Designers Nicholas and Christopher Kunz looked to the movie “Theeb,” and the Bedouin culture in the mystic South Jordan Wadi Rum, for their desert-nomad-enamored spring collection. The dramatic sandstone expanse, with its sweeping plateaus, provided the stark and dusty palette of nudes, while the simple yet efficient life of the Bedouin people was a testament to eco-conscious practices.
As sustainable designers with the CFDA, the designers make it a point to source local artisans and organic techniques. This season, they worked with craftspeople in villages throughout India to create organic cottons, woven fabrics, alpacas with linen, printed desert ikats and vegetable-dyed leathers (which created a high-low color effect). The collection is what you would expect from Nicholas K — flowing, layered pieces that manipulate proportions, this season with an effervescent air. Wraps were the most evident Bedouin inspiration, applied on dresses and as ties around the neck. A standout included a checkered jacket and dress combo, with a daringly draped neckline. It was all sustainable yet rich.
Accessories added weight to the collection, juxtaposed against the airy and fluid clothing. The jewelry, created by sustainable jeweler Lisa Linhardt using only recycled metals and gold, had exaggerated proportions meant to simulate desert hills. Even the makeup was meant to mirror the theme, with a silver-lined eye aptly dubbed “the mirage.”