The designer drew inspiration from an American classic.
On Valentine’s Day, Thom Browne presented his FW24 collection at New York Fashion Week. The show drew inspiration from Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven,” showcasing a gothic horror of absurd fashions. The designer’s dedication to storytelling was apparent this season, going so far as to add what fashion critic Vanessa Friedman called a “giant tree” in the middle of the runway. Browne played with vertical space, elevating models on high heels and creating a post-mortem, haunted landscape in which the viewer feels closer to the ground.
Headpieces and long trains, abstract hair, and lace veils all complement the edginess of the tonal color story. There are dark and dreamy elements seen throughout the collection in ballooned dresses, bandaged skirts, and a tattered tweed-and-leather jacket that all contribute to the creepy, otherworldly mood of the show.
Browne paints a picture of a desolate graveyard with child funeral bearers dressed in suits and ghostly women adorned in plaid puffer jackets, providing ready-to-wear classics in an eerie setting. The imagery of Poe’s famed poem is apparent throughout the collection, with blackbirds adorned on dresses and jackets alike. Some might say that the show’s theatrics overshadowed the perfect tailoring; Thom Browne created artistic yet naturalistic shapes with attention to the waistline and lapels. Much of the collection carries a balanced weight towards the shoulders and hemming at the ankles, establishing a dramatic elegance across each piece.
Despite the show’s visual ideas of mourning, it’s clear that Thom Browne’s time of creativity and innovation is nowhere near up yet. Instead of a never-ending nightmare plagued by death and despair, Browne has created a world of dreamlike whimsy; delivering a vision of the past that’s been resurrected and reinvented anew. 🌀
You can view the whole FW24 collection here.
Erica DeMatos is a writer, editor, and student based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Find her on social media at @erica_dematos.