Pop-up shops for Free Assembly and Scoop NYC, the two labels that Brandon Maxwell designs for Walmart, will open for business this weekend in the Meatpacking District building where his show was held. Guests who didn’t have to scoot off to another event on this busy first official day of New York Fashion Week were invited to linger and discover the ways in which Maxwell has been elevating the box store’s fashion offering.
At his eponymous brand he’s rounding the corner on 10 years, and he’s in an exploratory phase, not quite trying on a new identity, but stripping away the exuberance that once defined him in favor of a sexy kind of minimalism. The fluttery hem peeking from the bottom of the first look’s draped top, though the detail reappeared several times throughout the collection, was a bit of a feint. This was Maxwell at his most stripped back, layering body conscious ribbed knits, using see-through neoprene for tailored pantsuits, and exposing midriffs above skirts.
“I’ve softly unraveled the brand DNA to create garments that foster a sense of nonchalance,” he wrote in his show notes, calling it “a new proposition for our customer.” The thing is, the knit tank dresses that were peeled off the shoulders and worn as skirts were a shade too nonchalant; ditto the sheer skirts barely clinging to the hips. A pink plunge front dress lacked the precision of his usual work.
Though his star rose on the event dresses he did for Lady Gaga, Maxwell has a knack for all-American sportswear. It’s come in and out of focus over his decade in business. Here it took the form of barn jackets with extra volume in the back and a touch of his native Texas twang that looked cool and confident. Backstage Maxwell said he wanted to put them on every look; that’s not surprising, they’re the kind of proposition that a customer could really take seriously.
