Vaquera RTW Fall 2023
Vaquera design duo Patric DiCaprio and Bryn Taubensee wrestled with temptation this season, and came out on the winning side.
The first models walked with what has become Vaquera’s signature speed and stern faces, but they were in a dreamy mood for fall, channeling the good, the bad and the sparkly. The collection was rich in subversive options, from giant flight jackets enveloping the arm to shrunken zipper cardigans. Fantastical hats were surrealist showstoppers.
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Voluminous shredded denim gowns and what was billed as a “pirate bra” — one side covered by a pinch of fabric, the other by the model’s hand — while faux-fur mohawk caps were a fantastical touch atop polo shirts and iridescent aviator pants. Spiked jackets looked both downright dangerous and playful at the same time. Destroyed jeans and lingerie as streetwear maintained the Vaquera edge.
But something’s got to give, and this season their edge was eased as fishnet was interpreted in soft pink knits and faux-fur stoles that swaddled the shoulders. It was a breath of fresh air for the in-your-face young label and it felt like the designers were having more fun.
Speaking backstage after the show, DiCaprio and Taubensee said they had lost themselves in trying to make commercial pieces in their most recent collections. Since they are living the dream of presenting in Paris, why not do what they actually want? Tears were shed.
“We wanted to create a different reality, and this season we are really making things that are exciting to us, and that we find inspiring,” Taubensee said.
Pieces had a palpable lightness while still keeping their subtly subversive streak. It read as a cohesive collection and not as performance piece, the irony being that these “‘non-commercial” pieces felt all the more wearable.
Launch Gallery: Vaquera RTW Fall 2023
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