The 21-year-old designer Patrik Rzepski embraces fear as his muse; according to his bio, he has “set out to exploit the primal fear and passion laying dormant in society.”

Which maybe explains why the invitation to his show was taped with a razor blade. It also suggests that the excruciating start to his show at Scandinavia House was intentional.

A brief spectacle began when — just a few minutes before his presentation Friday — guests caught an untimely glimpse of coifed and outfitted models as assistants herded the girls from an elevator to a cumbersome niche near the runway.

“The models have been dismissed,” a fashionably late Karl Lagerfeld said to his companions, not missing a second between the chime announcing the elevator’s arrival and the recognizable clatter of high heels.

After a minute of unsettling silence, it was showtime, and Mr. Rzepski kept the room engaged with his collection of rough silhouettes, which were mostly black and bore much binding and tearing — or “abuse” as the designer defines it. Plunging v-backs and distressed fabric were recurring staples, as were grommet-laden wrap coats with braided sashes.

One specific ensemble made a strong impression: a tattered red silk halter with razor blades strategically placed in lieu of sequence, paired with a black, slinky pencil skirt.

“Fantastic,” Mr. Lagerfeld said quietly, as his admirers jostled for their cameras and pens. A geometric corset fashioned by zippers also drew approving nods from the crowd.