15. ↑ Krauser, Emily. "Ab-Tastic Behavior: Stars Show Off Their Toned Bods" (January 16, 2020). ET Online. Accessed June 26, 2026.
  16. ↑ Harris, Greg. "Gigi Hadid Shows Us How to Pull Off the Newest Street-Smart Trend" (October 19, 2017). Vogue. Accessed June 26, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Joseph Culp by Christopher Hench for Fiasco" (September 10, 2011). The Fashionisto. Accessed December 9, 2014.
  18. 1 2 3 4 Tolentino, Jia. "How Becca McCharen of Chromat Makes Money By Building Sexy Cages" (January 8, 2013). Billfold. Accessed June 26, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Hayley Williams: Crown Headband, Silver Top" (November 19, 2013). Steal Her Style. Accessed June 26, 2026.
  20. ↑ Safronova, Valeriya. "This dress knows when you're nervous" (September 11, 2015). The New York Times. Accessed June 26, 2026.
  21. ↑ Rashed, Ayana. "Chromat Spotlights Reebok’s New 'Energy Return' Sole at New York Fashion Week (September 9, 2019). Respect Magazine. Accessed June 26, 2026; archived September 11, 2019.
  22. ↑ Kapfunde, Muchaneta. "Chromat x Misfit, Committed to Innovation in FashionTech" (January 2016). Fashnerd. Accessed June 26, 2026.
  23. ↑ Jensen, Emily. "M.A.C. teams up with Chromat on new collection" (June 15, 2017). Fashion Network. Accessed June 26, 2026.
  24. ↑ "10 Years of CHROMAT Runway." Chromat. Accessed June 26, 2026.
  25. ↑ "Chromat SS14 | Mathletes" (2014). Chromat via Vimeo. Accessed June 26, 2026.
  26. ↑ "Chromat AW14: Bionic Bodies Runway" (2014). Chromat via Vimeo. Archived April 15, 2014.
  27. ↑ "Chromat SS15 | FORMULA 15 RUNWAY" (2015). Chromat via Vimeo. Accessed June 26, 2026.
  28. ↑ "CHROMAT AW15 | MINDFILES RUNWAY" (2015). Chromat via Vimeo. Accessed June 26, 2026.
  29. ↑ D'Annunzio, Grazia. "Shape-up Sport Style" (June 7, 2014). Vogue Italia. Accessed December 9, 2014; archived July 13, 2014.
  30. ↑ "Vogue Germany March 2014: Black or Blonde by Mario Testino" (March 2014). VOGUE Germany. Accessed December 9 2014; archived November 6, 2014.
  31. ↑ "Cover Story: Maroes Horst on being a professional beach babe" (June 12, 2014). Galore. Accessed December 9, 2014.
  32. ↑ McCarthy, Megan. "Episode 8: Becca McCharen of Chromat – Fashion Built By Design" (December 21, 2011). The New York Observer. Accessed June 25, 2026.
  33. ↑ Symonds, Alexandria. "Mixing Math With Fashion" (February 5, 2013). The Wall Street Journal. Accessed June 26, 2026.
  34. ↑ "Out100: Becca McCharen" (November 13, 2013). Accessed June 26, 2026.
  35. ↑ Elliott, Hannah & Adams, Susan. Forbes 30 Under 30. Forbes (6 January 2014).
  36. ↑ Price, Leslie. "Chromat's Becca McCharen on Design And Dream Client Björk" (June 20, 2013). Racked. Accessed June 26, 2026; archived March 4, 2016.
  37. ↑ Satenstein, Liana and Barnhill, Trace. "Introducing the 2015 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalists" (August 26, 2015). Vogue. Accessed June 26, 2026; archived July 26, 2015.
  38. ↑ Yotka, Steff. "Telfar Wins the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund 2017" (November 6, 2017). Vogue. Accessed July 19, 2018.
  39. ↑ Street, Mikelle. "chromat celebrates tumblr fashion honor with an nyfw art party" (September 15, 2016). I-d. Accessed July 19, 2018.