Young designers Pierre Kaczmarek and Elena Mottola looked to elevate the hum-drum for spring with their Afterhomework label. Handkerchiefs, dish cloths, plastic tablecloths and bath towels were usurped and transformed — attesting to the duo’s upcycling ethos — becoming a long slinky patchwork dress here, a mannish vest there. The final look, an asymmetric pinafore stitched from royal blue towels that looked to have seen better days, knocked the message home.
The predominantly pastel color palette accentuated the design duo’s continued shift into more feminine territory. Spaghetti-strap dresses looked to be crafted from scraps of fabric, hanging asymmetrically. A dainty shirt and skirt combo done in striped shirting fabric was one of the more effective looks.
Kaczmarek and Mottola maintained their streetwise feel, meanwhile, thanks to sporty details like toggled elastic ruffles and rough hems. The strips or tabs of fabric they worked with hung loose on pants, jackets and bibs, defying description — and sartorial convention.
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Also on the sporty side, there was a new collaboration with Nike — the young label has worked with stable-mate Converse for several seasons — on three sneaker designs.