Jane Wade’s obsession with workwear began during her own corporate office experience at Alexander Wang and Danielle Frankel. But while her past two collections were focused on the top of the C-Suite, this season she took it all the way down to ground zero: the blue-collar workers.
To mimic the uniforms of these labor workers, she used a variety of fabrics from denim to cotton. One of the denim convertible skirt sets that could be buttoned at the front to show off as much leg as you wish featured a distressed, worn-in look that came from a lengthy treatment process. The designer wanted to take the process quite literally for that authentic touch and worked with an expert who repeatedly wore and tore the skirt while working it in motor oil and soot. Upon further inspection, you could notice the wear points at the hips on the model that could only come from an item that gets frequent wear.
Backstage at her show, the designer explained that she often feels like she’s a stylist brand. “I could see a stylist customizing my pieces in their own special way,” Wade explained. On the racks, her pieces may seem simple and like everyday items, but her technique level ranges wide. Her button work for one has come down to a science; a denim skirt featured snaps at the mid-thigh level to take it from mini to maxi, and poplin shirting came with button harnesses to accentuate as you wish.
But the collection’s best look wasn’t within the workwear. It was instead a hand-crocheted brass dress (a signature technique of Wade’s), and whether it was intended to be the showstopper or not, it was certainly the audience’s favorite. Presented near the end, it almost reflected that sentiment of a 9-to-5 er’s monotonous work life, that is, until that one exciting moment comes along after hours when the uniform finally comes off.
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