The vibe was noticeably different at Babyghost this season. Designers Joshua Hupper and Qiaoran Huang presented a see-now-buy-now Spring 2019 collection that was almost unrecognizable as their own because of its sweetness. Titled “The Secret Garden,” the lineup was inspired by the novel of the same name, written by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Hupper and Huang watched the 1993 film version of the story for the first time together, and while they were moved by the imagery of the romantic florals and landscapes throughout the movie, their reference was more metaphorical than anything else.
The designers are, more than ever before, wanting to show the fashion world that they’ve got their own hidden aesthetic buried under the quirky-cool streetwear they’ve become known for over the last eight years. They let it out for spring, and the result was a highly feminine range of sleepwear and lingerie-inspired pieces decorated with rose-bush prints and patterns borrowed from stained glass.
Hupper was quick to point out that there weren’t a lot of tees or hoodies included this time around, with a focus instead on silk, lightly washed denim, and sharply tailored suiting and shirting. Hupper and Huang were smart to shift their M.O. away from sub-culture-focused fashion and onto something more accessible for a wider audience. They’re opening up and showing a softer, more vulnerable side, and that’s a great secret to start sharing.
