FADER NYFW, Spring 2014
When designers Shane Gabier and Christopher Peters showed their debut collection under the name Creatures of the Wind for fall 2008, they quickly earned a cult-like following for their offbeat material collages and novel pairings of bold color. The context surrounding their story helped too: Gabier and Peters were outsiders in fashion, living and working from Chicago, not New York, and—as fashion has always been about separating oneself from the crowd and commanding attention—they used that to their advantage letting their outlier sensibilities inform their clothes. Their collections since have confronted and challenged the easier, commercially viable separates that all over the other runways at New York Fashion Week. But, as their brand has grown—and as the designers have recently re-located to New York—Gabier and Peters were faced with a new challenge this season: how could they widen their appeal and funnel their folksy-punk spirit into a collection that will thrive in the marketplace?
With their spring ’14 collection, COTW managed to fine-tune their creative impulses with a collection that’s sure to sell. Following in the footsteps of another great outsider-turned-design powerhouse, Isabel Marant, Gabier and Peters sent out a grown-up, tailored collection with a slight Western edge. The sense of whimsy they’ve maintained throughout their career is still here in peeks of python, psychedelic marble patterns, metallic separates and rose appliqués—a more dimensional take on the gothic florals trending for fall. They’ve traded in their signature patchwork for polished colorblocked dresses and brought a richer level of detail to their work. One subtle subversive detail was the hairstyling: models wore a perfectly undone ‘do with their hair pulled-up on one side and let down in waves on the other. There’s no use speculating on their next move—Creatures of the Wind are one of the few brands that re-invent themselves every season.
(images via Style.com)