There are times when Patricio Campillo can’t help but feel misinterpreted. His clothing is a method to remedy that. “I think there’s a very interesting relationship between how we look and how we feel and the perception we have of ourselves,” he said. “What do we want to achieve when projecting an image of ourselves?” Campillo’s body becomes a vessel for his chosen craft, and he goes about his practice with extreme discipline. Also, you have to appreciate anyone with enough precision that they can make BOOM at the Standard Hotel feel like an intimate salon-style presentation in the light of day.
For fall, Campillo surveyed the idea of restriction across numerous sources of inspiration. He looked to 1920s corsetry and the uncomfortable undergarments women were required to wear throughout much of history. These motifs appeared literally, through corset belts that at times mimicked a horse’s saddle. However, technique makes perspectives shift—good clothing can do that. (It should do that.) A seriously fabulous green jacket emulated the view of a mane from atop a horse, and its high-necked bristled horsehair collar, prepared in partnership with Christian Rodriguez, formed its own kind of binding through the material’s natural rigidity. Speaking of horseback riding, one jacket’s front was beautifully pinned up as if caught in the wind.
Campillo also continued his exploration of the homoeroticism of traditional charro suits. “There’s a really broad back, there are really elongated legs, there’s a really small waist,” he said. When dismantled for parts, one can’t help but piece it back together with a bit of BDSM. A collar made from black horsehair stood on its ends brushing the bottom of the chin, becoming both rigid and sensual. Meanwhile, fluidity found gentle guidance in woven pants and silky blouses. Natural depth was brought through mined Onyx buckles and buttons made in collaboration with artisan Sara Pineda. Campillo’s structured language became an apparatus for identity negotiations, and his pieces’ visual singularity can’t help but make you an active participant.
And we must all be active participants. Plenty of guests sported pins emblazoned with “ICE OUT,” as they have done at many of the shows this week. Campillo is primarily based in Mexico City, but New York fashion week has become another home and fanbase, so he is all too aware of the rising tensions that immigrants in the U.S. are currently facing. When staging a show, Campillo often hires interns, freelancers, and artists from his community. “It’s a moment where I don’t know if they’re a priority for anyone else in the industry that is able to give them this experience and knowledge,” he said. However frivolous fashion can at times feel, he is aware that these narratives play into something larger—something that he feels is also represented by his former fellow New York designer, Willy Chavarria. That’s why Campillo’s aim remains to “convert craft, artisanship, and artisanal techniques from a souvenir into a luxury good.” His continued excellent design will only further that.
