Given the current state of the political climate, one could say it’s a strange time to be leaning into the red, white, and blue right now. But American heritage and craft is what designer Spencer Phipps has built his brand on since its inception in 2018. He is constantly looking for new ways to reinvent American staples, like jeans and workwear jackets. This season, Phipps wanted to continue telling that story—and in a way that doesn’t ignore the complexities of dressing for life in America at the moment. “As I was putting the looks together, I realized there was a narrative,” said Phipps. “We started with a very joyful, nostalgic, and childish way of dressing—and then got into something more dark, weird, and maybe even slightly criminal.”
His vision of the modern American man—because character dressing is what Phipps does best—made for a wardrobe that was full of tensions and parallels. There were clear attempts at subverting classic American wardrobe pieces, almost as a way to challenge the definition of what being American is today. (The opening look, for one, featured Phipps draped in an American flag from 1859; it had 33 stars on it, versus the standard 50.) “American identity is under such scrutiny right now,” said Phipps, who wanted to embed his new clothes with a sense of optimism. “The American dream is about the human desire of chasing a better life—and living your own personal freedoms and truth.”
The result made for on-the-nose Americana, but with twists. His cozy flannel shirts had off-kilter details like upcycled yokes and studded piping, He also created western-style chaps, but covered them in dramatic Mongolian yak fur. The looks were hyper-masculine, but the finer details were less so. The more wearable items will surely be the best-sellers: Phipps crafted cotton rugby shirts with stars and stripes, and workwear pants with big cargo pockets. His cowboy-cut jeans and “chap jeans” were cool, subtle nods to western style. As always, he had some vintage tees in the mix too, including one style that read “Something Special from Wisconsin!” It reflected his obsession with thrifting. ”I’ve been buying vintage since I had money to buy clothes,” he said.
Outerwear was particularly strong. There were cool suede and knit zip-ups, and a vintage red knit sweater shaped into a hunting jacket silhouette. He even branded a vintage mustard shearling jacket with his logo. The most intriguing development: a venture into tailoring, with a small assortment of suit blazers. A charcoal blazer with a vintage blanket yoke had a real 1970s feel. “It’s a new direction for us,” said Phipps. “Pre-Covid, we used to make really nice suits in Italy. Now, I like suits with a story—there’s a little bit of a clunky dad spirit to ours.” It looked like the kind of prized find you would stumble upon in a dusty secondhand shop in L.A. or Santa Fe, and that was precisely the point.
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