From a block away, it was easy to spot that I had arrived at my destination; the overwhelming amount of grey tailoring, four bar stripes, and red, white, and blue grosgrain ribbons accompanied by Hector bags (handbags in the shape of the Dachshund dog, a brand staple) confirmed that this was The Shed, a flex cultural space where Thom Browne would be hosting his F/W24 Mens and Womenswear collection.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Thom Browne
Outside, the snow from the day before had already melted, but inside The Shed was a winter wonderland, covered by a blanket of fresh faux snow. A man in a thirty-foot Chesterfield puffer coat towering above the ground resembled a human tree, an imposing presence juxtaposed to a couple of bare trees, and a large broken window in the back constructed the set, setting the tone of a surrealist tableau vivant.
There is no preparation for what to expect at a Thom Browne runway show, but you can always count on a sense of theatricality that fully immerses you in his world. “You only get to experience your first Thom Browne show once,” said Luke Meagher of Instagram account, Haute La Mode, capturing an image of the set prior to the show starting.
As the first look emerged, the collection was brought to life by a special retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven, narrated by American actor Carrie Coon, which tells the tale of a grieving student visited by a raven, who answers all his questions about his lost love Lenore with the same word: “nevermore.” And served as inspiration for the Fall collection. It was clear that this season’s source of inspiration would serve as a darker jumping-off point.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Thom Browne
However, the theatrics did not overpower the clothing itself; Browne’s strong suit is in tailoring. It is clear throughout the collection that he is not only able to construct a very well-tailored garment but can also deconstruct traditional suiting into new shapes and silhouettes. The models are a school of “ravens” in tailoring with strong shoulders in a mix of handwoven tweeds, wool flannel, and velvet intarsia.
Boxy tailored jackets in a collage of tweed fabrics and plaids feature the raven’s infamous “…nevermore…” on the back. Black tie ensembles play with corsetry, cummerbunds, and body-skimming looks made of dissected tailoring are cinched on the body, while gathered blouson capes in white silk satin and black moiré accented by bows do the opposite and hide any trace of tight-fitting clothing through egg-like shaped silhouettes.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Thom Browne
Shoes and handbags (including the beloved Hector bag) are reimagined with a protective removable layer of waterproof vinyl, a solution for leather goods to better withstand the snow and rain. A fully gilded gold jacquard cloak with debossed roses and black moiré intarsia ravens that revealed a hand-knit gold bouillon cardigan held tight by a corset-topped skirt finished with a white silk duchess poof skirt served as the finale look, leaving our narrator alone, constantly repeating the “nevermore” of the raven, whose range builds up from calm and collected into full-blown screams of terror.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Thom Browne
Thom Browne served as the official grand finale of New York Fashion Week, closing out with a bang; couture techniques implemented into a very wearable ready-to-wear collection, equally as exciting as the mise-en-scène and drama that Browne is no stranger to.
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