Gabriela Hearst Fall 2024 Ready-to-Wear: Organic Elegance

Coming in from the snow to Gabriela Hearst’s show space at the Agger Fish Building in Brooklyn Tuesday morning, the fashion crowd was greeted by a fabulous table spread of Surrealist looking food, including “butter fish” (from a fish-shaped mold) with radishes for dipping, a jumble of ribbons made from Oaxacan cheese, and madeleine “trees.”

Hearst, as it turns out, had Surrealism on the mind, specifically Surrealist artist Leonora Carrington, her female heroine of the moment. One of Carrington’s most famous works was a 1939 portrait of her lover Max Ernst in a shaggy pink feather robe with a merman tail and striped silk stockings. Ha!

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That picture was an inspiration for the men’s fall 2024 collection presented last month, and the threads carried over quite literally to the richly textured elegance of the women’s lineup with its fabulous mixed shearling and cashmere coats, wooly cashmere “furs” (one a scarlet red with matching fringe dress and scarf) and teddy-like wool cashmere V-neck gowns.

She also launched a new bag, named the Carrington, in a sleek box shape and an array of lush shades, including oxblood. Scarlet-hued velvet boots and metallic leather ballet flats further underscored that the “touch of red” trend isn’t going anywhere.

In a season when leather clothing is all over the runways, Hearst’s looked richer — a napa coat was hand-pleated to create texture, for example, and suede leather slipdresses were as supple as silk.

Always with an eye to comfort, even on more formal pieces, Hearst incorporated merino knit waists with lace panels on double satin slipdresses, and made her signature swirl lace in cashmere on cozy shirts and flared pants. “Good luck trying to do this,” she said of the specialized level of craft.

Mixing materials on hybrid garments is also becoming a brand forte, as on a chic black cashmere knit and ivory shearling coat with back corset detail, and a modernist gold metallic napa and bias-cut silk sculpted dress. Think of it as organic engineering.

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Launch Gallery: Gabriela Hearst Fall 2024 Ready-to-Wear Collection

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