Monse’s Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia were back on the runway after taking a break, showing at the International Building at Rockefeller Center, which was completed in 1935. They were already working on their fall collection, exploring the world of UFO’s and AI technology, when the opportunity to show at the space came up. “We definitely always want to make sure that there’s something that feels familiar to the customer and we twist it around,” said Garcia backstage after the show. “This is such a historic building and then we made it new by putting aliens in it,” added Kim.
A series of pastoral jacquard prints that drew inspiration from classic tapestries like The Unicorn Rests in a Garden was interrupted by the presence of an unidentified flying object. It looked modern on a simple zip-up bomber jacket worn with a matching miniskirt underneath, and took on a camouflage appearance on a pair of slouchy trousers. The pair continued their experimentations with deconstructing tailoring, with straitjacket-inspired blazers, and tops that seemed to be made from trouser patterns turned on their side. A floor-length coat with a pleated and draped lapel to create the illusion of two layers was one of their most successful pieces, as was a simple A-line shift dresse with a buckle detail at the chest that they made in wool and denim. Their alien inspiration brought them to ’50s pulp novels, which they used as a print on a series of jersey dresses and T-shirts. Their coolest use of the print came on a simple lightweight gray twinset where they printed it on both the sweater and the cardigan that went over it.
