February 9, 2020 |
Last night’s Brandon Maxwell show was an all-American affair. With the cast of Netflix’s Cheer hollering from the frow, the designer’s cast of glamazons stormed through the American Natural History museum with an unprecedented level of swagger. The clothes didn’t come in red, white and blues, nor laden in stars in stripes. Instead, Maxwell channels a sense of patriotism into his cut; making his gang of devotees feel strong and untouchable in his clothes.
AW20 saw the designer hone in on his strengths as a designer. Gorgeous gowns came in coral, lime green and inky blacks – some slender with elegant slits at the breast, others so wide they brushed the knees of the A-list front row. Wispy layers of sheer chiffon were carefully controlled into shadow-like ghosts of Oscar red-carpet-worthy dresses; darted beautifully with giant bows at the neck. It will be a shame if we don’t see at least one starlet dressed in Maxwell at tonight’s ceremony. There was a whole slew of looks catered for the everyday as well. Corduroy dresses, strong-shouldered leather jackets for both men and women and even a selection of tiny bags. A tortoise-shell fabric which appeared to look almost liquid-like was a particular stand out – drenching knee-high riding boots and cropped rain-coats throughout. This was a wardrobe for powerful men and women. And with Brandon Maxwell consistently producing show-stopping collections like this one, there’s no need to make American fashion great again. It already is.
Photographs by Jason Lloyd-Evans.
