FASHION REPORT

2023 SEPTEMBER EDITION THREE

September 11, 2023

EDITION THREE: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2023

BY SHARON GRAUBARD & NICOLE FISCHELIS

PAINTING STUDIO

Art and fashion have had a long-standing love affair, and this season that bond shows in painterly prints. A gorgeous packed floral illuminated a dress at 3.1 Phillip Lim; the fade-out towards the hem emphasized its hand-painted quality. Colin LoCascio, known for his whimsical looks, paired a glittery tube top with a slim skirt covered in child-like doodles. Ulla Johnson collaborated with artist Shara Hughes for a vibrant landscape motif that enlivened a full-skirted dress. Kanika Goyal of KGL used a large-scale abstract for her oversized shirts. Anna Sui was drawn to underwater imagery this season, resulting in blurry prints against a pearly iridescent ground. At Libertine, Johnson Hartig was inspired by a flea-market find of antique fabric books, for wonderfully inventive patchworks, sometimes over-embroidered with playful flowers.

SHEER WISP

Sheer fabrics are key for next Spring, with barely-there layers that suggest a wisp of smoke or a shred of cloud. Hanako Maeda of Adeam’s transparent ruffled dress brought ballet-influenced romance to matching bandeau and tailored trousers. Prisca Vera Franchetti of Priscavera used a lizard print for a mesh tank dress that extended to the ankles. Jason Wu fashioned delicate strips of chiffon into an artful bias frock and Sally LaPointe cut her signature clean tailored pieces in ultra-sheer whites, giving her ensembles a modern, ghostly quality. Private Policy gave a sheer airbrushed tank dress a twist detail at the yoke, and Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler embellished their sheer slip skirt with sea-blue shards, underlining the delicate, watery quality of these gossamer pieces.

MINI ME

The 60s Mod moment has been influencing fashion lately, and nowhere is it more tangible than in the resurgence of the miniskirt, that iconic piece invented by Mary Quant or André Courrèges (or both) circa 1964. This season, the abbreviated skirts come in matched sets at Jason Wu and kicky suits at Anna Sui. Ulla Johnson showed a wrapped version with a flounce detail, and Sandy Liang continue her exploration of the ultra-femme aesthetic with pleated minis ornamented with satin bows. Sarah Staudinger of Staud did a micro-mini covered in petite crochet flowers, and Dion Lee twisted foiled red leather into a modern bubble, an emerging silhouette for next spring.

THE BIG PANT

In this and/both (as opposed to either/or) moment, body-con coexists with XL voluminous. Enter the big pant, a key item in almost every collection seen so far. Dion Lee departed from his signature second-skin fits to show a slouchy workwear pant, which was really an overall with the top folded down. 3.1 Phillip Lim offered a bra-plus-waistcoat-plus-slouchy pant ensemble in a lemongrass tone, the perfect pantsuit for global warming. Adeam used a paper-thin cloqué for roomy peach-tinted layers, and Palomo Spain topped deeply pleated trousers with a lacy boudoir-inspired cami. Michael Ward and Michael Smaldone of TheSalting showed a wonderfully laid-back collection, including a Coco-influenced tweed cardi-jacket over super-easy seersucker pants, made even more inviting with a comfy elastic waist.

ONES TO WATCH

By Gary Wassner

Emma Gage founded Melke out of the desire to make incarnate the power of love, joy, and honesty in fashion. In a world where sustainability is now an imperative, Melke strikes the perfect balance between conscientiousness and unbridled exuberance.

OTHER EDITIONS

SPONSORED BY:

HILLDUN

Related Articles

Go to Top