“What would the R13 girl wear to a black tie event?”
That’s the question Chris Leba addressed through his fall lineup, with the idea of a classic tuxedo dress through the edgy R13 lens. The designer’s silhouettes followed pre-fall’s refined attitude and play on proportions, as seen through look one’s white raw-edged blazer with built-in, button-back dickie vest atop a crisp white shirt with slightly higher collar (purposefully elongated for layering turtlenecks underneath), tuxedo-meets-utility trousers with satin tuxedo stripes, debut leather bag with harness hardware details and slouched, patent cowboy boots.
Other “dressy” fare, like an update bouclé crop tweedy jacket, a Japanese velvet robe and tuxedo romper, was styled with denim or utilitarian pants (including a standout new pale pink raw linen and cotton velvet trousers or Japanese cashmere denim cargos) and statement chunky leather boots for a look Leba aptly described as “super simple, but very dramatic.”
Throughout the lineup Leba also infused surprising girly touches, such as quintessential white button-downs and blazers with satin tuxedo ribbons woven into seams and tuxedo collars to create a custom ruched look; slip dresses with zippers or satin ties; debut leather sling-back pumps, and a welcome amount of pale pink and red garments (ranging from distressed cashmere jumpers to a boxy velvet blazer). However, he upheld the brand’s angsty ethos by layering the lot with utilitarian jackets (overdyed upcycled surplus lightweight quilted jackets; strong shearling aviators), grungy flannels and oversize double-face topcoats (including a standout wool jacket boasting an allover digital print of graphic NYC graffiti).
Although not all looks were designed to pass the black tie dress code, the collection was a nice evolution of Leba’s skills of turning mundane, classic elements into intriguing, wearable fashions.