Swaim and Christina Hutson proved themselves masters of the charming backstory with their previous fashion venture, Obedient Sons. A business shakeout means they've reconceptualized themselves as Hutson, but their knack for narrative prevails. Their current collection imagined the secret life of Paris in the 1930s, à la Brassai. Precisely why an American design duo would seek inspiration in such an alien, elusive moment wasn't immediately clear, until they talked about the decadent duality of outsize masculine outerwear concealing a flamboyant inner heart. Well, that's a little more Paris than Pilgrim Fathers, isn't it ? The masculinity was dealt with in coats so broad- (and soft-) shouldered they would have made Robert Mitchum feel like Pee-wee Herman. The inner flamboyance found expression in a fine cotton smock or an elongated, beaded tank that would have done a flapper proud. Ultimately, it was hard to dodge the impression that the Hutsons are happiest with their inner weirdo when it comes to menswear. A fake-fur jacket had a Grey Gardens edge that would surely make it a hard sell to Joe Schmo.
