Thom Browne’s resort women’s collection might feature a herd of playful lamb handbags in every picture, but the line actually started with the idea of offering “a little bit of a refresh from fall,” he said.
“As you remember from the last collection — all the tweeds, there was so much color. Before this collection, I did want a little bit of a refresh in regards to coloring out the selections that were going to be in the stores; then there is an infusion of some color,” he said of the lineup, which started with grays, moved into soft pastels and collegiate colors, and ended in quintessential black-and-white tuxedo shades across his sharp black tie offering.
Tailoring, as always, was a prominent strongpoint of resort, as was his play on proportions. Browne’s crisp opening look featured his signature, layered-up appeal with an exaggerated sportcoat, sleeves (with pin-tuck details), shoulders and hemline while two of resort’s boxy dresses came in babydoll lengths.
“I do tend to prefer longer silhouettes, but there’s something really nice about it because of my play on proportion. If I’m going to do something short, I’m going to do it really short,” he said, pointing out a striking black sequined formal dress. “It’s really feminine and sexy, but not being overly sexy in regard to the fit of the dress on the girl, and also, too, with the extended, exaggerated sleeve — there is something that makes it truly mine.”
Indeed it was, as were the eye-catching fabric manipulations that ran throughout. For instance, garments covered in tonal sequins, with intricate embroideries or in surprising (and delightful) silver metallic hues. While the designer played with a lot of classic gray wools and cashmeres, as well as signature prepster layers (cricket sweaters, tipping jackets), he also developed a fair amount of tweeds including pouffed, open-weave (and classic). Also, a standout tweed that mixed in Browne’s label.
“It is a combination of a lot of tailoring details, grosgrain, horsehair and then some more fabric tweed infusions — I’ve never seen a tweed like this. It’s a new development that will probably be used in the future,” he said of the styles, which had internal horsehair constructions. Furthering the emphasis on finely finished internal constructions, Browne turned a handful of jackets, skirts and trousers inside-out.
“For me, especially going into couture this season, the construction is sometimes the most important and the most fashionable things of what I do. When you see the inside of garments that are done as beautifully as they are on the outside, that for me is what fashion should be,” he said, adding, “Especially in women’s collections, I do want people to see the importance of tailoring in the collections and that it’s really bespoke tailoring in regards to the inside construction of the pieces as well as it being adapted for a woman’s collection. Real constructed, fully canvassed tailoring.”
But back to the lambs. Animal bags, especially the Hector handbag, were said to have become a big part of Browne’s business.
“It’s the type of things that we almost do as one-offs and a joke — it’s kind of like the Hector bag at the beginning was a joke, and we sell more Hector bags than we sell any other bags. It’s nice when you get to be able to play and people respond to the sensibility of that humor,” he said of resort’s sweater bags. The same will surely apply to his new herd, which are as adorable and humorous as they are functional.
“Miss Little Bo Peep did not lose her sheep,” Browne joked, adding the collection’s bonnets, hats, peter pan collars and bows not only added a dash of humor and played into the childlike story, but were a way to “keep the collection evolving as you’re finishing it.”
