NEW YORK – Brandon Maxwell went back to the basics and hit on the vintage revival trends while challenging silhouettes in his fall/winter collection debut at New York Fashion Week.
Tuesday’s show was held in an industrial building on Valentine’s Day. Heart-shaped chocolate boxes were laid across the benches before the start of the show, setting the loving atmosphere.
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Maxwell played with neutrals and ’90s silhouettes, really homing in on comfort and versatility while also elevating classic trends like oversized blazers and coats and textured loungewear.
The opening look was a modern take on suits — the model wore a structured blazer with a matching pair of baggy shorts that were hemmed above the knee. The look was accentuated with gaudy silver cuff bracelets, long black socks and trappy short black mini heels.
Maxwell stuck with different shades of tan, black, burgundy, brown and white for a subdued but chic ’90s aesthetic that accentuated the tailoring of these effortless clothes.
“While the color palette may suggest that it’s dark and the music was quite bombastic, it’s deeply rooted in joy for me,” Maxwell said in a backstage interview.
One of the best looks from the show was a two-piece cropped suit ensemble with a skinny belt around the waist. Other looks varied from long, slouchy textured knitwear in brown and white, cozy enough to sleep in, and a three-piece leathery burgundy look that hung off the model.
Celebrities in attendance on Tuesday morning included Lea Michele, Natalia Bryant, Ashley Biden, Bethann Hardison and Huma Abedin.
During the final walk, the models held hands in solidarity and strutted down the runway together. But then something else happened, too: A handful of Maxwell’s garment sewers also walked out to roaring applause.
Maxwell said acknowledging the team behind the clothes is important because some members have been part of the brand since the beginning and he’s proud of the work they’ve done together.
“I think that New York fashion is not just the designers that you see,” he said. So many people behind the scenes “are really the real stars of it.”
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This story first moved on Feb. 14, 2023, and was updated on Feb. 15, 2023 to correct a misidentification of an attendee. Ashley Biden attended the show, not Ella Emhoff.