When milestones like 10 years in business come around, it prompts some reflection. Brandon Maxwell has reached such a juncture, and the always thoughtful designer was in an even more contemplative mood than usual during a showroom visit. âItâs taken me 10 years to even know what the hell Iâm doing,â he laughed a bit ruefully. Looking back over Maxwellâs archive, it looks like he figured out what he was doing about two-and-a-half years ago. Pre-fall 2023 marks a sharp break fromâletâs call themâyouthful enthusiasms like color, print, and Texas-sized drama.
Since that 2023 collection, heâs embraced a sexy, yet almost austere kind of minimalism, Itâs rooted in black, white, and neutral-toned sportswear separates, urban but with athletic undertones. Resort continues in this vein. âIâve been revisiting, recultivating a nonchalance,â he said. âEverything is always in the spirit of my heroes: Ralph , Halston, these sort of American classics.â
It starts with tailoring, which heâs loosened up, cutting roomy trenches with oversize sleeves and floppy epaulettes that dip below the shoulders, and bombers with drawstring waistbands to adjust their proportions. Maxwell modeled a blouson jacket with an adjustable cowled neckline during a walkthrough, pointing out that it can also be worn over the head like a hood or with one sleeve off the shoulder. He also called attention to a checked mac with only one seam, at the collar; all the others are heat sealedâ the coatâs interior looks just as sharp as its exterior.
On the casual end, he deconstructed denim for a fit and flare skirt and cut a traditional jean jacket in cowhideââeach one will be one-of-a-kind,â he said. For dressy occasions, he cut a streamlined dress with delicate straps extending from a double-triangle neckline. Itâs a long way from his ball gown days.