Over the past few seasons, Kristopher Brock and Laura Vassar have zeroed in on a signature they describe as “raw and romantic.” You could also call it “dressed up, but not.” They’ll elevate a cotton voile dress with pintucks and puffed sleeves, or they’ll do the opposite with a taffeta cocktail frock—strip out the fussiness by leaving the edges unfinished and pushing a sleeve off the shoulder. Those offhand yet elegant dresses are a Brock specialty, but for the label’s first Pre-Fall collection, the focus shifted a bit further into evening territory. Perhaps it’s because its “evening gowns” from Spring 2018—which were actually floral slip dresses with lace overlays on top—have been a hit on the red carpet.
“We wanted to push ourselves to explore evening the way our woman would wear it,” Vassar explained. “It’s not so precious.” That translated mostly to evening separates: raw-edged floral maxi skirts with big ruffled peplums; strapless corsets to wear alone or over poplin shirting; and a few “suits,” too, like a collarless floral jacket and skirt cinched with a crocodile belt. It could all be mixed and layered for the fanciest occasion, or simply worn with the label’s popular jeans. That versatility isn’t just the point of Pre-Fall, but it’s also how women want to shop these days.
In the showroom, Brock and Vassar kept going back to their favorite textile: a hardy blue vintage jacquard they discovered deep in a fabric mill’s archive. Other designers may have overlooked it for being too “antique,” but on an unlined coatdress—button it up for a black-tie gala, or wear it open during the day—it was strikingly modern. Quintessentially Brock, too.
