Tara Subkoff was emotional backstage before the spring show for her Imitation of Christ collection. The pandemic has been especially hard on her, as it claimed the lives of 12 people in her life and brought her career as a performance artist to a screeching halt. But she rallied Wednesday afternoon, bringing together 78 dancers from the Dead Serious troupe and a live singer to showcase the line through their craft.
The look: The line was broken down into two sections: one a jersey and fleece assortment in deadstock fabric from 2002 that Subkoff and her designers crafted into oversize or cropped T-shirts, tank tops and long, strappy dresses printed with sayings such as: “If love is under siege, it is because it threatens the very essence of commercial civilization.” The second part — the couture portion — was more elaborate and featured everything from a red sequined bodysuit to a gold lamé jumpsuit and a black beaded evening gown with a tulle sleeve treatment. The couture pieces will be sold exclusively at The RealReal, Subkoff said.
Quote of note: “This is a celebration of New York and the diversity of talent here,” she said. But it was also intended to speak to what she sees as the atrocities in our society such as the abortion law recently enacted in Texas.
Takeaway: While the jersey collection looked comfy and cozy, the couture offering was more interesting. Although many of the fabrics were elaborate, by pairing them with sneakers and using dancers to showcase the pieces, Subkoff managed to inject a youthful energy and sense of fun.
