Something’s going on with scarves. Silk ones, small or large, are being worn as pirate-style bandanas and flirty neck scarves and city-worthy pareos and even in lieu of belts. They’ve become integral to any self-respecting—and trend-following—fashion person’s wardrobe. And just like that, unknowingly, and perhaps even accidentally, Chris Leba is on trend for spring.
As of last season, Leba has decided to split his collections into drops. It’s less about innovation and more about streamlining his operation: Splitting a collection into monthly deliveries assures an uninterrupted flow of novelty for the consumer. Yet it’s also allowed him the freedom to play with different things at once.
Here, Leba kicked off spring with what he called a “more romantic” side of his punk persona at a preview. The first drop was designed around the paisley bandana. “I like taking an iconic item and exploring it,” said the designer. That’s the basis of R13, really: Leba’s thorough and ingenious iterations of wardrobe classics. Still, this felt like breaking new ground. There was a lightness to the way Leba considered the paisley bandana as draped wrap-around tops and printed light-as-a-feather knits that made this lineup feel fresh.
Then came an explosion of brilliantly saturated colors realized in funky leopard print jackets and, most memorably, a pair of acid green houndstooth trousers. Leba cited Stephen Sprouse as one of his references here. As distant as this capsule was aesthetically from the first, more boho-leaning bandana extrapolations, they still seemed spiritually aligned. They may not be the same person, but they sure are friends.
The balance of the lineup was more demure and rendered wholly in black and white. The true highlights were the cartoon-y faces Leba had embroidered with single threads onto knits, shirting, and other separates. They were fun and funky and technically impressive. “The more you lean into the techy side, the more you crave something done by hand,” Leba offered. He had ventured into AI territory with his lookbooks a few seasons past—this one was a step in the right direction.
#R13 #Spring #ReadytoWear #Collection
