Jonathan Simkhai is so keen on the look of shattered glass that he actually broke a few tumblers himself, photographed them, and used those images to create the textiles for his Spring collection. A fractured jacquard—in periwinkle, white, or blush—was hand-applied to mesh on pencil skirts and slim mid-calf dresses: The result cleverly resembled lace. To create the look on Simkhai’s popular knits, the jagged edges on wiggle skirts and cropped tees were colored pale blue against a blue-black background. “It adds an element of danger and intrigue,” the designer said of the treatment during his Milk Studios presentation.
But back to the mesh: Simkhai is fully aware of the material’s impending ubiquity. And you know what? He’s unfazed. “I think we’ve used it in a way that makes it exciting again,” he said. He wasn’t wrong when it came to those aforementioned “lace” ensembles. Mesh also worked as striped insets on a pair of jumbo shorts, which were a fun alternative to the A-line mini.
Simkhai is a big believer in consistency, and he’s right to keep his look grounded in sportif details, which have been prevalent since his first collection. (His basketball-uniform references always look cool.) But given that the last few seasons have been so steady, it would be nice to see him take a couple more leaps forward next time around. While keeping the mesh, of course.