It’s not the first time art inspires fashion, yet whenever this happens in a meaningful way, the results are spectacular. Jonathan Simkhai is one of our favorite designers from the NYFW, and this season he presented his vision with a mesmerizing photo shoot by Brianna Capozzi. His muses are strong – almost intimidating – yet the clothes tell their own story, showcasing superb craftsmanship and up-to-date aesthetics.
As the designer explains, “For Fall 2022, I found so much inspiration from the American sculptor, Anne Truitt, and more specifically her sculpture, Insurrection from 1962. Aesthetically evident in this Fall collection’s modernity, simplicity, color choices, and our perennial fascination with handwork. Anne Truitt, unlike most of her contemporaries and the sculptors of that time, did all of her minimalist work by hand.
And through our exploration, I learned firsthand what craft can do for the community; for our community here in California and the camaraderie that comes with it. The artisanal and textured delicacy lies in compelling contrast to our first foray into the metaverse with a runway show this season, pushing craft into a new era.
Additionally for Fall 2022, soutache embroidery is executed in patterns that flatter and sharply contour the body. Passementerie is executed and extended through hems as fringe to create playfulness and movement. A series of hand-worked sequin dresses and skirts with paillettes cascading.
Technical chevron pleats are engineered into both pleated fabric and space-dyed knitwear. Fragments of lace, reconstructed into patchwork resulting in mixed media dresses in different lengths. Experimenting with painted brushstrokes printed on top of smocking in graphic contrast colorways.
New dress silhouettes feature graphic cutouts that are embellished by hand with a diamanté embellished rope. Our ongoing reconstruction of menswear inspires pieces such as tailored suits with draped pleated panel blazers and seamed trousers. Fluidity of the drape panels on the structured garments create tension. Striping in shirting and dresses continues to evolve. We have embraced fringe tailoring and double-faced splitable wool. Whipstitching details in vegan Sherpa alongside crochet knitwear adorned with decorative baubles and mesh open knit fringe.
Anne Truitt will continue to inspire me even past this collection, and in many other areas of my life. Her bold use of geometry and color signaled a new direction for modern sculpture and a new direction for me. Her work is equally as rich as it is abstract, rooted in her memories collected over a lifetime.”
