NYFW Friday: Jonathan Simkhai and Fforme

New York Fashion Week’s calendar on Friday featured two powerful collections by Jonathan Simkhai and Fforme, one staged in an airy skyscraper and the other in an artist’s studio.  

Both managed to capture the restless energy of America with brisk staging and bold fashion, even though both collections were designed by two foreign-born designers.
 

Jonathan Simkhai: Aran energy at Hudson Yards

Jonathan Simkhai was born in Tel Aviv, moving to America at the age of three and growing up in Westchester. Though these days he is based in Los Angeles, where he found the kickoff point for this collection, browsing through the Rose Bowl Flea Market. Acquiring items like a 1920s brooch and a leather bomber jacket that ignited the theme of this funky, frayed, and frequently sexy and excellent collection.
 
A memorable show right from the opening looks: a very cool raggedy silk coat worn with a semi-sheer skirt and bra top; an oversized leather bomber jacket worn with a matching mini kilt – worn by the first in a brilliant series of mechanic’s boots with industrial buckles.
 
Staged on the 37th floor of 10 Hudson Yards, guests scurried through the icy wind to get to this show. That made the knitwear – rollneck Aran sweaters and mini dresses so frayed they could almost have been moth-eaten – look perfect for next winter.
 
In a co-ed show, guys wore Arans with great wide pants in industrial gray leather, the key shade in the color palette.
 
Though Simkhai’s coolest looks were couture-worthy looks – like crinkly jackets or worn-in chalk-stripe cocktail dresses covered in dazzling strass; or a herringbone coat finished with jet floral beading, worn with matching boots. All the way to a tremendous final look – a side-slashed evening gown exploding with a crazy patchwork of pearls, rings, brooches, and sequins. A true wow factor.

Fforme: Heritage free, and thank god

Earlier in the day, one entered the Chelsea Factory to witness the debut of Frances Howie for Fforme — a New Zealander with a first-rate CV, taking her first steps in New York.

The former home of New York’s first taxis, and subsequently the studio of Annie Leibovitz, the expansive red-brick show space was ideal for the galvanizing, authoritative style of this debut collection.

A graduate of Central Saint Martins – under the mentorship of Louise Wilson, no less – Howie spent nearly four years with Alber Elbaz at Lanvin in Paris before joining Stella McCartney in London. Though her ideas for Fforme were a significant departure from those of either of those European brands. Fforme was founded by Silicon Valley product designer Nina Khosla in 2022 as a direct-to-consumer concept.

Her opening looks had a stylishly ceremonial sense: chic modern vestments in terms of silhouettes with gentle layers, cut with artful volume. Extended wide sleeves, elongated lapels, and oversized, mannish jackets cinched with rolled leather belts – each completed with modish fringes.

While the tailoring had great poise, her dresses had an arty gusto — bias-cut dresses with unexpected twisting lines made of hammered viscose satin; or a fabulous and quirky bubblegum pink column made of double-pleated crushed satin. Finishing with hand-frayed ribbon coats and dresses with dramatic textures made in Italy.

“Fforme — the name already suggests something sculptural, but to me the primary form is the female form. That’s where I started,” explained Howie, who now creates in a studio in Soho.

Working in a method similar to when she was with Elbaz in Paris, cutting and draping half a garment and then sketching the result before finishing the look.

The result felt like a fresh perspective on modern luxury — not based on a heritage code dating back a century. And all the better for that.