These spring/summer 2023 collections from designers with local ties feature clothing inspired by a vibrant Mexican village, German expressionist art, and more — and they have the fashion world buzzing.
A Potts.
While creating his spring/summer 2023 collection, Hiding the Horizon, Detroit-born, New York-based designer Aaron Potts looked to Summer of Soul, a documentary by musician and recording producer Questlove. The 2021 film examines the Harlem Cultural Festival, which took place during the summer of 1969 and celebrated Black history, culture, music, and fashion.
“I was inspired by a spirit of liberation, soul, and electricity as embodied by Mavis [Staples] and Sly [Stone],” Potts says in a press release about the collection, which was presented at New York Fashion Week in September 2022. “They made me think
of angels on earth, and I thought how angels just might be surrounding us at this very moment. They manifest through the work of artists, but they also surround us masked in the sunlight, the wind, the rain, clouds, and mossy forest floors.”
Potts’ ideas regarding these omnipresent and unrestrained beings are evident in the earthy tones and flowing silhouettes in Hiding the Horizon, from billowing dresses and jackets in sky blue, white, black, and fluorescent green to more structured and boxy garments in tan and olive green. A standout is a striking metallic silver top and matching floor-length skirt with a train, which could be a nod to that electric feeling of the festival Potts was influenced by.
Hope For Flowers
Tracy Reese’s Detroit-based sustainable fashion line has become a hometown favorite since its inception in 2019. The brand’s ethos of incorporating positive “social and ecological practices” into its offerings is evident in the quality fashion produced, the eco-friendly fabrics used, and even the art enrichment programs offered to youth and adults at the Hope for Flowers headquarters.
For the spring 2023 collection, Reese chose to separate it into two parts. The Boho Classic drop, which was released in late February, features garments that Reese felt were perfect for transitioning to spring, including shirtdresses, cargos, dresses, skirts, and tops in deconstructed denim, patchwork patterns, and warped floral designs.
For the Blissed Out drop, which arrives April 15, Reese wanted to juxtapose delicate clothing with edgy touches for a “subversive, sexy, feminine” vibe. Among those items are dresses and tops in solid statement colors, gingham-patterned oversized jackets, and dresses with lingerie-inspired bodices.
Kevan Hall
Kevan Hall, a Los Angeles-based designer with Detroit roots, transported viewers at New York Fashion Week last September to Todos Santos, Mexico, with his collection Hotelito. Named after the boutique hotel where he stayed during his travels, the spring/summer 2023 collection comprises garments like tweed and lace dresses, breezy caftans and palazzo pants, and stunning tulle gowns reminiscent of the vibrant colors, textures, architecture, and artisans that Hall says he was surrounded by.
“These are clothes that women can wear effortlessly for day: cotton-embroidered dresses, neon brights, summer tweeds, [and] graphic-printed georgettes,” Hall says in a press release. “There are also cocktail dresses and evening ensembles in textured jacquards, taffeta, silk organza, beaded laces, and fringe that are sophisticated and sexy, providing the perfect balance for the modern woman.”
Indeed, fans of the collection can find items fit for whatever the day or night brings, from a camo-printed, double-breasted swing jacket and matching bell-bottom pant to an azure fringe halter gown dripping in multicolor beads.
Deviate
Cassidy and Kelsey Tucker consistently find inspiration from both their dreams and their bond as sisters when designing for their Detroit-based streetwear brand Deviate — and their spring/summer 2023 collection, Doubt Is Poison to a Dreamer, is no different.
Presented at New York Fashion Week in September 2022, the collection represents the imaginary worlds the Tuckers crafted in their youth as well as the balancing act of trusting and doubting oneself as an artist. They materialized those ideas into garments by using the technique of tearing and reknitting fabrics to construct them, which they say in a press release also represents the “interconnectedness and separation from ourselves and the people around us.”
This technique is evident in the collection’s intriguing asymmetrical tops, macrame fringe halter dress, fringe open vest, and macrame maxi skirt, among other looks. For the printed textiles — like their Multi-Color Lavender and Green Sunset prints featured on hoodies, slip dresses, deconstructed T-shirts, and pants — the Tuckers say they were influenced by the German expressionist and surrealist art movements (particularly Edvard Munch, the creator of “The Scream” painting, who is considered a pioneer of German expressionism).
Taj Cottage
Inclusivity and combining Indian and Western ways of dress were top of mind for Rachna Chandra when creating her spring/ summer 2023 collection, Metamorphosis.
“The inspiration behind these designs was to create something which can be worn by non- Indian or non-Asian fashion lovers; they can be mixed and matched with Western styles to give a different feel,” says the designer and founder of Indian bridal boutique Taj Cottage in Farmington Hills. “That’s why these designs are more contemporary and not too traditional.”
Presented at Paris Fashion Week last fall, Metamorphosis features gender-neutral garments such as tunics and jackets with matching pants; a black sherwani (a knee-length coat); saris (garments consisting of fabric draped over the body) in royal blue and bright red; and a red-and-gold-sequined lehnga (an ankle-length skirt). Chandra used silk, organza, and sequined fabrics for her designs; one standout look is the Eiffel Tower Tunic Set, which features an organza tunic with an Eiffel Tower applique on the back and a matching crop top and pants made with sequined silk fabric.
This story is part of the April 2023 issue of Hour Detroit. Read more in our Digital Edition.
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