After seasons of presentations, Erin Fetherston returned to the runway for Spring. “I was looking at old videos of my shows, and feeling nostalgia for how beautiful things are in motion,” she said backstage at Lincoln Center. “I wanted to see the models bring them to life again.”
It was the right time for a runway revival, given that nearly every piece aligned perfectly with Fetherston’s own aesthetic. (After all, she has always been her best customer.) A green-and-pink rose motif was inspired by 1960s botanical prints from her grandmother’s personal collection—it decorated, among other things, a white neoprene crop top and matching pencil skirt that was so long it almost hit the ankle. That “maxi” silhouette was key this season, but little shorts were a big story, too. They were done in black satin and paired with a rose-print tunic, or with a crop top in lime-colored metallic jacquard. While many looks were cut close to the body, there were pieces with more volume. An organza tiered minidress, for instance, was almost trapeze-like, its black and white stripes overlaid with polka dots.
Fetherston probably hates the word “whimsical,” if only because it’s used so often to describe her clothes. But sometimes one must accept one’s fate. These looks were whimsical, and all the better for it.