There are certain moments during NYFW that resonate for one reason or another at a frequency that is somewhat off the bandwidth of the norm just enough to be remembered. Remembered not only for the fashion being shown, but for the vibe, the scene… the exponential quotient of cool that leaves those lucky enough to be invited & attend feeling like they are at the nexus of something special. Such was the case when I made my way downtown on a raw, damp evening one night before NYFW was set to “officially” begin.
As I arrived at the doors, the team, led by the Kenzo clad Chris Constable who was standing guard at the front door like the legendary Steve Rubell once did at Studio 54, was warm & efficient (a rarity at NYFW of late). I was pointed towards the doors to the right & was allowed into a scene that was more akin to a happening than a traditional fashion presentation. The crowd in the entry area was milling about, catching up on the happenings since the last installment of NYFW back in September, enjoying cocktails & some fun passed sweets, while Nikon & B&H Photos were showing their latest wares at the sponsor tables on the right. On the left, was a photo area with a rack of clothes for the attendees to try on & get photographed in front of a backdrop of fabrics seemingly randomly draped about behind wearer. Thinking this was the full show, I was more than a little confused.
“My clothes are for whoever wants to wear them. It there really any need for gender in clothing any more?”
-Rinat Brodach, Designer
It wasn’t until I passed through this scene in the entry & into the back gallery space that the true fashion brilliance began. Standing in the back, brilliantly lit by an array of bright lights that required the observer to sort of maneuver around in order to get a clear glimpse of the garments being shown, were 20 or so models clad in a motley assortment of clothes, mostly in the Terracotta to Brownish Black range with several shades in between each hewn into proportions that looked almost otherworldly. Had I been transported to some alien outpost where the humanoids were dressed in some post apocalyptic collection of garments that were raw edged, distressed, draped, seamed, and tucked into pieces that truly were cool beyond words.
The designer explained to me that her collection was created from dead stock fabrics (left-overs in the warehouses of fabric mills) as well as “some resale clothes that [she] cuts and reworks into the knitwear.” I challenged her about how her stores deal with getting pieces that aren’t exactly what they saw at the time of being ordered, to which she replied, “My stores get it. They know they are going to get something that may be a little different, but I get it as close as I can. They understand.”
As I left the event & rode my bike back to my apartment to get ready for the endless stream of shows that lay ahead in the coming week. While pedaling uptown, I couldn’t help but think that this is the first collection I’ve seen in the past several seasons when the gender neutral trend has been taking shape that could actually work on either side of the gender equation. Not only that, if Rinat Brodach was any indication of the quality of fashion both in concept & thought that we were going to see this week, a terrific week was ahead. The first show of the week set a very high bar indeed…
Designer Website: www.rinatbrodach.com
-R. Scott French (@rscottfrench)
