The intro to Jonathan Simkhai’s show notes described his spring collection as “a wardrobe that layers go-to staples with luxury novelty silhouettes.” Unless you consider lavishly embellished gowns, camisoles trailing with streamerlike ruffles and dresses with drastically cutout bodices and articulated bra tops “staples,” the lineup was pretty stacked with special occasion fare.
Simkhai went big on surface decoration inspired by the mosaics of Los Angeles’ Watts Towers, using rope, mirrors, pearls, lace and cotton balls to embroider sexy dresses with racer backs and lingerie effects, all cut to flash ample flesh. The trims were beautifully executed, but there was a surplus of them. Much of the lineup was done in ivory and blush, with an interim of chambray blues. Yet despite the quiet colors, the parade of one vampy getup after another was an exercise in maximalism, so much so that a pair of sheer, bare-it-all crocheted and beaded gowns felt appealingly subdued amid all the statement-makers. Each look was guaranteed to make an entrance.