Brandon Maxwell was back on the runway after a season away. He booked the Brant Foundation for his return and a quartet of New York Philharmonic players. “I wanted to feel intention in my choices: that I had a place that I loved, and I had music that I loved, and it felt like a good mix,” he said. “I don’t know that I need to do a show every season. I think when it feels right, I want to do it.”
A thoughtful designer, Maxwell is prone to self evaluation, and he said he’d been reconsidering past collections. “I was looking at things from over the years that still felt relevant for me, and asking, Are they still good? Are they bad? And then revisiting them again.” Eleven years ago as a newcomer to the runway, he started with a catsuit, so he began with a new one tonight, then dug into the tailoring that formed the backbone of that debut.
That’s a lot of backstory for a collection that was uncomplicated in its appeal, rooted in all-American sportswear. The palette: a straightforward mix of black, white, red, khaki, and gray, with a single shot of chartreuse. Prints? Not a single one and very little in the way of embroideries, save for some sturdy grommets on boxy cashmere sweaters and laser cut slits on a leather trench car coat. Hair and makeup were kept at a minimum, and Maxwell didn’t rely on styling or accessories to add interest. The word honest is what comes to mind.
Repetition helped him drive home his message about what he believes in. Maxwell likes a straight-leg, five-pocket pant, be it in denim or a sheer techy nylon. Slip a turtleneck under a roomy button-down on top, and, presto, you’re ready to go, unless the occasion calls for a jacket, in which case he’ll sell you one with slits under the lapel so you can slide a shawl through and hold it in place. For after-dark, he suggests a compact knit tank draped asymmetrically across one shoulder with a long scarf to wear with another pair of those five-pocket pants, or a snug double-layer tee tucked into trousers whose waistband unpeels over an internal cummerbund.
The box pleats on a couple of pairs of culottes and a dramatic black and white cocktail dress were another do-over from the past. He was only half-kidding when he said he was still haunted by the heavy pleated sleeves on a dress in that first collection, but he worked through it this season, doing “14 or 15 muslins” to get the box pleats here the way he wanted them. He was right about it feeling right.
