“Utopia/Dystopia” was the dubiety at play today in Abasi Rosborough’s Fall lineup, presented with the accompaniment of a live performance by Kelela and Tosin Abasi. The brand, founded in 2013 by Abdul Abasi and Greg Rosborough, has become known for its conceptual sportswear—and the collection’s diametric title, and execution, furthered the designers’ cool-handed experimental approach.
“It’s this arc,” said Rosborough, “we kind of have simplistic and then it gets more complicated.” He was speaking to the question-mark paradigm of whether we are moving more in the direction of a utopia or a dystopia, given advances in facial recognition technology, autonomous cars, cryptocurrencies, gene editing, and all the other newfangled stuff that, depending on the observer, is either absolutely fantastic or utterly terrifying. Makeup even featured applied synthetic bits and slabs, placed to where facial recognition software maps its coding. Interesting stuff, at least in conversation.
The clothes were more straightforward than the headiness of the paradox, but it didn’t mean they were weakened because of such. Kimono or almost robe-like pieces were seen at first; reflecting, maybe, easier and less extreme times. But soon, color-blocked jackets, wrapped head-scarves, and angularly cut-and-draped or bionically paneled pieces entered the flow; utopian or dystopian, it’s up to you. At the end of the day, it was engaging to see sportswear that tampered in ways with the DNA of its category, while still coming across as (mostly) wearable.
