Robert Motherwell’s Elegies to the Spanish Republic, a series of over 100 abstract paintings made by the artist from the ’40s to the ’60s, inspired Calvin Luo’s spring 2021 collection. The works are enormous canvases with bisecting black shapes, mostly ovals and rectangles, with the occasional streak of cinnamon or cobalt. Over the phone, Luo said the paintings “kind of represent death” to him. “There has been a lot of bad energy, some negative vibes, and a terrible death worldwide as well,” he continued. Darkness is certainly a fair mood for now; Luo’s home, China, was impacted first by COVID-19, and the global toll of the virus is well over 1 million dead.
The beginning looks of Luo’s spring 2021 collection are in simple black and white, echoing the paintings, with circular cuts at the neck or on the hem of a blazer. Most of these garments are also layered in a trompe l’oeil manner; one blazer is actually a vest worn over a jacket, another is composed of a pleated skirt with a lapel halter worn atop a cropped bolero, giving the effect of a dress. The effect is graphic and clever—and the dramatic styling gives it a sort of lethal look.
But Luo’s severity does gives way to hope. Embroidered flowers crawl up a minidress and cerulean midi skirt. Bows appear on necks and bubble hems on minis, and the palette softens to navy, pastel blue, and gold. As the collection winds to an end, Luo incorporates a custom fabric made from overlaying dozens of different colors of thread on organza. The final jacket is entirely handmade from white organza. “I don’t want to design something too dramatic,” he said, “but I still want to add some couture skills.” Think of it as a small sign of hope: Even in the darkest times beauty and care persist.
