“I was in a really dark place when I started developing this collection,” said Aaron Potts at his Men’s Day presentation this morning “It’s this fucking election. I knew I needed to use my creativity to find some joy.”
Potts said that this season he didn’t have any specific references. Instead, he decided to focus on the things he’s “always loved.” Part of that change in his design methodology came as a reaction to the constant stream of news regarding the current administration. “I’ve had to turn off a lot of stuff,” said Potts. “I cannot have that constant reminder, those constant voices that I hate to hear and see.” It’s not about being uninformed, but about not drowning in a seemingly endless stream of push notifications in one’s phone about the latest chaotic governmental machinations. Potts’s first order of business was to partner with his community of creatives for the jewelry and hats in the collection; the second was to think of his early days in fashion.
A lesser known fact about Potts is that he was once an intern at Donna Karan. “It’s such a set thing in my brain,” he said. Introducing A.Potts knitwear: Lots of cut and sew terry in fun patterns and a range of knitted sweaters. But the real winners here were the jersey styles where he leaned into Karan’s vernacular but made it undeniably A.Potts. A run of draped and knotted dresses with handkerchief skirts was easy and sexy, but with the right kind of twist to make them feel proprietary. Ditto the usual jumpsuits Potts cuts in utilitarian woven fabrics, here rendered as roomy onesies and paired under matching knit coats. For good measure, he expanded his woven assortment with a couple of sustainable fabrics. “It’s fun and fashionable, but, you know, we gotta sell some stuff in here!” he joked, before turning more contemplative. “It’s how we pay the bills, and it’s how we stay.” And now more than ever, it’s important that folks like Potts do.
