Aaron Potts, creator and lead designer of menswear brand A. Potts, has seen angels. No, not the heavenly angelic figures that float down from their winged backs, but an ever-present, grounded sort of angel. These angels manifest themselves in art, in nature, in the sun shining and the rain pouring down. And, most importantly, they manifest themselves in A.Potts’ newest NYFW collection. 

Presented on September 9th as part of New York Men’s Day, the A.Potts SS 2023 collection features garments built in earth tones and flowing structures, symbolizing the natural angelic connection. The looks are ethereal, almost Godly in nature, but still grounded in worldly matters like thunderstorms and flowerbeds.

The collection’s structure can be broken down into three parts: the muted, the bold, and the printed. Much of A. Pott’s designs are built out of color-blocked earth tones, muted in their colors and evoking natural images. Many of these looks are built out of lace and ruffles, and almost all are oversized in their build. Whether striped or monochrome, these muted looks bring us back to the earth. Models also sport bright colors in their makeup, unifying the collection’s vision. 

On the other side of the collection are some brighter looks, still built-in flowery colors like greens and purples, but bolder in their presentation. They maintain the same styling, often striped or monochrome with oversized features, but sport new colors that catch the eye. Neon greens and lilacs still draw back to the same natural theme, but bring a new sense of visual bravado. 

A.Potts also introduces some new printed pieces to the collection, all using a similar black-and-white motif. The print features layered black lines over a white base, forming a certain face shape flipped up and down. The face is beyond human, though. It looks godly, adorned with what can be seen as jewelry or intricate makeup. Maybe these are the earthbound angels, visualized for us to see through the designer’s printed garments. 

Ultimately, the collection is a stunning look at the divinity of our worldliness, and the beauties around us. If you believe in these earthbound angels, the collection will serve as an altar to these figures, each garment a form of talisman. If you don’t, the garments stand alone as beautiful flowing pieces, grounded right back in the earth.