Here’s a brief look at R.Swiader Spring/Summer 2018, presented at NYFWM Men’s Day at Dune Studios.
R.Swiader incorporated a number of compelling elements into a brand that is developing nicely into a minimalist and occasional surrealist venture. For this collection, the tendency was toward perfection and curious details, often that of absence or drapery. Surreal because a black dress shirt well tailored with a tidy, small collar was accented by a curvy extraction of material, revealing a small pool of skin. It’s organic nature was the most compelling part- the vision of no compromise and grace. Layer of painterly splotches on what appeared to gauze was thoroughly couture in appearance, spare but not cheap-looking.
The colors shifted confidently from black to bruised blues and purples, to cream, taupe, vanilla, and bone. Materials played in satin and cotton, the gauze of course, with some degree of faux degradation, with loose threads on otherwise expertly tailored items, apparently “for effect”. The drips of paint or die on linens almost felt like chintz floral pattern approximate; not a bad look at all, garden-adjacent. French cuffs with contrast piping gave an air of Parisian elegance, keeping this collection from verging on too grunge. Think of it this way: the king and queen are ransacked by the village people. The resulting collection is like this.