Kim Jones
REVIEW
COMPLETE COLLECTION
NEW YORK, February 6, 2007
By
There were a couple of reasons Kim Jones crossed the Atlantic to show in New York this season. First and foremost, there was his ongoing fascination with the convergence of high and low life in the latter days of the Warhol scene, which helped provide the foundation for Jones' new collection—in the way, for example, he transformed basic activewear staples with the help of Savile Row tailors Norton & Sons and new luxe materials like shearling and baby alpaca. Tracksuit couture? Not exactly. The change was more in proportions that saw a baseball jacket elongated to coat length and denim trackpants exploded with multi-pleats, or in the trompe l'oeil layering of a mohair tank over a sweater.Jones' facility with fashion technology was obvious in the bouclé-like carpet wool he used for a traditional Norfolk jacket. And the futuristic edge that has become something of a signature for him was evident in his vamp on the car coat, which combined winter-white shearling and needle cord for a two-textured effect. The wit in Jones' accumulated sportswear wisdom named the coat "Transformer" in honor of Warholite Lou Reed. (Another "Transformer" jammed white and navy shearling together in a big cozy overshirt.) And there was surely sly humor in the plushy polar effect of the white teddy-bear-fur all-in-one sported by eternally bashful Canadian, Ryan Taylor.
Oh, and the other reason why Jones crossed the pond? It was purely commercial—it's about time he had a bigger stage. In which light, mention must be made of his casting for the show. His crew of teen pugilists might actually be that Holy Grail in fashion: a New Look.
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