BRANDON MAXWELL x FW19

by; Maya Singer

If Brandon Maxwell’s previous collection was all about returning home, this one was about returning to fundamentals. Gone, for the most part, were the splashy colors of Maxwell’s Spring ’19 runway, as the designer revived his beloved black-and-white. The silhouettes were retightened-up alongside the palette: The emphasis here was on lean, monochromatic wasp-waist looks, with lots of pencil shapes and beautifully tailored bootleg trousers. There were some sporty gestures—anoraks and tops shaped like racing tanks, for instance, and Maxwell loosened up his silhouette for evening, showing a swishy palazzo pant and long-sleeved blouse ensemble in peridot satin and a few bouffant gowns and formal skirts.

But overall, the collection hewed to a mood of constriction. As Maxwell explained after the show, he’s been dealing with an illness in the family, and the experience made him want to create clothes that felt a bit protective and armor-like. You could sense that desire in his trim puffer jackets, the cape attachment on certain sleeves, and the funnel necks adorning many of his tops. But mostly that protective spirit came through in Maxwell’s hewing to terra firma, sticking to immaculate, classic looks with easy retail appeal. As he noted himself, not every season is right for whimsy.

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via Vogue