Usually, Vogue Runway reviewers are tasked with simply telling the story behind a designer’s new collection—but this season, a Vogue review is what actually inspired the focus of Who Decides War designers Ev Bravado and Téla D’Amore’s new assortment. Last season, the duo were interviewed by Vogue’s Laird Borrelli-Persson, and the pair were struck by her suggestion that they had created fabrics to resemble damask (a woven, reversible patterned fabric); They hadn’t, but it ignited them to do so this spring. “When she said this, it was like the biggest light bulb moment,” said D’Amore. “I did a deep-dive on damask wallpapers, whether it was French, European, or African. I fell in love with it.”
That textile obsession then evolved into a much broader story. The new collection—titled “Read the Room”—envisioned what a high-fashion wardrobe might look like if it stemmed from an old, decaying house. “The old doors, wallpapers, chandeliers—it was about taking these remnants, and doing it on the highest level possible,” said Bravado. Naturally, they used a lot of textural fabrics to bring the vision to life (including, yes, damask), and utilized that raw feeling on everything from extremely slick suits to theatrical bridal gowns, made in some of their other signature materials like leather, denim, and lace as well.
If their striking clothes were meant to evoke some sort of house withering away or awaiting demolition, we would gladly accept the keys to move in. The designers showed a beautiful collection tonight that felt interesting and thought-provoking. The collection opened on a more casual, wearable note. Blue striped dress shirts were stained with white splotches in a pleasing way, as were the metallic jeans, splattered with bleach. “We brought back a lot of denim this season,” said Bravado. “It’s such a strong part of our DNA, and the redefining of Americana that we do.” Their take on men’s suiting also felt especially fresh. A gray checkered double-breasted suit had sentences strung about along the front, arranged like a poem. There were also pinstriped suits with patchwork detailing, and a simple navy style with a carwash-pleat waistline. Bravado said he wanted to create a smartened-up wardrobe that he could envision himself wearing.
Their leatherwork, always a strong point, shined through via pieces like sleek racing jackets, or a leather zip-up coat that featured scalloped pieces of different textures like croc, crystals, and splashes of burnt-orange panels. It was as though the jacket was badly burnt in a fire—and recovered amongst the ashes in a state of strikingly beautiful disarray. “We wanted the silhouettes to feel like they were decaying across the body, and to have a conversation with the body,” says D’Amore. You could also see this on pieces like the leather mini slip dress, paneled in such a way to resemble shards of stained glass, one of their signature motifs.
The collection came to a crescendo when the duo sent out a series of haunting, destroyed white looks. Raw silks or tulles were used to create a layered, bunched, one-shouldered bridal gown—as though the bride had run away into an enchanted forest, catching herself on branches along the way. “We wanted the silhouettes to start off stoic, and then to just explode,” says D’Amore. The finale gown was another such explosion, a voluminous dress made of mounds of different graffitied fabric and ruffles. Just as breathtaking was the live performance by Leon Thomas and his guitar that serenaded guests through it all. “We wanted to have him in this performance as a Black rock star, and portraying what we believe is the Black American experience,” said Bravado.