“R13 is based on denim and jeans, but maybe I can become a dress designer,” Chris Reba thinks as he clutches a floral dress from his Pre-Fall collection in his SoHo showroom. However, it was no ordinary sundress. It was made of two layers, one plain and woolly, the other silky and sheer, printed with a floral leva that was described as “pretty but a little dark.” It was vaguely Tim Burton-esque and certainly raunchy. “So those are my roots, right?” the designer joked.
These floral prints can go weird, like an ocher velvet A-line slip or a muddy wallpaper-like cocoon shirtdress that just happens to be flipped into one of Leba’s signature plaids. It’s carried over in multiple colors on a variety of dress silhouettes that become more and more convincing. . This rather practical, and new to R13, concept of offering double-sided styling was one of the designers’ key ideas here. Another standout here was an oversized twill camel coat, this one with a more classic plaid pattern. All seams and hems are left raw, adding a punkish appeal. “Fabric is always key,” Reba said, explaining that the idea for these reversible styles came from finding the right material and designing around it.
To Reba’s credit, it’s not all about the fabric, it’s about knowing what to do with it. For example, he made cool shirtdresses and even better handkerchief skirts from mesh-lined and totally bizarre holey silks, and soft blazers from super-sleek knits that joined at the front. A casual twist. This hem idea resurfaced in sweaters, and evolved into the way Reba trimmed the waists of denim shirts and cardigans so that they hugged and curved around the body. Also clever was the way the hem was rounded so that it completely surrounded the body, rather than the placket stopping at the hem.
As for the roots Reba was talking about, this season he delved into his archives to unearth the shaggy black shearling-motorcycle jacket hybrid that opens this lookbook. He said the fit has been changed to make it more modern, but the essence is the same. He repeated that material block throughout his truly special outerwear styles. “I’m interested in staying with what I have, rather than pursuing something new,” he said. He was talking about carrying on some of his best-sellers, including the loose-fitting plaid shirts and distressed knits worn by everyone from Charli XCX to Travis Kelce. It’s this spirit that makes Reba one of New York fashion’s true proponents of grunge. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
