It’s been two years since Tommy Ton joined Deveaux as creative director. The brand’s profile has risen precipitously since the street-style photographer signed on, but it’s still a newish arrangement, and Ton and Andrea Tsao, Deveaux’s designer and cofounder, were in a reflective mood at a pre-fall appointment. “We’ve been evaluating what our strengths are and focusing on what’s sold well, but we also wanted to have more fun with this collection,” Ton said. Managing those multiple, contrary instincts takes discipline. Kudos to Ton and Tsao for managing to do so while producing some of New York’s most subtly cool clothes.
Tailoring has proven to be one of Deveaux’s early successes, so they returned to the subject this season, only this time around, going on feedback from customers, they updated their silhouettes to be more body-conscious. A wrap jacket in stretch bouclé fit sleekly underneath a sculptural peacoat in a snakeskin wool jacquard. Another category they have a good handle on is knits. It’s a crowded field, but they’ve got new things to say, among them a polo sweater whose collar can button all the way up the chin so it doubles as a turtleneck. “You know I love a twofer,” Ton said. Also worth mentioning is an unstructured parka in waterproof tech fabric with a faux-shearling lining. Its easy beltable shape is the result of people watching; Ton admired the cocooning oversize shape on certain street-style stars.
The unexpected fun came in the form of the colorful patchworked stripes Ton and Tsao printed on organza (for a camp shirt) and silk charmeuse (for a bias-cut short-sleeve dress), along with another print of color-blocked marble and onyx. These added verve to the mostly neutral lineup, and that’s an agenda they should keep pushing as they continue to grow.
