JONATHAN SIMKHAI FALL WINTER 2019 COLLECTION

Before the Shah of Iran was exiled, my grandfather ran a lace mill in Tehran. My connection to his rich heritage and expertise in lace has always offered so much inspiration. This season however, I looked back at the other half of my family's diverse history. I looked back to my mother's grandmother who was born in Odessa, Ukraine. I was compelled to incorporate some traditional garb that represented the time while my grandmother lived there. The headscarves worn by the babushkas at the time were worn as protective layers against the harsh winters, and I am delighted to present them in a new light.

The concept of the headscarf is used throughout this fall winter collection and within our custom prints. The silhouettes this season elicit a vintage spirit while equally exuding modern appeal. The traditional headscarves are incorporated into the actual form of the dress; adding elements of innovation and allure. For this collection I spent a lot of time experimenting with new colors ways, fabrications, prints and patterns based on the palette and landscapes seen in Odessa.

I challenged myself to incorporate some of these traditional elements in newly conceptualized blueprints. Houndstooth and our new approach to plaids pay homage to my family while stylistically adding layers of complexity. Experimentation in color led us to the intertwining of mahogany, marigold, and turmeric against peacock blue, purple reign and electric green. Menswear and continuing the use of masculine elements are entangled with new twists on femininity. Known for their use in handkerchiefs and ties, foulard is used throughout this collection, emblazoned with eye-catching miniature print.

JONATHAN SIMKHAI S/S 2019 PRESENTATION

This year was one of my most transformative and monumental years. I was overwhelmed with joy after welcoming twins into our lives, moving the brand to California surrounded by a newfound nature and opening our first store. I was enraptured by so many beau- tiful and impactful things, while at the same time still restless about the uncertainty of the things we cannot control. So, I found my girl escaping, visualizing a more Utopian place. The countryside, linen and gingham dresses draped on clothing lines in the wind, overgrown grass fields, sun soaked grounds of wheat and barley, somewhere lost in the words of Jack Kerouac. She is yearning to be understood, complex with contradictory impulses and provoked by the bonds of sisterhood to her own sexuality. She too has transformed, after a long journey that has led her to discover new realities and remem- ber forgotten parts of herself.

I am using embroidery anglaise to create dreamlike dresses, while also layering in tulle and trimmed plissé in silk-chiffon. Using new techniques with hand crochet on crisp  cotton percale while deploying soutache on drapery and seam closures. We approach fresh and new angles using guipure and macramé while expanding our offering into military parachute pants and jumbo-sized liquid twill cargos that came from imagining what people wear to a rave-like dance in this fanciful world. The color scheme this sea- son is playful utilizing pastel shades of lemonade, cherry blossom, and sky blue; while neutral utilitarian tones in  ecru, spring green, and off-white are  also seen throughout    the collection. Letting my mind drift is not a way to change the world, still my  dream is  that the looks in the collection that came from this place can change the world of the individual who is wearing them.

JONATHAN SIMKHAI | COLLEZIONE AUTUNNO/INVERNO 2018-2019

Ho passato molto tempo a riflettere sui punti di svolta della storia Americana, in particolare quando l’era vittoriana lasciò il posto alle idee moderne del ventesimo secolo. Suffragette e ragazze Gibson, come utilizzavano il loro guardaroba per esprimere una rivoluzione e potere sociale mentre si facevano spazio nella scena politica. Questo momento storico ha una particolare rilevanza adesso, quando la forza intera di così tante donne è sotto i riflettori nella coscienza americana. È questa espressione di forza che sta al centro della mia collezione.

L’utilitarismo si fonde con il romanticismo in molte forme questa stagione. Lana pesante è utilizzata per creare blazer strutturati e abiti midi con maniche gibot, mentre camicie dal taglio più tradizionale vengono riprese in vita e plissettate per diventare bluse funzionali. Il velluto incontra il pizzo, la seta disegna abiti fluidi e il denim prende vita nelle giacche stile corsetto e bustier. Abiti da sera in tulle plissettato e strati di ricami sono pensati per catturare un senso di eterea energia. La pallette di colori spazia dal grigio, al nocciola, al bordeaux intenso, al tabacco fino al nero inchiostro.

La mia collezione ha come riferimento il passato perché credo ci siano delle lezioni da imparare dalla storia utili per il nostro futuro. Quello che ho imparato fu dichiarato in maniera brillante dalla parlamentare Maxine Waters quando affermò “Dovremmo tutti avere speranza perché ce le siamo guadagnata, abbiamo lavorato per averla! È nostra!”