Do you ever come across a designer where you’re just like “whoa I totally get you” and pretty much stalk them ever since that realization? Well that’s how I feel about Jonathan Simkhai, and because he debuted his Spring 2015 collection just yesterday, this seems like the right time to share why you should be stalking him too…
I first discovered Jonathan Simkhai when I attended my first full fashion week for Spring 2011. I had been going to shows at Lincoln Center for most of the week and Jonathan Simkhai was my very first off-site presentation. I can’t recall the exact location but I remember it was somewhere near the Ports1961 store (perhaps across the street?) in the Meatpacking district. And of course, I only remember that detail because I did a little shopping at Ports right before the presentation. The space was a dim-lit, lounge-like scene and I remember thinking it was so awesome that models weren’t just standing on a platform in a blank space, making their rotations every few minutes — they were sitting around on chairs, standing on tables and just looking like a part of the party…but in really cool boy-meets-girl looks with a little 50s flare. It was love at first site for me. Not only did I appreciate such a unique experience (at the time, I had never been to such a presentation) but I loved the clothes too. As you can tell from these absolutely terrible photos I took on what I like to call my “college digital camera.”
If we only had Instagram at the time, I’m sure I could have spruced these right up. But instead, I did a little research and found someone in attendance at the same presentation that actually took some decent pictures.
Good stuff, right? Whether it’s his first collection for Spring ’11 or what he’s doing now for Spring ’15, everything then and in-between has been a variety of wearable pieces that are different but not too out there, cool but not so overly edgy and easy to wear for numerous occasions.
For SS15, Jonathan Simkhai took the idea of broken glass and translated it into clothes. His most recent collections have a lot of angular details that I think makes his style so unique, and he really took that to another level for Spring 2015. My personal style used to be all about bright colors and all these crazy pieces, and now I appreciate funky neutrals because I can wear them more often and they go with more of my wardrobe. Like I’d actually find more reasons to wear those cut-out black pants than a neon sweatshirt, ya know? And that’s why I gravitate towards designers like Jonathan Simkhai. Plus, he’s not a super high-end designer (I’d say an average price of $400 to $500, depending on the item). So, I say oh hiiiii Simkhai.
And in case you’re not totally sold, here’s a few other reasons to love him (besides his new CFDA member status).
Gold culottes for Resort ’15? YES JON YES!
Did the whole “matchy” trend in a badass way for Fall 2014.
And making all white look fresh as ever for Pre-Fall 2014.
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But those are just a few of the many reasons to love what this guy is doing. But what do you think? Are you team Simkhai? If you need to do a little more exploring before you answer, here’s a look at my favorite current Jonathan Simkhai offerings.
Images via Pinterest and Style.com…and my old shitty camera
Wow, SS15 collection is stunning!