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Eroticism and Brutalism Reign Supreme for Eckhaus Latta's FW23 Show

Published on V Magazine Digital on 2.14.23

Words by Nicholson Baird

“Be fluidly brutal and find god,” reads the conclusion of the show notes for Eckhaus Latta’s Fall 2023 Ready-to-wear Collection, presented on Saturday night in a very foggy and dimly-lit space. “Fluidly brutal” may just be the most concise way to describe Mike Eckaus and Zoe Latta’s presentation; a no nonsense presentation of practical pieces with an undertone of severe eroticism.

As the show opened, the room went completely dark, with models being lit via a harsh spotlight as they emerged from a glowing doorway. The first half of the collection was predominantly dark in color palette and quite serious in construction; the opening look was a tough wool overcoat, worn atop an accordion knit in deep blue-ish green and a loose raw trouser. As the show progressed, the showing of skin was notably more erotic than it was sexy. Slashes in garments exposed slivers of skin, while knit dresses were left to almost completely reveal the body in its entirety.

The looks slowly evolved into more colorful concoctions with the brand’s signature eccentric color use of mossy green, deep navy, and pops of bubblegum pink. Even where the showing progressively gained color, there maintained a restriction of sorts — right as the palette became its brightest in the presentation of two pink looks, it was then reigned in back into a more controlled range of pastels, khakis, and grays.

As always, Eckhaus Latta has shown off their masterful understanding of complex and intriguing materiality. Shearling was used in the construction of a patchworked vest as well as being morphed into a revealing wrap top. Delicate knits were consistently light and sheer (modeled by the delightfully chic John Gries of The White Lotus), save for a couple of chunky hand knit bomber jackets. A large selection of denim has been coated in a waxy indigo sheen, while elsewhere, jeans were given a technicolor dye treatment consisting of a mirage of cobalt blue, burnt orange, grass green, and grayscale. The most exciting accessory treatment was the creation of thick soled loafers and boots, coated in a rugged brown beige fur.

While the rest of the collection is most certainly sensual in their design, the idea of eroticism was most vividly expressed towards the end of the show in the presentation of two looks that were anchored by amber organza pieces. The sheen of the pieces gave them an almost rubberized feeling that felt undeniably kinky in their materiality. The women’s offering came in a matching set that had been scrunched and gathered, puckering around the body, while the men’s piece was a button down with a subversive hem that felt reminiscent of an undone body suit. The closing look was an open-backed dress that felt evocative of a butcher’s apron; a strangely delightful blend between sensuality and extreme toughness.

As a whole, the collection was grounded by an aura of eroticism, brutalism, and ruggedness; a departure from their more celebratory collection presented for SS23. While the clothes were, yes, often revealing, they maintained an integrity of protective dressing. Call it the looming recession, the lingering pandemic, or quite possibly any of the other major quandaries that society as a whole is facing in the modern day — there is a current sentiment in fashion that is calling for clothing that is tough and Eckhaus Latta has proven themselves as a label that deeply understands this zeitgeist and what it means in the way we choose to get dressed.

Eckhaus Latta as a brand is so consistently strong in that what you see is what you get; there needn’t be a shtick for the creation of brilliantly interesting and simultaneously practical clothing. Their designs are complex and often a tad strange in their texture and silhouette, yet they remain practical and wearable for their customer. The Eckhaus Latta wearer is excited by the prospect of getting dressed, and they want clothing that can give them both intrigue as well as utility in the way their clothes are worn. There is a very New York sensibility to this balance; a ruggedness, an erotic flair, yet most importantly, a practicality that is essential to their wardrobe.

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