There were a couple of reasons Kim Jones crossed the Atlantic to show in New York this season. First and foremost, there was his ongoing fascination with the convergence of high & low life in the latter days of the Warhol scene, which helped provide the foundation for Jones' new collection -in the way, e.g., he transformed basic activewear staples with the help of Savile Row tailors Norton & Sons and new luxe materials like shearling and baby alpaca. Tracksuit couture? Not exactly. The change was more in proportions that saw a baseball jacket elongated to coat length and denim trackpants exploded with multi-pleats, or in the trompe-l'œil layering of a mohair tank over a sweater.
Jones' facility with fashion technology was obvious in the bouclé-like carpet wool he used for a traditional Norfolk jacket. And the futuristic edge that has become something of a signature for him was evident in his vamp on the car coat, which combined winter-white shearling and needle cord for a 2-textured effect. The wit in Jones' accumulated sportswear wisdom named the coat "Transformer" in honor of Warholite Lou Reed (another "Transformer" jammed white and navy shearling together in a big cozy overshirt). And there was surely sly humor in the plushy polar effect of the white teddy-bear-fur all-in-one sported by eternally bashful Canadian, Ryan Taylor.
Oh, and the other reason why Jones crossed the pond? It was purely commercial -it's about time he had a bigger stage. In which light, mention must be made of his casting for the show. His crew of teen pugilists might actually be that Holy Grail in fashion : a New Look.
