Fashion Chaos at Thom Browne RTW F/W 2012
We are all familiar with Thom Browne's super clean suits and his amazing work with Moncler for their Gamme Bleu collection but what most people don't know is how creative the designer is when it comes to runway fashion. To say that Thom Browne goes all out for his runway shows in an understatement. Previous seasons included an ice skating rink and even a mock circus complete with performers! This year was no exception.
Every year, Thome Browne's collection is based on a specific theme like skiing, tennis or surfing. Then, along with themed garments from his collection, he shows off his artistic side by creating out of this world pieces that would be impractical for everyday wear. Living up to that reputation, his Ready to Wear Fall/Winter 2012 collection included some of the most hardcore, rocked-out suits ever seen in the world of fashion. He took the grungy punk rock look and stitched, studded, and repaired it into suits, pants, blazers and coats.
Thom Browne might not be the first designer to use heavy influences of punk and metal fashion for a collection, but his implementation and execution sets the bar high for other designers. Using pale, skinny models with high mohawks and dark eyeliner (some even wore plaid, spiked wrestling/gimp masks!?), the designer showed off his spiked and studded suits. A few of the pieces shown were even bulked up, making the models look like Bane from Batman or Lurch from the Addams Family.
Included in the show was the unusual combination of cropped suit pants with frayed cuffs, worn with high combat boots, and a three piece suit top. One pair of pants even had a leg torn off. Pushing the limit of how far he can take a look, Browne threw in a whole suit where the plaid pattern was done in spikes (see above)! Some jackets that were pre-distressed had sleeves and holes patched up and held together with safety pins a la distressed jeans by Rick Owens and Balmain.
Mixing different plaid and checkered patterns together and using bright neon green and pink colors, Browne turned sharp cut suits into works of controlled chaos. Despite the madness, there are strong pieces in this collection that any Thom Browne fan would die to have. One such item is the print gold safety pin pattern navy blazer. It's a great piece to show off the F/W 2012 theme without going overboard. Another notable item is the cropped navy pea coat with the spiked collar (below). The perfect balance of hardcore and casual. His usual fun patterns of ducks and dogs can be seen on items worn along with the more intimidating pieces.
Though a majority of the items won't be on the shelves of your local Thom Browne dealer, don't be surprised when you see a few pairs of pants with missing legs and spiked blazers this time next year!
photos via