It was a full house at Chinatown’s Martos Gallery for newcomer Christopher John Rogers’ debut show. The stakes were high for the 24-year old designer. Unlike some designers who can hide behind an extravagant venue or a high production value, Rogers had only his designs and intuition to rely on for the big reveal – and lucky for him, that proved more than enough.

Between the shimmering green metallic pantsuit, the ombre sequin skirt, and a voluminous hot pink ruffled floor-length dress, his joyous designs brought the venue to life.

“I was thinking about stereotypical summer trips, and wanted to approach it from a different angle,” the recent alum of Savannah College of Art and Design said. “Instead of St. Tropez, what about a desert in California? If you had a couture show there and then shipped everyone to Mars, what would it look like?”

The designer may be a first-timer on the Official NYFW Schedule, but he is not entirely new to the industry. Rogers has gained valuable experience working for Rosie Assoulin and Tanya Taylor. (Taylor also introduced him to the Swarvoski team, his sponsor for this season).

If the task of designing and producing a collection wasn’t daunting enough, Rogers managed to do it while working full-time for CFDA Chairwoman Diane von Furstenberg. After his regular work day, Rogers would return home to continue working on his own brand until around three or four in the morning.

he said. “Regardless of the fact that sometimes I don’t eat, don’t sleep, or can’t afford whatever, it doesn’t matter to me. I have to do this.”

All the hard work is already paying off: Rogers recently dressed Cardi B and SZA and he is building a base of loyal fans.

“I hope that the people we want to reach are people that are emotionally connected with the clothes and we can make it available to them,” he said. “That’s more important to me than dressing celebrities or getting into editorials. I really want people to love these clothes and live in them.”

And that, he added, “is what inspires me.”