So perhaps New York Fashion Week still matters. It’s here that you encounter talents like 25-year-old Zane Li, the founder of Lii. He has an extraordinary approach to shape and geometry, creating garments that feel constructivist in both appearance and method. Like Vladimir Tatlin’s abstract installations made from industrial materials, Li’s pieces demand to be viewed from every angle: a skirt may appear exaggeratedly flat from the front, only to protrude at the back with an almost extraterrestrial force.
Based in New York, the designer explores the potential of line and silhouette through precisely cut, flat fabrics rendered in bold color-blocking that delivers a punchy visual impact. It was compelling to see him introduce faux fur into the mix, adding texture to designs that might otherwise read as austerely sterile. And the utilitarian gloves? A nod to Todd Haynes’s “Safe“. We do live in a dangerous world.
What distinguishes Li’s work is his refusal to casually appropriate the term “minimalism,” as so many New York designers do. He understands the discipline the word implies – and claims it, convincingly, on his own terms.
Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
Don’t forget to follow Design & Culture by Ed on Instagram.
Hey, did you know about my newsletter – Ed’s Dispatch? Click here to subscribe.
This season, Joseph Altuzarra went full Ralph Lauren. Plaid maxi skirts, shearling bombers, chunky knits, earthy tones – even heirloom antique jewelry from De Vera called to mind Ralph’s signature turquoises and vintage silvers. Altuzarra has been on the market for nearly two decades now, which already positions the brand as something of an American classic. It was intriguing, then, to see the designer send his uptown woman out for a horseback ride. And those flared skirts in the finale? I’m very much here for more of that bravado from Altuzarra – perhaps with fewer of the uncharismatic, foulard-like dresses he so stubbornly insists on revisiting each season.
Altuzarra Cecie Fair Isle Wool-blend Turtleneck Sweater
Altuzarra Fragolina Draped Broderie Anglaise-paneled Silk-satin Midi Dress
Altuzarra Kiddo Gathered Silk Tapered Pants
Altuzarra Llewellyn Wool Jacket
Altuzarra Dash Pleated Cotton-twill Barrel-leg Pants
Altuzarra Alida Ruffled Silk-chiffon Blouse
Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
Don’t forget to follow Design & Culture by Ed on Instagram.
Hey, did you know about my newsletter – Ed’s Dispatch? Click here to subscribe.
Fforme is yet another New York–based representative of modern-day minimalism and an advocate of all things “good taste.” Frances Howie, the brand’s current creative director, drew inspiration from “Metropolitan” – Whit Stillman’s 1990 cult classic and the cinematic shorthand for Upper East Side dressing and socialite allure.
The collection was prim and elegant, yet beneath the surface two key references emerged: Martin Margiela’s fur wigs created in collaboration with Bless in 1997, and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s cheeky tights-as-shoes moment from a year ago. (Industry lore has it that the shoes failed to arrive in time for The Row show; at Fforme, by contrast, the black “tights” are in fact ultra-slim boots with barely visible soles.)
Howie’s highly-photogenic line-up will undoubtedly please Pinterest art directors. But will the idealized, moneyed Manhattan woman – the figure so many New York designers seem intent on dressing this season – buy into it? I’d wager, and hope, that these mythical women, who model themselves on Lee Radziwill or Babe Paley, know their references.
FFORME Aline Scuba Straight-leg Pants
Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
Don’t forget to follow Design & Culture by Ed on Instagram.
Hey, did you know about my newsletter – Ed’s Dispatch? Click here to subscribe.
Design & Culture by Ed 