Brandon Maxwell’s pre-fall collection was described during a preview as “an extension of spring and sitting in between the upcoming fall. Pre-collections are obviously something that’s on the floor longer; a more commercial version of the end of a sentence that you didn’t finish.”
Maxwell added that over the last two seasons he’s been in the mode of brand renovation — looking back to the “roots that were planted for the tree that ultimately grew,” to bring forth his focus on ease, wearability, cleanliness, simplicity and sensuality. It’s a method that’s working well.
“It’s when you move into a house when you’re young, and you decorate it a certain way. Then you become older and you redo it, but I’m not knocking out anything. I’m just redoing what was already there and revisiting it in a place that’s very now for me,” he said.
The collection continued to home in on the elegant minimalist codes and strict palette (white, black, red, forest green) he brought forth strongly for spring, peppering in complementary wardrobe staples and updated signatures — or styles that maybe didn’t make it onto the runway but the designer still loves. For instance, his core slinky halterneck dress (formerly backless, in lime green for fall ’19) now comes in black wool. A consistent throughline of pre-fall was elegant hand-draped black dressing with sleek slits up the leg or down the shoulder on asymmetric necklines.
There was shirting, tailoring (a classic charcoal suit or jackets with crossover lapels — which also extended into a stellar black leather jacket), heavy rib knit, and pleated occasion dressing in natural fibers as well as gazar-reminiscent cotton looks — a wrapped day cream dress, or two tunic-overlay dresses with minimalist slits down the chest (a cream midi or black mini).
The idea played strongly into the brand’s business strategy — noting e-commerce (about two years old) is growing year-over-year “very healthily.”
“I think brand foundation is what it is. There isn’t a need for breaking the mold every single time. It’s constantly refining what now has become our top 10 bestsellers or ideas that were repeated season after season and maybe didn’t catch on the first time, or the second time. I think what works best is when, for better or for worse, it is a great look. I think for a brand to really work you have to be sort of unwavering about the vision,” he said.
