At the core of Brandon Maxwell’s Spring/Summer 2017 collection are his family and friends, the designer said on Tuesday.
Showing his latest creations at New York’s iconic Russian Tea Room restaurant, the designer and stylist reflected on his past year. His eponymous brand, which he founded just one year ago, is already in many high end department stores, and he has won the prestigious award for emerging talent from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) last June. He has also dressed U.S. first lady Michelle Obama twice, as well as a host of other celebrities such as Uma Thurman, Gwyneth Paltrow and Zendaya.
“It’s been fantastic. It’s also been a little scary,” Maxwell told Reuters about the past year. “I took a chance a year ago, and I hoped it would go okay. It’s exceeded my expectations, but through that process I have really learned a lot about my friends and family, and the people in my life and one thing that was really big in this collection was just love. I think it felt more feminine. There is a bit more color, because my life really felt like that. I really saw the people rally around me and support me and be there for me.”
In the front row to support Maxwell was Lady Gaga, who he still styles, his mother, his grandparents and his aunt.
The designer stayed true to his vision of sleek, elegant looks with piped hem dresses, pleated trousers and deep cut halter tops.
Different this time around was the color palette that previously only was made out of black and white. For Spring 2017 Maxwell also used a pastel cream and a soft military green.
Flowy halter tops were paired with wide legged trousers, while for evening he showed a black two-piece made out of a folded bow top matched with a thigh high center slit skirt.
Maxwell, who works mostly alone at night, said he didn’t really have an inspiration but designs with his customer in mind.
“We have a customer now which I am so blessed to have and I really kept her in the forefront of my mind and wanted to make things that were, of course the things that I love with a collection that are a bit more dramatic, but also things that are really easy and wearable,” he said, adding that his woman is strong, powerful and driven.
His “best friend” Lady Gaga, currently working on a fifth studio album, raved about the collection and Maxwell’s newfound success.
“I will say that I always believed that he had it in him. And dressing the first lady, especially the kind of forward thinking first lady that we have it’s totally up his alley. The women today and these clothing, they look elegant, tailored, strong but they also have attitude and it’s a little bit badass,” she said.
Tuseday’s collection was Brandon Maxwell’s third showing at New York Fashion Week: the Shows, that will run until September 15.
