Presenting his spring runway show in his atelier/shop for the first time was a bit like inviting people to his home, said Bibhu Mohapatra. Everything was up close and personal, including most of the clothes, which was a plus.
The designer—who has a penchant for pointed angles, dramatic geometric asymmetries, and sharp pleats—softened things a bit for spring by using curvier lines. Waist-defining blazer jackets, he noted, aimed to borrow from “Jazz Age men’s tailoring.” This is an era the designer is drawn to often, and it resurfaced for spring in column dresses with sort of apron fronts and double shoulder straps. There was a lot of fringe as well.
Leading the path this time was the artist Augusta Savage, whose work Mohapatra sees as having a synergy with Simone Leigh, who represented the United States at the 2022 Venice Biennale. Mohapatra said he wanted to create a bridge between these two Black female sculptors and his own work without being too literal. The result was molded bodices that twisted like petals and were a turn in the right direction after a few seasons of collections that seemed to check boxes without much emotion.
Of note were the perforated veil-like sunglasses (see Look 19) that take their motif from a proprietary lace; they are part of a collaboration between Mohapatra and Ic! Berlin.
