NEW YORK – Home is where the heart is for Brandon Maxwell, and it showed in his use of purple, his mother’s favorite color, throughout his New York Fashion Week spring/summer collection.
Tuesday’s show at Christie’s New York in Rockefeller Plaza opened with blue lighting and the sound of birdsong as if it were just before dawn. The atmospheric lighting gradually shifted to an airy lilac color, evoking the sunrise in the countryside.
Opting for pastels, layers and relaxed symmetrical silhouettes, Maxwell focused on a theme of soft feminine beauty. He mixed neutrals with pastel colors like baby blue, sage green and blush pink in women’s everyday wardrobes. The show opened with a rose-red layered look: a silver sequined mini skirt worn with a classic white graphic tee, sparkly cardigan and a pink blazer with structured shoulders.
Maxwell, a Texas native, said his inspiration for the collection came when he left New York City.
“So (the collection) is still inspired by the people who raised me because a lot of them I think that went into this collection were like involuntary memories that were triggered in my time, in the silence outside the city that took me back to my youth and the things I’ve loved,” Maxwell said.
He said that this is reflected in their clothes and vibe of the late 90s, early 2000s. “I think that’s when I really liked fashion and so yeah, my family is always there,” he said.
Maxwell’s nostalgia was reflected in looks like denim overalls with a tailored black crop top embroidered with yellow sunflowers and a plunging V-neckline. Other looks included tan cargo pants with a matching strapless halter with a layer under a white cotton top. The standout ’90s-inspired look was a sheer tulle dress draped over a graphic white dress.
The show closed with another stripped-down layered look, featuring a floor-length silver skirt reminiscent of a Monet painting, paired with a white crop top, pink blazer and chunky platform heels.
In the front row were Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, TV personality La La Anthony, supermodel Karlie Kloss and singer Kelsea Ballerini.
“(Maxwell) just gets it. He’s versatile, fits all body types (like) curvy ones like mine, which I love. He just gets it,” Anthony said.
