Jonathan Simkhai delved into a nautical story (a theme that hit the high tide before fall) for spring and found some treasures in the deep. Among these were the sailor buttons that crisscrossed the side of a pleated, sunset orange vegan leather dress. A cerulean number was made of diagonal strips of chiffon rolled into cords and stitched together one by one and left at the hem, creating a kind of seaweed effect. The requisite pea coat was redesigned in a duster length with gold buttons for women, and with tonal buttons and a curved sleeve with set-in front and raglan at the back, for men.
Deconstruction remained interesting for the designer, as evidenced by an ‘inside-out’ ivory vest with matching trousers, a summer version of a suit. Custom hardware, a mainstay of the brand, was applied with a light hand to cushion the fall of a draped jersey dress and adorn the belt of a sleeveless trench coat. A satin-like slip dress is trimmed with lace; a jersey dress with a lace print (perhaps a nod to popular Margiela-ism) that took this house standby (the designer’s grandfather had a lace factory) in an interesting new direction.
