The validity of the runway format is a topic of much discussion this season as business tightens in the face of global uncertainties. After heralding the rebranding of Simkhai with a fall 2023 show in New York, the designer has temporarily stepped away from the catwalk. “It’s a really fun process and I really enjoy it, but I don’t think that you have to have a show every single time,” said Jonathan Simkhai, who reported that the spring line, presented by appointment and via a look book “did as much business and as much volume from a sales perspective.” The fall line was shown in the same way, in part because, Simkhai said, “I really wanted to focus on the customer and on the product that would really resonate with the customer in store.”
Not all clothes are best served by a runway, after all. This offering was in the grand tradition of American sportswear, filled with easy-to-wear—and love—separates that work in real world situations, like school award ceremonies, parent/teacher conferences, a night out with friends. There were also some knock-out evening looks with delicate handwork (see the engineered guipure lace panels placed on a georgette column), but this was a collection meant mostly for the light of day, and was stronger for it. There was a zhuzhed-up Oxford shirt shown with an asymmetric yoked shirt, for example. The trench coat, which has become a brand signature, was simply recolored in merlot, the color of the moment, while a khaki topper boasted exposed seams that brought it in neatly at the waist. Simkhai is among a number of designers playing with aviator influences this season, and his take on the classic flight jacket came with customizable zippers, which were also to be found on a pair of cargo pants. The other repeated theme was draping; there was a twisted vegan leather bustier as well as statement dresses. Without looking retro at all, these pieces broadly connected to the soft dressing that was popularized in the ’70s, and which seems relevant again now that customers are expecting what is chic to also be comfortable.
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