Timo Weiland Spring 2013 — Haring Meets Herringbone
Country club chic got a bastard’s backhand at the Timo Weiland Spring 2013 show, held on the evening of Sunday, September 9th in the Studio at Lincoln Center. Design partners Timo Weiland and Alan Eckstein constructed classic American leisure wear but subverted any preppy connotations by incorporating punchy brights, exaggerating the shape and size of patterns typically associated with high-brow style (among them herringbone) to give them more of a downtown edge, mixing and matching prints, and relying on urban-flavored graphics inspired by the late, New York -based artist Keith Haring, whose work has become synonymous with ’80s street art.
The Keith Haring inspiration was subtle at times: zigzagging and squiggly lines with drippy dots in green, yellow, red, and gray popping up in short-sleeves sweater tops, PVC raincoats and PVC skirts, and babydoll dresses, mirroring the strokes Haring used to create maze-like scenarios in his paintings and illustrations; slightly tribal-flavored, black-and-white triangle shapes popping up on the banded waistline of a glamorous black circle skirt garments; and chevron patterns in electric shades of pink, yellow, red, orange and brown. In other instances, the influence was more readily apparent, as with a golden brown pencil skirt featuring space invader-like shapes resembling those made by street artist Don Leicht in the early ’80s, or with a patchwork-style short-sleeved sweater top featuring a graphic reminiscent of Haring’s classic dog symbol.
An uptown-meets-downtown feel played out through the entire collection so that, even an all-white ensemble consisting of a semi-sheer blouse with oversize pockets and roomy slacks incorporated a sporty vibe thanks to the varsity-like piping along the pants’ side seams. Similarly, gray-and-yellow houndstooth prints were magnified to create a much bolder feel, adding an unexpected swagger to trench coats, slim cropped pants, and zip-front skirts (this last garment featured two roomy cargo pockets in a smaller houndstooth print for added quirk). Similarly, a strapless dress in a gold and white herringbone pattern was infused with a rocker vibe thanks to a sheer black overlay sewn atop the bodice, creating a halter-style silhouette but with a shirt collar detail.
Even the eveningwear nodded to street fashion, with an azure-colored, floor-length satin skirt with tulle underlaying paired with a cropped short-sleeved top featuring iridescent green and blue sequined embroidery in near-psychedelic shapes and a white floor-length gown juxtaposing satin and matte jersey to play up the glam-and-casual contrast.
Check out the photos from the show above and below!
— Reporting by Contributing Editor Izzy Ruis; Story by Celia San Miguel and Izzy Ruiz
