In NY: Rag & Bone and Duckie Brown

Rag & Bone

At Rag & Bone, I kept thinking about Lauren Bacall’s character in “How to Marry a Millionaire,” who was convinced that the men she was attracted to were always “gas pump jockeys,” and how, when she finally gave in and married the guy she loved, he was indeed one—in fact he owned the gas pumps. Beneath the collection’s studied blue-collar aesthetic lurked a rich, clean polished attention to detail: minimal styling with rich fabrics. A “calendered indigo selvage pump jacket” had the look of an old friend. An “oxford utility shirt” had a tiny white collar perched atop a slim pinstripe. A refreshing, tactile collection. Work clothes, yeah—but for New York streets.

Duckie Brown

Back in July, when we covered the Project show, some of you may recall that I was having a “sweatshirt moment” when a few pieces I’d seen—and loved—brought me back to Norma Kamali’s 1980 sweatshirt-inspired collection. Well, Steven Cox and Daniel Silver, the duo behind the collection, must be feeling the same vibe, as their Spring 2007 collection included riffs on the sweatshirt in voluminous, exaggerated silhouettes, incorporating silver shine and brilliant color. The look was slouchy, layered and relaxed – but not at all messy. The Duckie Brown signature low-crotch pant was a perfect pairing to the top, yet was also joined with a great, relaxed sportcoat, and an all-over print suit (perhaps inspired by the all-over print hoodies of the young men’s/contemporary market).