Thom Browne NYFW fall 2015

Funerals, morbidity and death have never been favorite destinations or subjects of mine but if these events are orchestrated and choreographed by Thom Browne, then what are we waiting for? Mr. Browne showed an all-black collection that puts the pre-existing all back presentation it is proper place... the first in H&M and the latter is nothing short of a spectacular celebration which offered  us an opportunity to partake in what can be achieved when abilities and vision are boundless. You know that saying about chicken s--- and chicken liver?

While funerals are well known for their lugubrious qualities and mood, Thom Browne showed us that these occasions can fill us with wonder, imagination and most of all... awe. These are clothes that are so precise, dramatic, so inventive, so designed that they shame so many collections that have paraded down runways this week. We are talking about clothes that are designed/conceived, not copied, not referenced to other designers and most certainly not boring. In my mind, these are clothes that come as close to haute couture as you can get. The affects, the effects are mind boggling.  Each of these creations can stand alone as singular lessons to any designer who needs to know what can be accomplished given the proper means, vision and focus.

What is most striking here is that for Thom Browne this is a wildly salable collection. No, not salable as it is shown but salable when you take it apart and see the impeccable tailoring, the precision with which each garment is rendered, the insane embellishments, the level of fabric development and again the immeasurable magnitude and unrivaled creativity of a collection like this. Add Stephen Jones mourning millinery to the mix and this was a totally gluttonous visual feast.

For most who are reading this, you must be thinking “WTF happened to him that now he thinks Thom Browne is a god?” The answer is simply this... when you can really see and comprehend what is shown and not be swept up into the trend of the moment, the who’s hot and who’s not, and most of all see this as taking fashion to a place where most will never travel to, it is then that you know we are lucky to include Thom Browne as a New York Designer as well as a world class designer. This is a long way from high water pants and shrunken jackets.

Sounder... a herd of wild swine; pigs or boars... that being said... they are still flying by my window blocking the snow from view.. But I have seen the light!

PS.. if there is a collection that makes the case for fashion as art.. this is it!