Brandon Maxwell kicked off the first day of New York Fashion Week with two smart expressions of wearability.
First, he debuted a powerful collection on the runway, then welcomed guests to his first pop-up shop next to Walmart Fashion’s Free Assembly and Scoop lines, which he has overseen as creative director for more than three years.
“I’ve always wanted to work with them because it’s my life,” Maxwell said during a preview, emphasizing that working on a collection for the retail giant has broadened how he thinks about design for his eponymous luxury brand. Specifically, Walmart’s breadth and scale gave him a “greater understanding of what it means to have a global business,” which in turn inspired him to “let go of that feeling of control and understand that ease can be just as good.”
Walking down the runway to an opening soundtrack of crashing waves was certainly a sight, with innovative takes on Americana sportswear centred around comfort, lightness and versatility.
Maxwell started with well-loved masculine staples like a loose gabardine garden coat and a classic henley. The coat, also made from leather, proved the ideal top for his look, teaming it with a lightweight viscose knit and an enveloping blouse. Over this, he layered a lightweight knit dress with hand-lasered floral fringe in chiffon in baby blue, pink, pale yellow or black and white polka dots. Similarly, he looked good with a dazzling deep V-neck dress hand-embroidered with silver sequins and crystals, styled with a more relaxed white pair of jeans.
Many of the preppy-inspired looks, from crisp poplin shirts to capes and pleated knit polo dresses, were styled with knitted underwear inspired by vintage swimsuits and sweaters tied around the waist, “like something a real woman would wear,” he said. And that feeling rang true throughout. Soft henley crop tops were paired with folded tank dresses as skirts, and tailored cuts in compact carry-on knits and breezy nylons were especially flattering in the form of low-rise, embellished miniskirts. Even slinky, backless slip dresses had knit waistbands for comfort and ease.
“We’ve been talking a lot about realistic pieces, being able to imagine these very realistic pieces on the runway, and yet making sure it’s very real for the customer,” he said of the lineup, which was styled with knitted underwear, clear lucite jewelry and belts, and clear fishing line sandals, offering a modern twist on a classic American summer vibe.
