Thom Browne is one of a kind in American fashion. The master runway storyteller organized a story hour to close New York Fashion Week, with a staging of Edgar Allan Poe's “The Raven” that was a phantasmagoria of poetry and craftsmanship, but commercial at its core.
The set centered around a huge tree covered in black down, with branching arms and a skirt full of children who emerged after Janet Jackson and Queen Latifah finally took their seats and we could begin.
Out came the protagonist, the enamored Lenore, striking up a conversation with the raven with a swirl of black birds on her coat and headdress, while Poe's supernatural poem was recited until it ended with the provocative and disturbing “Never again, never again, never further. ”
Gothic history was the backdrop for Browne's classic tailoring to take a darker turn for fall 2024, at a time when pop culture can't get enough of horror and fashion, at least this week, no he gets tired of tailoring.
Starting with his couture show in Paris in July and his pre-fall collection released last month, instead of too much embellishment, the designer focused on strong sportswear silhouettes: imposing, boxy, narrow and curvy at the top. top, and skorts, miniskirts, skinny pants, pants and shorts at the bottom.
Of course, there were spectacular things, like the crow and gold leaf intarsia cocoon coat that was removed during the finale to reveal a saddlebag peplum, gold leaf pants, and a gold broth cable knit cardigan (wow). Hourglass-shaped looks constructed with layers and layers of jackets and shirts over caged bases were reminiscent of Rei Kawakubo, while pencil skirts and trench coats held up by multiple fabric belts hinted at high bondage clothing.
But the biggest fashion story was portability.
Because underneath the antennae braids and black nails were plenty of pieces a woman could invest in without having to subscribe to the full Thom Browne look. It could be an incredibly stylish tuxedo ensemble, like the super high-waisted black sash skirt, white shirt, tie, and black bolero with braided fringe that would turn heads anywhere, or a great everyday outerwear piece, like the elegant black coat with dropped lapels with grosgrain trim.
Browne really expanded his outerwear range to include a boxy patchwork tweed jacket with grosgrain ribbon lacing at the cuffs and “Nevermore” on the back that verged on punk; an elegant country raincoat with black velvet sleeves; Thom's take on a shearling jacket with a set of checks and stripes, and a peacoat with padded, twisted shoulders that was one of the best in a week full of them.
Particular attention was also paid to shirts, including white quilted button-down shirts used as jacket linings and rose-speckled tights, paired with a sheer skirt that took the brand into sexy new territory.
Preppy button purses, plastic-covered shoes and bags, rubber flip-flops, tights with crows and roses add to the impressive product mix of the Zegna Group brand that expands ever more, ever more.
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