New York

Hello Happiness. Marc Jacobs AW21

| Design & Culture by Ed

Even though I was in the “out of office” mode for a week, hiking in the Polish mountains, I watched last week’s livestream of Marc Jacobs’ graceful runway come-back, and I couldn’t be happier. Jacobs hasn’t shown a collection since his spectacular autumn-winter 2020 presentation circa February of last year, choreographed by Karole Armitage and starring a corps of professional dancers backing up the likes of Miley Cyrus and Bella Hadid. The year-long break from fashion shows wasn’t only a time of changes for the brand, but also a much-needed pause for Marc himself. There were even rumours the designer would ditch the runway forever. Thankfully, that didn’t happen, and here we are with this radiant, bold and strong line-up. What we got was Marc Jacobs couture, a bold statement about the dynamism and allure of dramatic mid-century and Space Age-y proportions, filtered through an American sportswear vernacular and put together with an eye to the assemblage style and rule-breaking of Gen Z. Jacobs has clearly been paying attention to the ins and outs of fashion: there were both ribbed knit bodysuits and holographic paillette dresses here, which alternately conjured lockdown homewear and reemergence proposals seen elsewhere. But this collection was less about where we’ve been or the current fashion conversation than it was a raising of the fashion bar, which I think makes it so, so special. It read as an endorsement of adventurous, even extravagant silhouettes: puffer hoods and snoods, cocoon coats, skirts over pants, and faux fur scarves that trailed behind the models like trains. On one side, there were chunky sweaters and almost iridescent ski pants; and on the other, bodysuits cut out at the sides and back worn with flat front midi skirts in Op Art intarsias. Fashion with capital F, yes please! Outsized outerwear was a big story, some with enormous block logos, another outlined with long fringe in the same sans serif shapes. When this collection arrives at Bergdorf Goodman (the legendary New York retailer is said to be exclusively carrying the runway offering) in the autumn these jackets and coats will command attention. Probably the most spectacular pair of looks came in black and white bias stripes: clingy quilted dresses, topped by a puffer bolero in one case and a puffer stole in another. Marc’s press-notes, which titled the collection as “Happiness”, emphasised that joyful feeling of fashion being fashion at its best. “On the journey back to doing what we love most, in the wake of immeasurable loss, loneliness, fear, anxiety, and uncertainty, I am reminded of why creativity is so vital to our existence. To life,” he wrote. All this came in the lead-up to this September’s Costume Institute exhibition devoted to American design, and curator Andrew Bolton’s insistence that it – it being American fashion – is indeed as emotionally resonant as its European counterpart. And Marc Jacobs definitely keeps on leading the pack of contemporary fashion designers from the USA.

“Live” collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Stay Realistic. Proenza Schouler Resort 2022

| Design & Culture by Ed

While nearly every single designer is musing on re-emerging and dressing up again as more and more people get vaccinated, the Proenza Schouler boys rather stay realistic. Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough aren’t buying the roaring twenties, at least for the moment. “You want to hold onto some of that ease, some of that comfort, some of that intimacy that you had with the pandemic,” Hernandez told Vogue. “But then you want to introduce things that feel a little bit more nipped, more tucked, something a little bit more tailored.” They’re emphasizing knits in the form of ribbed tanks and pull-on pants that puddle at the ankles, and their high-buttoning jackets are made to be as easy-wearing as cardigans. Silhouettes are grounded by flat shoes, either fuzzy house slippers or thick-soled, heavy-tread boots of the sort that have recently been trending. The nipping and tucking Hernandez talked about was achieved in a couple different ways: a top and pants in oversized proportions were swaddled at the waist and fixed with a gold pin, while tunic-length bouclé tweed tops were slightly peplumed at the hips, creating a New Look-ish line that they kept modern by layering leather shorts and those big boots underneath. The clearest sign of the change to come, once we get past the pandemic, might be a chunky knit sweater and matching skirt combo that stands out not just for its eye-catching shade of marigold but also for the fresh mini-length of its skirt. I kind of wish there was more of that boldness in the designers’ latest offerings. Still, in its leggy, unencumbered attitude it looks like a compelling direction for the duo.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Force of Nature. Gabriela Hearst Resort 2022

| Design & Culture by Ed

Gabriela Hearst took on the creative director duties of Chloé in December and has been shuttling between New York and Paris ever since. Resort 2022 is the first full season at her name-sake label she completed after the appointment, and she confessed she was concerned about pulling it together. But as time shows, she needn’t have worried – this woman is a force of nature. The 38-look lineup, which includes some men’s pieces, appears anything but dashed off. Hearst is making some of New York’s most finely wrought clothes: a double-face cashmere coat finished with a hem of sacred geometry lace, a dress embellished at the neckline with colorful agates left over from her pandemic-interrupted spring collection, a long linen shift with macramé chakanas inset at the chakras, a leather coat in earthy tones assembled like marquetry, and cashmere intarsia sweaters with famous North and South American sites from Yellowstone to Machu Picchu. Those are just the more obvious details. Meanwhile, her efforts around sustainability are ongoing. A jean jacket and its matching flares were patchworked in a rainbow of four different shades of deadstock denim. The collection is 49% upcycled or deadstock material, close to her stated goal of 50% for 2021. The biggest advances might be in her footwear. Sandals with deep cork beds are a guaranteed hit – the cork is harvested without cutting down trees and it can biodegrade. There are also boots made with natural rubber soles and espadrille flatforms built on a base of algae-derived foam that cuts down on plastic. Hearst emphasizes the couture-level embellishments and the nitty-gritty of responsible design with the same enthusiasm. But she’s most passionate about her many collaborators, from her daughter Mia, who painted the rainbow eyes that appear on some silk separates, to the New York artisans whose workmanship on the collection’s macramé-inset shifts she says rivals anything in Paris.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

New Yorkers. Batsheva Resort 2022

| Design & Culture by Ed

Batsheva‘s resort 2022 is a love letter to New Yorkers, all of it photographed on and worn by the beautiful locals. With her photographer husband, Alexei Hay, she set up a booth in Washington Square Park and recruited people in the area to change into her spring offering and model it spontaneously. One went full Dovima in a strapless ’50s-style golden gown and kitten heels. Another just tossed an ivory dress coat over their regular clothes, coffee cup in hand. There are teen goths, lovers, sisters, NYU graduates, and passersby smiling throughout the look book, a total celebration of New York back in action. The breadth of this season’s offering is as diverse as the people in the clothes: a skateboarder wears a roomy midi-housedress in a hologram print. Best friends sport a shapeless glittery dress inspired by a traditional Hasidic style and burnout velvet pants. A roller skater chose practical black-and-white ruffles while a pair of sisters model crochet tops and skirts. This is probably as close as we’ll get to “probably back to normal” this summer – and it looks great. And what’s new in the designer’s gradually-evolving dictionary? On a basic level, school clothes make sense as an inspiration for Batsheva Hay – and not just for their sweetness. She started her brand as a young mother, aiming to make funny dresses that work for working moms. Now her daughter, Ruth, is well into elementary school with a uniform of a pinafore, shirt, and cardigan. Hay has sized up each of these to an adult scale and rendered them in shades of neon yellow, brown, and cherry red, adding rosettes to the boxy sweaters.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Re-Emergence. Christopher John Rogers Resort 2022

| Design & Culture by Ed

Christopher John Rogers‘ ecstatically bold clothes make you smile. They are also perfect for all sorts of celebratory moments. So no wonder why the New York-based designer’s resort 2022 collection is the ultimate re-emergence wardrobe. “I wanted it to be visceral and come from my heart. I felt like we’ve developed so many house signatures we didn’t need to reference a specific era or themes. This was more about cutting clothes and providing people with opportunities to enjoy dressing up,” Rogers told Vogue. “Last year, as I was designing it, I thought if I’m only going to make one more collection, what would it look like? And the answer wasn’t informed by the past or what I thought buyers might want. I love fashion, and I’m a fan of fashion, so that came through in the clothes.” By focusing on enjoyment and reinventing customer favorites, Rogers was able to deep dive into several motifs. Sections of the collection were devoted to variations of punchy colors like slime green and tangerine orange, while rainbow prints with an optical illusion vibe made their way onto various separates. This gradual exploration of specific colors and patterns kept things playful. When you have multiple looks in similar shades, the little things become paramount, and Rogers went out of his way to make each piece feel special. He doesn’t just give you a sequined slip dress or puffer coat; he’ll throw geometric diamonds on the dress’s bustline line and make the outerwear a reversible cocoon with one side covered in a Dippin’ Dots-worthy circle print. Rogers wants his pieces to trigger an emotional response in those who wear them, one that challenges the ephemerality of fashion’s seasonal cycle. “We want these to be things our customers cherish, that they can wear and live in,” he says. “These aren’t pieces you wear once and forget; they’re meant to be treasured, clothes that can grow and evolve with you over time.” The focus on wearability and construction meant that some of the proportions here were subdued compared to what we’ve come to expect from the label. No one does extreme volume and color the way Rogers does, and it’s made him an eveningwear fixture for forward-thinking women (big hopes the Sex & The City reboot will feauture Rogers’ pieces along other New York-based designers!). While there were several red carpet-worthy looks – a technicolor paillette-covered dress with flapper flair and a ballgown with an artsy barbecue theme print were two standouts – this season daywear almost eclipsed the after-hours fare. Casual suits that mixed pinstripes and plaid, LBDs with hints of rainbow knit worked into their pleats, and sweater dresses with candy-hued stripes were lighthearted fun that managed to feel polished and grown-up. After a year in confinement that played out in shades of gray, reemergence demands office wear with oomph, and Rogers offered an example of how that might look.

“Live” collage by Edward Kanarecki.