Often subject to the sands within fashion’s hourglass is a designer’s vision. As of late, however, the glass of the timepiece has begun to crack, with designers letting the sands of style seep out of their calendrical confines. Albeit suffused in greige and tan, the desire to subvert the seasons is more present now than ever. And yet, Brandon Maxwell brushes against the grain of quiet luxury to arrive at timelessness. He proposes: why can’t you have both statement and versatility?

Courtesy of Brandon Maxwell

As tradition would have it, summer calls forth incandescent hues, exclamative prints, and—lest we forget—bamboo-inspired accessories. None of these can be found among the threads of Maxwell’s Pre-Spring 2024 collection.

Courtesy of Brandon Maxwell

Reducing color to a binary switch of black and white—minus an exception for a brief burst of Blood Orange, Canary Yellow, and blue-denim—Maxwell crops our focus into perhaps the most foundational and critical element of any collection. The silhouette ultimately—and quite literally—defines the shape of a designer’s vision. With his latest collection, Maxwell doesn’t shy away from flexing his design chops. Rather, when it comes to matters of the silhouette, the American fashion designer stuns with slinky gowns, glamorously undone ensembles, and belts that snatch the waist to air-tight proportions.

Courtesy of Brandon Maxwell

Alternating between hard textiles and soft fabrications, glazed leather brushes up against liquid-draped jersey, all the while 3-D printed tubular chrome hardware undulates alongside the body’s curves. Where floor-length pleated skirts flow gracefully, and sumptuous knits accentuate the rounded slopes of the shoulders, sensuality takes a new form. It’s not so much about revealing the skin—although a peekaboo-slitted onyx-hued dress certainly is sensual in every sense of the word—Maxwell’s collection uses shape as a vehicle for summertime seduction.

Courtesy of Brandon Maxwell

It is often said great minds think alike. Keeping with this philosophy, Maxwell captures his latest vision through the lens of Photographer Matthieu Delbreuve and the deft hand of fashion pioneer Tonne Goodman—all modeled by Cara Taylor. In sync with Goodman’s iconic philosophy of the fashion uniform and Delbreuve’s signature chic austerity, Maxwell’s latest vision seems to toy with the revival of the fashion uniform, melding utilitarianism and sensuality.

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