Thom Browne Fall/Winter 2017

by Paige Reddinger

There was a cold chill at Thom Browne this season as models in tall platforms that mimicked ice skates descended onto a frozen lake against a rural American setting of gray painted churches and farmhouses. Leafless trees came wrapped in check suiting fabric. Two stoic male statues each held two lighted globes like lone beacons of light in the darkness. The ominous music combined with slow measured walks (thanks to those ice skate stilts) and the spooky makeup also set an eery tone. Even the hair, which was partially adorned with long trails of yarn, was a strange combo of nun meets alien. And Hector has a new cold weather friend this season—the Penguin is the new iteration of the doggy handbag.

The looks were equally stoic. It was all about straight and mostly gray with some exceptions, suiting. That is Thom Browne’s claim to fame, after all. But the designer drove the point home further when some models wore fur pins with a huge red slash over a dress symbol. It was a stark contrast to the CFDA’s girly pink buttons supporting Planned Parenthood this season. The message was an obvious one: Time to suit up, ladies! And while Browne is equally a master of suit and ceremony, the genius lies in the incredible craft and expertise that goes into each garment. It’s hard to fathom how long it may have taken to create the blazer and coat that came dripping in mother of pearl buttons, but they were certainly two of the most memorable pieces of the season. While the show might have been a cheeky take on the conservatism that has swept the country, Thom Browne’s buttoned-up woman is equal parts disruptive and subversive.

Fall/Winter 2017. Watch this space for the review!

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