"Versatility," Marcus Wainwright said, tongue in cheek. "Buy-now-wear-now." He was making light called of what he called the "clichés of the pre-fall season," but in fact, Rag & Bone's latest effort was all about that kind of wearability. Along with his design partner, David Neville, Wainwright focused on interpreting cooler-weather silhouettes in lightweight fabrics. Witness a tailored blazer done in an ultrafine see-through wool and a creamy suede bomber jacket that's virtually weightless. Texture was also important; most garments comprised multiple materials. A black leather tank, for example, featured a sheer jersey back, while a breezy charmeuse frock—printed with a Japanese inkblot motif—had a pleasing hang thanks to cotton lining. "We're not the all-silk-dress type of brand," Wainwright explained. With the recent opening of a third boutique and others potentially in the pipeline for next year, "struggling young designers" is one cliché this duo is happily avoiding.
