What constitutes a modern day whodunnit? Perhaps it’s stalking your bestie’s locations on Find My Friends to see if they ended up out after saying they wanted a quiet night in, or it’s internet sleuthing to see if the guy you’re talking to on Hinge has a girlfriend—at least, these are the “everyday” mysteries that inspired Rachel Antonoff’s fall collection. But like any Antonoff outing, it wouldn’t be complete without a kitschy twist. This season, the designer began by percolating on one of her favorite childhood films: the 1990 Warren Beatty mobster flick Dick Tracy, filled with graphic signage and plenty of intrigue. The designer recalls catching the film on a hot, rainy summer night and its subsequent aesthetic impact.
One print, titled “medicine cabinet,” which featured antique perfume bottles in front of a vintage floral wallpaper, was reminiscent of snooping through your dinner host’s belongings after slinking off for a silent solo expedition. Find someone wearing the medicine cabinet slip dress at a party, and you can lean in close and do the same. One quite literal interpretation was represented through a “Welcome Home, Cheetah,” animal print seen across pieces including a coin purse halterneck bubble dress—featuring a usable kiss-lock clasped pouch at the neckline for your “ChapStick, gum, or spyware”—as well as a matching bell-bottomed ensemble.
Meanwhile, the femme fatale of all femme fatales, Jessica Rabbit, was represented in a trompe l’oeil hot pink and burgundy knit minidress, sported by none other than Ivy Wolk from The Shards during the opening walk at today’s Rachel Antonoff x Susan Alexandra charity dog show. The tromp l’oeil continued elsewhere as in a three-piece collegiate knit suit and tie set. One campy standout came in the form of a “No Smoking,” embroidered black and red sweater—not as “mysterious,” per se, as some of the other looks, but the high-contrast piece echoed the neon lettering on the Dick Tracy movie poster.
Of course, core pieces with Antonoff’s signature cupcake motif returned, this time in a black and white co-ord set featuring the icing-themed trim. So did the designer’s recurring “placemat” series, in the form of classified ads sprawled with callouts selling engagement rings, binoculars, or psychic readings. That dash of “I spy” printmaking drew the audience in.
