Eckhaus Latta Plays With Contrasts For SS22

Eckhaus Latta is synonymous with fun and colorful—usually.

For their spring 2022 ready-to-wear collection, the brand who put fun, graphic printed jeans into the mainstream of high fashion denim, proved their versatility in a range of sleek and chic neutrals, turning play into party and dosing a newfound sense of sophistication to their clothes.

A more mature collection than their recent seasons, the spring show is, for Eckhaus Latta, a feat of structure and design more than anything else. In a series of creative cut-outs—tank tops with exposed belly buttons or a sheer breastbone, long sleeve shirts with seemingly random holes in the arms and torso, a sweater that only covers half the body—and a subdued color palette of neutrals threaded with vibrant shades of lime, orange and pink, the American fashion brand is leaning into all that is contemporary and urban.

A play of contrasts and complements sits at the core of the collection: you have knitwear, and you have the sheerest of fabrics. You have pants covering both legs (as pants typically do), and you have the vaguest idea of a tank top, covering the shoulders and sides, leaving a gaping hole of exposure at the torso (as shirts typically do not). You have leather, and you have silk; deep fuschia, and bright green; something elevated, and something approachable, accessible.

Many brands think that to elevate to a new level of maturity, the youthful vibrancy and playfulness of the clothing has to be shed; Eckhaus Latta knows that this is not the case, and triumphantly proves so. Despite being cohesive, the collection is never repetitive; no two looks are the same, and the very best ones riff off of each other, evoking Eckhaus Latta as a mood, a moment, a clear vision for the most stylish spring.

Standout looks include a burnt orange leather coat and matching pants; a gauze-y, sheer whitte shirt and pants set, exposing the flesh while still putting fabric on every part of it, draping past the fingertips (or, mummy couture); and a sweater that pushes the limits of the word itself by even calling itself a sweater, when really, it’s more of a glove and a sweater asymmetrically sliced down the torso.

But, as with all things that could be questionable in this collection, Eckhaus Latta manages to get away with it.