Brandon Maxwell’s supper club glamour in the Age of Trump

By

Godfrey Deeny

Published
Sep 9, 2017

What a difference a little bit of supermodel love can make. Which is what Brandon Maxwell received in torrents for his latest show, which opened with many mannish outfits before it climaxed with Karlie Kloss at her most regally melodramatic.

Every serious critic in fashion showed up to witness Maxwell’s latest ideas on a sunny Friday night. Young Brandon certainly loves tony restaurants and chic dining clubs, and chooses them as locations for his shoots. This season was no different. His spring 2018 collection was presented in Doubles, a plush cocktail bar in the basement of the 1927 Sherry Netherland building, a superb Disney style mock neo-Gothic château, 38-floor skyscraper at the southwest corner of Central Park.
 
Like the building, Maxwell’s fashion alternates between optimistic retro and classy sentimentality. Above all, Maxwell cuts like a brilliant draftsman – from the opening look, a combo of mega flared denim pants and white double-breasted jacket with mannish shoulders. The latest example of the return of power shoulders under the Trump presidency, albeit always with a saucily ironic hint. In fact, this show was staged barely 150 yards from the front door of the black glass Trump Tower, with a permanent fashion jam outside due to the intense security.

Maxwell added in sculpted cocktail dresses in cobalt blue, deep gorge Valentino red dinner jackets and a brilliant finale where the likes of Joan Smalls – face done in blood red eye shadow - appeared in a body attired in a voluptuous ecru gown. In the audience – many of whom screamed like teeny-boppers, before going into overdrive as Kloss took ownership of the space. Modern-day glamour not for the masses, but for the gals that they all dream of looking like they ain’t poor.