This next set of designers definitely had a clear vision for S/S 2016, very inspired and imaginative pieces. Enjoy!
NICHOLAS K & GBK/PILOT PEN GIFTING LOUNGE
I’m doing these posts together, because Pilot Pen actually helped in creating a look for Nicholas K this season. Incorporated into the look were Pilot Pens!
As for the rest of the Nicholas K collection, siblings Christopher and Nicholas Kunz channeled BASE jumpers for spring. “We call it ‘Terminal Velocity’ because it’s really high-energy, really adrenaline-packed,” Nicholas said of the lineup. The brand’s signature draped, hooded and layered silhouettes had even more fluidity this season when executed in parachute and ripstop nylon as well as silk, conveying a feeling of weightlessness.
Denim made a strong showing in black and periwinkle washes that had been given the dip-dye treatment, a recurrent theme throughout the looks, done mostly in a monochromatic palette of black, white and gray with a few pops of orange and red. Flight suits and outerwear in suede and leather looked effortlessly luxe over a series of highly covetable short-sleeved, button-down wrap blouses. Pounding the runway to thumping electronic music, the Nicholas K girl looked fierce — and apocalypse-ready.
I’ve been doing fashion week now for several seasons. I like seeing the progression and growth for a designer. That is what I see with Nicholas K and I was vastly impressed with this S/S 16 collection!
Qiaoran Huang and Joshua Hupper, the design duo behind Babyghost, presented a hauntingly romantic spring collection. They were inspired by a Halston documentary, a poem about death from the 1940s and classic American retail chains such as Gap and J. Crew.
So how did they weave together these disparate elements? For starters, the ode to Halston was immediately apparent in the fabrics, which included jersey burnout and touches of gold on dresses and skirts. The classic American retail chains translated to oversize tees, a cropped trench and chunky cardigans.
And the death poem? Lines from it were printed throughout the collection on everything from T-shirts to a maxiskirt. This was definitely a collection on the darker side, but there was an understated beauty about, something very alluring and intriguing.
A MOI
Spring 2016 marked Alejandra Alonso Rojas’ fourth À Moi collection. “I feel like I’ve [determined] the silhouettes and I’ve kind of rounded up who my woman is — girlish and whimsical but relaxed,” said the designer backstage at her presentation. The season’s looks ranged from crafty and artisanal — such as three-dimensional floral embroidered canvas skirts and jackets, a yellow jacquard peplum top and matching culottes and a bomber embellished in floral motifs with sheer sleeves — to more successful simplistic approaches where one could see the perfect balance between artistry and wearability.
Case in point: her black silk T-shirt with embellished sleeve detail and fluid wide-leg pants. The approach was best summed up by Rojas’ show notes: “The idea of applying the elevated sartorial traditions of the past to the necessary versatility of now is paramount when creating garments.”
This was such a delicate, very feminine, soft & easy collection. There was clever design, but also a minimalist undertone that I appreciated.
