Jonathan Simkhai’s clothes lean towards event and vacation dressing, so the resort season is crucial for the designer. That’s not to say, however, that Simkhai has a tried-and-true formula for the annual collection. “Resort is such a hard delivery to design for, because our customers come from so many different climates,” he said. “You just have to create something that feels really emotional.”
This time around, Simkhai chose to zero in on textural plays, to give his sleek getaway pieces a more updated feel. “I’m so texture-obsessed right now,” he said. “I really wanted to push things and develop new fabric manipulation techniques.” To do so, the designer experimented with some of his signature materials—organzas, chiffons, leathers, knits—and twisted them to be used in more unexpected ways. The result was classic wardrobe staples, but with a modern flair.
There was a clear juxtaposition between hard and soft materials. His butter-yellow knit dress, for one, was twisted into stands of ropes—a fabrication that looked rigid to the eye, but was soft to the touch. (It felt particularly chic layered over a brown pant.) Another blue and black dress appeared to be woven into a chevron pattern, but it was all one cohesive knit.
Dresses are what Simkhai does best, and his best-sellers, like his Guipure laces, appeared on streamlined strapless frocks. For the bride-to-be, a cream sleeveless dress featured an upper torso made of shredded chiffon—giving the effect of bunched-up rose petals—and came with a built-in sheer jersey skirt. But his more casual day pieces shined just as much, if not more, like his wool-cotton blend trench, with a high funnel neck and pleated back. A black blazer coat was also covered in strips of leather, a decidedly more rock ’n’ roll offering in the mix.
The menswear assortment—which Simkhai has been ramping up the past few years—continued this season, and is proving to be an exciting category for the designer. He clearly understands the art of menswear dressing, and introduced subtle updates that had just enough visual interest. Perfectly slouchy bomber jackets, or striped rugby shirts and pleated trousers could be worn by the hottest guy you know with ease.
