Gabe Gordon and Timothy Gibbons leaned into the Olympics mood while keeping it hot and fun with a collection influenced by ’80s figure skaters, schoolgirls, and a whole lot of vintage Americana.
“We created a story that was about a team of ice-skaters in college who are on a training retreat, and it takes place in the early ’80s,” said Gordon backstage after the show. “We were thinking about the bunks they were in at the training camp and the starchy wool and decaying mattresses and fabrics.” One thing led to another, and that idea became the basis for some of their tailoring; they used distressed flannel to create skating-inspired uniforms lined with taffeta, really showing off their taste for experimentation.
As young designers in the New York, a lot of Gordon and Gibbons’s customers include their own friends. If their past few collections were focused on creating buzz, this season they were getting somewhat of a reality check. “We’re trying to start thinking about the brand in a business way as well, and to let that be a part of the process without feeling restrictive,” said Gibbons. When asked what their top sellers were, they mentioned the colder weather and how their friends have been asking them to make longer versions of their scrunched bolero alpaca knits. This season, you’ll find just that with full-length cozy campfire knits. For those who love to show some skin, the sex appeal wasn’t completely gone: Cropped versions were available (though they might lead to frostbite, coincidentally the title of their collection).
With business on the mind, the two designers have started to home in on who their target customers are outside of their immediate circle. Gordon hopes to redefine what the American girl-next-door looks like today. “I was in awe of the athletes and the girls in high school,” he said. “I wanted to be that girl and dress like her, but I’m a boy and I’m gay. But I hope that the new generation of these girls is softer, weirder, and definitely gayer. Definitely always powerful.” With this power mentality, there won’t be any slowing down for the design duo.
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