The early oughts are officially back. ApparelMagic client Jonathan Simkhai’s spring 2022 collection shown at New York Fashion Week felt like a refreshing breeze from simpler times. Harkening back to the shapes and refinement of the days of the legendary Helmut Lang, Simkhai took on the minimalist mantel and drew up a line of sportswear of the most chic sort.
Simkhai multiplied spaghetti straps and subtracted midriffs. Dividing layers in suiting into multiple layers and adding on strips and ties that danced in the wind, the collection was full of things to look at while at the same time so much more than the sum of its parts.
Though sleek, almost severe cuts made strong statements, they were beautifully offset by a very human materiality. Whites, sands, lavenders, and periwinkle all draped effortlessly across models’ skins, and fabrics were buttery soft.
Simkhai is one designer never content to stay in one lane, and after this collection, it’s clear that, from maximal to minimal, he can do anything he sets his mind to.
