Meryll Rogge threw a party for her brand's fourth birthday, styled like an underground high school rave. So she took the guests to a high school and sat them in long white hallways filled with lockers, or in the dug-out basement beneath, dodging low-lying water pipes. Cans of beer were served.
There was plenty of party wear on the runway, in a silver sequin double set, a sparkly slip over a baby T-shirt and a gold bottom that embraced last season's no-pants trend with an even briefer bottom. He extended the no-pants trend to men in this co-ed collection, with a silver zip-front suit that looked like a space-age wrestling jumpsuit.
Rogge played with proportions in shrunken jackets with pockets so tiny that only your fingertips could fit, and then moved to oversized, rounded structures in vinyl skirt suits. Crochet knits casually thrown over his shoulder bounced, while those handmade touches were preserved as embellishments on fluffy cardigans. A clear protective layer covered a floral-print skirt, much like grandparents used to cover their couches with vinyl, and the sportswear had a PE class slant. The '90s references were there.
While there was plenty of high school nostalgia, the most grown-up pieces were plaid jackets, suits, and trench coats. A paisley print highlighted bright colors on dresses with arched shoulders.
Rogge has good instincts and often works unbalanced in his vision, but there were times where it wasn't clear if this was an intentional design direction or adjustment. The late start time and difficult to navigate track made for a jarring pace.
