Designer Nicholas Kunz likes to layer. Hers is a tectonic approach to dressing, one that expresses a loose, appealing energy when it works but comes off heavy, chaotic, and over-considered when it doesn't. Today, as is usual at Nicholas K shows, there was a desire to see more of the pieces clean, in order to assess how they do when they stand alone. That said, it's to Nicholas Kunz's credit that for all the layers, her new collection had a winning lightness. The show kicked off with looks in tonal whites, and it made for a strong start. As the exits continued, the tones darkened, moving into sand-colored clothing, then lodens and grays, and finally into black. She played to her strengths this season, which made for a collection that had lots of retail appeal, but not much in the way of news. One excellent idea, executed in a variety of materials but done best in a crisp cotton poplin, was a kind of short track pant, slouchy with an elasticized cuff. Nicholas Kunz and her brother Christopher Kunz reportedly drew inspiration from the evasive beauty of aerial landscapes and natural transparencies. Images taken from beyond the troposphere blur the natural into abstract shapes and paths. Transparent landscapes combine a sense of natural movement with the label’s ever present interest in functionality, such as detachable scarves and two-in-one jackets.
