It’s not uncommon to leave a fashion show thinking, That was nice, but who can wear those clothes? And who is going to buy them? No one leaves a Frederick Anderson show thinking that, though. Partly because his collections are so clearly conceived with his well-heeled, well-traveled, women-about-town clients in mind, but also because those clients are a striking presence in his front row—swapping air kisses and summer vacation tales before taking their seats. Such was the scene when Anderson presented his spring collection at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music.
There, models walked the runway in looks heavily inspired by Anderson’s many trips to North Africa, namely Marrakech and Tangier. “Even though my clients are destination clients, I do like to take them on adventures and try to teach them a little bit,” Anderson said the day before at his Flatiron boutique and studio. The first lesson was in robe dressing and the region’s “heritage of ease”: light-as-a-feather Egyptian linen employed for a trench and wide-leg trousers, a cream duster in Anderson’s signature crochet. “This is a fabric that would be in North Africa in the market,” he explained of a striped, multicolored jacquard, “but I reinvented it in Italy to make it a little bit softer and lighter so that it’s a garment fabric as opposed to a tapestry fabric.” Anderson made delightful use of it for Look 11, an overcoat and matching front-pocket shorts.
“You start off with this lightness, and then we get into this glamour, which I love,” Anderson explained. Those designs include a dazzling beaded vest and capelet combo (a collaboration with wearable art designer Colette Harmon) and a sexy red leopard-print dress with sequined and leather details. Black lace dresses with fringe and feathers would be fit for a desert party that’ll go on until daybreak.
Beyond reflecting on his travels, Anderson is keen on his collections embracing various cultures—especially during a time in America when “we’re not embracing anyone,” he said. “We keep talking about ourselves and we forget that there’s a globe.” His spring offering was an apt and sophisticated reminder.
