When one walks into a show area at NYMD, you are never quite sure what to expect. In fact, this can be said of any fashion show during any fashion week on the planet. I would argue that this is the magic dust of sorts that makes Fashion Week such a special experience. It’s an unveiling of what is to come… a real life looking glass into the future, at least in terms of retail.
As we were about to enter the Joseph McRae presentation, a noted fashion authority at the highest levels grabbed my arm, leaned into my ear & said, “he thinks he’s channeling Rick Owens” before walking away with an audible snicker. I looked into the room & was greeted by the Joseph McRae Fall Winter 2025 collection… perhaps the term “greeted” isn’t a proper descriptive… “Assaulted” may be the far more accurate point of diction. I was left stunned. Not stunned the way one is when witnessing the beauty of a Ralph Rucci collection. His collections are like heavenly, out of body experiences where one witnesses the way fashion angels dress. Not stunned the way one feels watching a Jean Paul Gaultier or Walter Van Beirendonck show where you are literally left speechless at the unbridled, never-before-seen creativity that seems to ooze from every brilliant stitch.
The Joseph McRae Fall Winter 2025 collection left me stunned by disbelief… disbelief that such a collection could even make it past the sketch pad to reality. What an insane expenditure & for what? Why? This collection was wholly derivative. Wholly uninspired. Wholly useless & for the most part, aside from a single asymmetrical skirt & a not-so-original babydoll dress, wholly unwearable.
The proportions were ridiculous. The fabrications felt inexpensive. The fit (or lack of fit in this case) was glaringly in error. The only redeeming point of note was that the color story, albeit a bit muddy overall, did indeed flow & was cohesive throughout & would allow for many combinations by various wearers. The issue is, however, where are the wearers? I simply cannot see any of these pieces walking down the sidewalk in any world in which I’ve walked & trust me, I’ve walked some majorly unbeaten paths in my days.
I played “fly on the wall” for an interview Mr. McRae was giving to an editor of note where he said something to the affect of he “wanted to explore the blend of masculinity & femininity of traditional clothing & explore how the two cross over & that he would simply live in every piece of this collection”… after a minute of listening, all I was perceiving sounded like “blah, blah, blah, blah, blaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!” Seriously? Who cares? The editor Mr. McRae was speaking to didn’t seem to be buying it & my money is on the fact that nobody else will be either.
Reality is, fashion must sell or it has no reason to exist. Even the true avant garde greats like Comme des Garcons or Iris van Herpen or Walter Van Beirendonck all sell enough clothes to allow them to exist for another season. Sales are at the core of what they do. It’s not called the “fashion business” by chance. It’s not clear to me who would buy these clothes or if there’s anyone would seriously lay down their Platinum card to do so.
One thing the designer did say in one of his conversations that rang particularly true was that he had “never seen anything like this before.” That may indeed be the case. But in this day & age, when everything has literally been hashed, rehashed, & then hashed once again, if you’ve not seen it by now, then ask yourself “Is it because it’s truly new, or does nobody want what I’m making.” 999 times out of 1000, it’s going to be the later.
My “review” of this collection can be found in the following & final word: Why?
-PQ Buckingham
