Adam Arnold F/W '14 in Review
Last week's Adam Arnold presentation at the Museum of Contemporary Craft was about frustration and hope, transforming and maturing, lightness and darkness—he even invited audiences to write down something they wanted to shed or transform in their lives, collected them in a makeshift coffin, and apparently burned them all later that night. As such, it was perhaps the most subdued in terms of color of any collection ever before seen from the designer, a palette of largely blacks, whites, and grays, with the occasional modest appearance of a forest green or blue, punctuated by just two items in gold, one of which was this jacket, which is vying to be my favorite piece in the collection:
I've been collecting Arnold's pieces for years now, and I'll often find myself going three or four days in row having worn something of his design. This is both a testament to his ability to sidestep trendiness and to simply make clothing sturdy enough to withstand years of wear—something that isn't as common as it should be in that price bracket. I haven't kept every item I've ever had of his, but I don't recall anything I've given up because it was falling apart. It may sound cliché to talk about investment in clothing, but in Arnold's case it's appropriate.
So, I am actually pleased to see a quieter line of subtle pieces that promise, "You'll only need this one." I'm often a fan of designers' wandering into bombastic colors and patterns, but here I found myself focusing on the impeccable simplicity of the black trousers here (which, granted, don't convey that well in photo as anything special—but the cut, the length, the natty little pleats! So exactly right.) even though they're styled like a footnote to loungier upper counterparts.
of course, Arnold can rarely shy away from showing off a little of his proficiency with detail, as in the aforementioned jacket and this sexy forest green number, which is vying to be your holiday dress for the coming season:
Two more favorites. This elegant gothiness for him:
And the femme fatale of this sexy, deceptively straightforward suit, which arguably served as the show's biggest stopper:
More photos after the break!
