Ulla Johnson Plays With Deconstructed Menswear for Fall 2024
For the first time ever, there were male models on the Ulla Johnson runway. And although the designer dabbled in traditional menswear elements throughout her Fall 2024 collection, the male models primarily donned softer shapes. It was all part of the designer's goal of "deconstructing menswear tropes."
"[A big inspiration was] feminizing certain menswear fabrics and doing shapes that felt boyish, but also were really highlighting the woman's body in an empowering and strong way," the designer told Fashionista backstage. "It's much more common to see women in menswear shows or women wearing men's clothes, but the reverse has this weird stigma around it that is so artificial...I'm interested in challenging that."
The collection features a feminized remix of menswear, evident in pieces like an olive-green coat that merges a cape with a trench-coat silhouette. It evokes a military feeling, with sharp edges and a stiff collar, yet the fabric is soft and flow-y, offering gown-like movement. Johnson also incorporates denim jackets, some with boxy silhouettes and others feminized through figure-hugging corsetry. Similarly, pinstripe suiting balances broadly cut shoulders and loose fit with cinching at the waist.
The label's penchant for fine fabrics and rich detailing continues via the use of alpaca-blended knits from Peru and embroidery sourced from India. Other staples of Johnson's bohemian aesthetic, like maximalist prints and ample ruffles and ruching, can be found throughout the collection. But minimalist and monochrome garments in hues like mustard, orchid purple and copper have a place, too.
Like last season's collaboration with Shara Hughes, Johnson brought in another artist for autumn: Writer Raven Leilani penned an essay titled "On Adornment" for the show notes. In it, she describes the search for beauty as something that "requires you to cast a wide net and give yourself over to wandering."
"Having Raven write that piece was so meaningful because there is this process of becoming that is part of every collection, that is part of the way every woman dresses, every day," Johnson said. She plans to continue "engaging with living artists" for all the "exciting work being done across different media."
Keep scrolling to see every look from Ulla Johnson Fall 2024.
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
Ulla Johnson Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight
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