Marcus Wainwright stepped out of his office in a Star Wars tee from Rag & Bone’s 2017 collaboration with the cultural juggernaut movie franchise and a pair of shorts. He’s biking to work from Brooklyn these days, even amidst an early summer heat wave, but his “fit,” as the kids call them these days, was not just commute appropriate. It’s exemplary of an ongoing shift in the Rag & Bone thinking, which is more direct-to-consumer, less runway focused, and expressly designed for real-life, everyday wear.
The showroom and the look book reflected the adjustments Wainwright and his team made over the course of the pandemic. Arrayed on a table were chunky patterned turtleneck sweaters in three different colorways, as well as camisole and brief sets in the same knit. Even if we’re all getting around a lot more, we still want to look cute on the couch. With that in mind, there was a rack of cashmere loungewear pieces in a more subdued palette than the cheeky tanks and knickers.
Equally, though, this was a collection designed for a life back in motion. Color-block puffers came with snaps up the sides in addition to the front, to adjust their shape, and some of the men’s button-downs were built the way technical brands design climbing shirts with roomy shoulders and sleeves, for ease of movement and—just as important—outdoorsy cred. Sneakers with a retro ’70s profile were made from recycled yarn composed of postconsumer plastic designed to look and feel like shearling—cozy and cool in the right combination.
