The series of supremely chic standaway coats that opened Thomas Tait s second show suggested worship in the church of Cristobal Balenciaga. But Tait, one of London s bubbling-under new talents, isn t a disciple of the past. That includes his own. For Spring, he broke away from his dark, tailored reputation in favor of light and color.
In a way, Tait lives for newness, especially in technique. Take the glossy, textured fabric he developed for this collection. It s the kind of thing that makes you squint, trying to figure out exactly what it is. Answer: a pleated jersey with a clear print and colored foil overlay. It s safe to say no one used that in 1953. That fabric accounted for the fluorescent tube lights that lined the benches in the intimate space at Alison Jacques Gallery: "Basically, the best way to see it is with colored lights," Tait said. "I like that people aren t safe with what color it is. It s more fluid." In a season of color that smacks you upside the head, the subtlety of baby pinks and mint greens stood out.
The look here was a mix of clinical, sporty, and monastic in varying doses. Those funny puffy white sneakers and slightly droopy-eyed sunglasses, made in collaboration with Cutler and Gross, cut the potentially stifling purity. Meanwhile, racerback dresses with cutaway tails provided a hint of sexual tension. A pair of biker jackets, worn with cropped trousers like a futuristic fifties greaser, was unexpected but still fit into the picture—not an easy feat in just 19 looks. Tait s version is almost made from a single piece of leather, a Japanese plongé that comes in sheets 33 feet wide. A challenge, yes, and expensive, to boot. But Tait has hit upon his own exquisite, if laborious, MO, and it s a treat to watch it unfold.
