Thom Browne Closes NYFW With Collection For The Birds And Retailers

Bird watching is fascinating on many levels, not only for the fine feathered friend spectating but also for the habits (aka patience) of those watching. Backstage post-show which closed NYFW, Thom Browne said he became fascinated with the hobby of birdwatching after watching a special on it. While the show was ripe with avian motifs and the twitchers who watch them, on par with the most outrageous Thom Browne show, it was also the perfect blend of classic styles twisted and reshaped into wearable pure fantasy.

“Every collection starts with a classic idea and then counterbalances with a conceptual idea, making it more interesting, but the classic idea also makes the conceptual idea more understandable. It’s important for both to hang off one another,” Browne told reporters backstage.

For the classic side, Browne played heavily with heritage tweeds such as Saxony, Donegal, and Windowpane sourced in England and Scotland and cotton gingham from the US. Browne. “These fabrics don’t make the clothing too precious because I like it when people really wear it, especially with heritage tweed fabrics. You need to use them,” he said.

The designer explored embroidery in new ways, covering woolen outerwear in a bird that was an amalgamation of many and adding crystal beading and patchwork. A pleated skirt manipulated and made from ties became saucy little dresses and a bit out of the designer’s usual oeuvre.

Conceptual was also flying high. Most dramatically, the bulbous 3D dresses (think a Weeble’s silhouette) mimic the bird shapes; a ruffled bustle added to the feathers effect on one while another had a full-size contrast patch in pink satin resembling a 50’s New Look shape. Jacket shapes gave the impact of a shrugged shoulder with the garment coming off the body. Intricate fabric slicing gave a pleated skirt a twisted allusion. A Scarlett O’Hara-worthy gown closed the show, showing how the tweeds could be feminine paired with an exquisite, embroidered jacket that had a molded and puffed effect.

The set featured a flock of paper birds that swirled above a simple white desk and chairs. Two watchers appeared to be folding origami while the models slowly sauntered around the runway to a bird-centric track by Lena Lovitch. Added details such as long curly feathers applied to eyelashes and hairstyles like origami added to the theme. Thigh-high suede waders were a nod to the American duck shoe and a wink at the hobby’s habit of waking into water to see birds sometimes. Streaks of color on the lips were a nod to the designer’s beloved sports culture.

The collection, for all its outré ideas, was actually one of the more approachable ones, a bit easier to dissect than previous collections that challenge even the most descriptive writer to wrap their head around. Browne hit the balance perfectly on this effort. “We have to survive by selling the clothes too; the mix of the two is really important,” he reminded.

It was an interesting time to explore birds; thanks to Avian flu, ornithologists are busy figuring out how to keep these beautiful creatures and our food supply safe. Rather than visualize horror stories of having to euthanize millions of chickens, birds falling out of the sky in droves, and parks being closed after finding a dead flock of geese, Browne prefers to remember them in their beauty before this nasty affliction. And now, more than ever is a time to remember when things weren’t as ugly.