6397 is known for its slouchy jeans and tees, which, since the label’s inception in 2013, have been worn with Vans sneakers in every single one of its lookbooks. Consider the shock then, when the Pre-Fall 2019 collection was shown with—pause for effect—beige Clarks Wallabees! The change may sound irrelevant to the uninitiated reader, but the shift away from a beloved skate shoe to something one-millionth of a degree more formal is a big step for 6397. On an aesthetic level, the Wallabee takes the brand’s new wide-leg “skater jean”—don’t worry, skaters are still represented here—and its camouflaged “weekend” jeans to a slightly more polished place. In a larger sense, the shoe swap is a symbol for the experimentation Stella Ishii and her team have been doing for the past several seasons. It’s as though they realized that yes, they have made the ur-jean and tee combo for tomboys, and now it’s worth exploring other ideas.
The pendulum swing here is subtle but noticeable. An angora robe coat, lovingly nicknamed “The Dude,” trades Jeff Lebowski’s grunginess for gorgeous fabrication and an elegant silhouette. Striped T-shirts are made in shades of brown and navy, a welcome inclusion for the woman not into a neon graphic Los Angeles tee. There are luxurious silk separates in a rich shade of chocolate brown, a new camisole with thicker straps to allow for a bra underneath, and a boxy polo dress that stays true to the brand’s downtown roots with a tiny OMFG embroidery on the breast, a play on the CBGB & OMFUG logo.
It’s not that the 6397 customer has abandoned her sorta-grungy roots; she just also needs a blazer. This season’s suit might be the brand’s best yet. The double-breasted blazer and straight-leg pants are made from sharkskin—a multicolor weave that gives the fabric a trompe l’oeil sheen. In azure, it’s proto-Bowie; in red, it’s a techno dream; and in brown, it’s warm and nostalgic. It’d look great with Clarks, Vans, or even—gasp—boots? Okay, maybe that’s a stretch. For all the experimentation this season, 6397 still knows who it is—and who it isn’t. That’s how the label landed on those perfect boyish jeans. And now, the perfect boyish blazer, too.
